Alcohol - Appetite Increase

[Baby_Sham]

For one reason or another I have had to knock alcohol on the head, but since doing so (I am still very early days) I have noticed a massive increase in appetite.
I would have thought it was the other way round, but does anyone know if this is 'normal'?

[Baby_Sham]

He's been really great, which makes a change.
My parents basically forced him to take me to the doctors, as my Mum's been a bit concerned.
I normally spend most evenings sat on my own, but he's really making an effort and has thrown all the alcohol in the house down the sink.

[EcclesCake]

Good to know you are not doing it alone.

[Baby_Sham]

Thanks :-)
My main aim now is to get through this next week and then get myself back out there and working.
I don't think sat at home all day on my own has done me any favours, despite me constantly saying how much I like it.

[rockyracoon]

Stay strong BS, it's good to have a decent support network around you, lean on them when you need to.

[Baby_Sham]

Again, thank you.
AB is also very helpful as a support network.
I just need to avoid the late night threads! :D

[rockyracoon]

Hopefully you'll be in the land of nod and not have to venture on here too late

[suechu]

Not easy is it Baby Sham - very best of luck

[Baby_Sham]

Thanks suechu :)

[anneasquith]

BS. If you have been using that amount of alcohol , I wonder if you may require some assistance with withdrawal symptoms from your gp/support agency. well done for accepting you have an issue . good luck

[Baby_Sham]

Thanks Anne. I do have some medication from my GP (chlordiazepoxide) and am taking vitamin b1 tablets.
I've not touched the tablets from my doctor just yet (get a bit funny taking prescription drugs) but will do so if the anxiety/sweats/shakes get too much.

Thanks for your best wishes :-)

[cupid04]

I wish you luck kicking the alcohol on the head. I have the same problem with eating more when I try to give up the cigarettes.

[anneasquith]

BS. those drugs were given to you to help with detox, and id advise you to start taking them asap, as unmedicated detox can be dangerous, and makes you very vulnerable to revert to alcohol,

[Peaspeculiars]

Hi Baby_Sham, I really wish you all the best. It does seem like a horrible time at the moment and the shakes and sweats will last for a while longer still.
Don't worry that you are eating too much at the minute, it will level out, you will probably get some strange 'hankerings' for Beetroot/ Brocolli and other mineral rich veg and salty food - your body will just be trying to level out a bit - make sure you drink plenty of fluids and get as much rest as you can.
I've been through this myself and would 100% urge you to start taking the tablets now as prescribed as they will help you to sleep, take the edge off the shakes/ any hallucinations and reduce your anxiety. It will also reduce the likelihood of going into alcoholic shock (trust me, not something you would wish on anyone - particularly if you have already been to the doctors and have the tablets ready).
Your partner will probably be so relieved to see you are making the effort to stop drinking and I'm sure they will be scared too, so make sure you keep talking - even though you might feel all alone right now.
It is worth it in the end, really and truly.
All the very best xx

[Baby_Sham]

Cupid, my Dad has been saying the same as he's trying to give up cigarettes at the moment.
I suppose I should follow my own advice, as I keep telling him a bit of extra weight is far better than lung cancer!

Anne, you sound like my Mother :D
I'm going to see how tonight goes and, if it's the same as last night, I will definitely start taking them.

Thanks again.

[boxtops]

Good luck, baby_sham - and do take the tablets, the GP will want to know that you're taking them to help you through this difficult time. It takes will to do something like this - don't forget we're here if you need just to keep in touch x

[anneasquith]

BS. im sorry for nagging, but ive seen clients try to detox without medication and it is very dangerous, id advise you to google . alcohol detoxing, AA support site, ( sorry ed for advising google )

[Baby_Sham]

Peaspeculiars, that's lovely - thank you.
I'm drinking lots and lots of water and green tea at the moment.
It seems to be specific times of the day when I feel it most. I suppose the times I would normally have a drink.
I don't really know how I got to this stage, and I find it extremely embarrassing, but I can't bury my head in the sand any longer and keep living in denial.
I keep getting sharp short pains in my head, very random and not like a headache, do you suppose that's 'normal' too?

[Baby_Sham]

Ok, I will start taking them.
I know this sounds a bit odd, I'm sure I've mentioned this on posts before, but I have anxiety issues when it comes to medication and specifically the possible side-effects they may cause - hence why I always ask on here, as opposed to Googling or looking things up in a health book.
I get very panicky if I read something 'bad', and then become convinced that's going to happen to me.

Sounds stupid, I know.

[KARL]

Notice the implied "but failed" in the description of "trying to". Don 't include "try" in your vocabulary because the chances of a back-slide are considerably higher if/when you do. Congratulations on making a very sensible decision, you were in the process of killing yourself. I have a friend whom I met by chance - the friendship came about when she told me she gave up hard drugs entirely of her own free will; my admiration was and remains huge: she has been clean for about 20 years now. I have another friend who was hooked on alcohol in his younger years and realised he was/is an alcoholic - he gave it up totally and does not let alcohol pass his lips at all (45 years now). That is likely what you need to do - the quantities you describe suggest you are an alcoholic. The term is now used to permanently describe excessive and habitual drinkers, including reformed ones, because they are predisposed to an addiction and can't afford to give in because then consumption returns as before. In the UK and some other countries it is an unpopular term with those who consider that they simply "like a drink" (a certain minimum quantity daily) because it perfectly describes them. In my mind there is no shame in the label any more than "invalid" - but having no interest in giving up turns me off to such people. Best wishes - keep going as you are and reap the rewards.

[Peaspeculiars]

Baby_Sham, green tea is good, and add plenty of sugar :-) I know it sounds daft. but eating plenty will be beneficial to you now. (I was a 5 stone skeleton when I finally detoxed as the alcohol was my only source of calories at the end of 8 years of drinking daily) I drank to ease the anxiety at first, then I drank just to function in the morning by stopping the shakes.
It's ok to be embarrassed, just let it go - nobody is perfect and you are doing the right thing, right now. it is a cliche, but consider every day without a drink as an achievement and don't rush to a 'final goal', you will be back to yourself in a few weeks time and can hold your head up and get on with the rest of your life.
Just don't beat yourself up about what you did yesterday, a week ago or a year ago, just stay focused and be proud.
I am still an anxious person, but that's ok, you learn to know what to do to calm yourself down without automatically reaching for the corkscrew.
Keep chatting, and try to keep yourself occupied with small stuff at the minute :-)