Posted by James K on May 8, 2006, at 0:39:44
In reply to How long until your body is clean of beer?, posted by CEK on May 7, 2006, at 19:58:39
> Hi.
--Hi, I know some about this, some from experience, some from what I've been told. I'm no expert, but I'll do my best.
I'm new to this board and am writing in concern for my husband. He has quit drinking in February of this year cold turkey. I worry about him because I know it's got to be hard on him. He has drank a twelve pack of beer everyday now for years.
--Quitting after that amount would be hard and could have been dangerous. It's amazing that he has been able to do it just with willpower. very strong.
He was never a happy drinker. It only made him irritable and he looked for reasons to argue. He didn't eat much when he drank.
--He needs to be taking vitamins. At least a multi, but I think it is thiamine (a b-vitamin) that is most important. Those things get depleted, and supplementation is needed to get all the brain neurons back to firing correctly.
I called his drinking "his liquid diet." He's not the AA type. He doesn't like talking about his "personal" business and would rather do it on his own. I think he's suffering from some sort of depression. He says he has no motivation and feels sluggish.
---It is very likely that he is feeling bad. It would be hard to say if it is "actual depression" or "long term abuse and withdrawal depression" for a while. I believe even as long as 18 months. He will have deleted all of the dopamine in his brain and changed the receptors. And something about the neuroepherine? (Any of you science types please help, I'm going on memory and half-understood concepts.) This will make it hard for him to take pleasure in normal pleasurable activities until that stuff starts to heal up back to normal. If he is depressed anyway/as well, he may need an antideppressant. He may need one anyway just for the alcohol situation.
(It doesn't help that I'm putting him through hell with my own illnes that I share with everyone on psycho-babble, and being hospitalized for my own depression and suicidal thoughts.) He stopped drinking because I couldn't handle it anymore. He stopped after I had my first breakdown.
---That shows a strong commitment to you. I congratulate both of you on you attempts to improve your lives. I'm in the process myself of both alcohol recovery and depression recovery.
What I'm wondering is how long until his system is fully clean of the alcohol? He says he doesn't crave it anymore but he feels like crap. His face use to get real red and flush when he was drinking and it still does this even though he has quit and his blood pressure is normal. He is also developing acne on his face that he didn't have before. Are these things normal? Is he almost in the clear? I know he'll always be one drink away from being a full fledged alcoholic again but when can he expect to start to feel better? Other than what I've mentioned, he says he doesn't feel worse or better. He's a much better person to be around and no longer lashes out at me and the kids. Have any of you been down this road and are you able to shed some light on his situation? I love him dearly and wish he would go to AA or to the doctor to help him with this, but he is stubborn. Thanks, CEK---I wish I could give you more, the truth is I've never quit long enough to find out what the true benefit may be. I think after these few months he has crossed some big hurdles, but he has a way to go yet. Just good nutrition and sleep are his best allies right now. Of course he could benefit from a program of some kind, but that is up to him. What he has done is great already, and I hope that with more time he can feel it more. I do believe more time is what is needed.
James K
poster:James K
thread:641100
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/subs/20060205/msgs/641193.html