Drank some alcohol and lived to tell about it

[[Fl...]]

but......

 

It will probably be a long time before I do that again.

 

Last weekend I took a long overdue weekend trip to St Augustine with my buddy to shoot some pictures. I am doing better overall right now and I was having a particularly good day last Saturday so I decided to try a couple of beers to see how I would react.

 

First thing I noticed was that although I did enjoy the beer, I just didn't get that same "wow" feeling that I used to get when I drank alcohol. It just didn't hold the same appeal that it used to.

 

The reason I stopped drinking altogether over a year and a half ago is because a single drink would make me sick for 2-3 days after. One beer made me feel like I had drank a pint of cheap liquor and chased it with sugary fruit juice. Not a good feeling. I am pretty sure this is because it adversely affects my already fragile sleep, and I'm sure this past weekend because I started feeling iffy an hour or so after having the beer and I didn't end up sleeping well at all that night.

 

The bad news is that two beers did indeed make me sick the next day. The good news is that I seem to be recovering more quickly, and although I did have some bad dreams and night sweats for a few nights after, I generally felt ok by Monday.

 

Moral of the story is that I still don't know if alcohol affects recovery as much as some people think it does, but  it certainly has the potential to amp up symptoms temporarily and if you are still in the midst of benzo symptoms it is probably a good idea to give your CNS a rest from these kinds of things.

[[Te...]]

Thanks for the word of advice, FG! I've been wondering how you're doing, and overall it sounds as if you're coming into some really good healing times. I don't have the courage or desire to touch alcohol right now and probably won't for a long time. 

[[Fl...]]

Thanks for the word of advice, FG! I've been wondering how you're doing, and overall it sounds as if you're coming into some really good healing times.

 

Yes, I am doing quite a bit better now. Definitely not healed- I still have significant cognitive issues most of the time and several other symptoms that come and go but I am much more functional than I was even 6 months ago and to me that is a big voctory 

 

I don't have the courage or desire to touch alcohol right now and probably won't for a long time.

 

I think that is for the best. No one knows whether not alcohol really effects recovery in a negative way but I am sure it can't help us heal any faster. I might try it again in another year or so but I have a new respect for what I put in my body and I will never go back to chugging them down like I did when I was on the benzo.

[[Te...]]

I'm so glad for you, FG! And thank you for all of your past posts. You've contributed a lot around here. Not being around as much is a good sign that you're healing and getting on with your life!

[[Ga...]]

 

gla d youre getting better FLguy!

[[Fl...]]

Thanks Terry and Gardenia 

[[NA...]]

HI FG i too made the mistake of having some alcoholic beverages and feel the same way you posted about the cheap liquor and sugary drink feeling i only had 2 but seemed to effect me adversely feels as if i drank a whole keg of cheap beer ...i have a general hung over feeling and definitely amped up wd symptoms my anxiety is through the roof and has been manageable the last week till the drinks i had .leason learned.

[[Fl...]]

Yea, I don't know why a small amount of alcohol can affect us in such a negative way but I think it just underscores the idea that there is a cross tolerance between alcohol and benzos. The benzo dependence seems to have weakened our GABA receptors and whatever other systems it adversely affects making us sensitive to any other drug that affects those systems.