My experience drinking last night

[[Ho...]]

Since this is always a topic of interest for many people, I thought that I would share my experience drinking last night. I had two glasses of beer over the course of about 45 minutes last night. Although I was getting a small buzz, it was different. It was like my buzz was coming in and out, and when it was out, I would be weirdly wired and anxious. I guess I had a "low tolerance" because  I have not had a drink in over a year, but then again you would think that I wouldn't because of having taken benzos. I felt mildly "relaxed" from about 11-3 in the morning, and then started to get a little ancy and weird. Not depressed, just sort of "blah". I finally went to bed around 4, and did not really sleep. Probably only got about 4 hours of sleep and kept waking up numerous times. Since getting up, I haven't had any crazy feelings of anxiety, but I am a little on edge, and my muscles feel sort of weak and shaky, but not really that bad at all. I'm going to take a nap in a little while to see how my sleep is then.

 

I'm writing this as "encouragement" for others, and to show that my body has obviously made it quite far to be able to do this. Had I done this within the first couple months of being off, it would have been a completely different story. I found that I definitely had more of an urge to drink then I did before benzos, so it will be a few more weeks before I do anything like this again.

[[...]]

my experience with alcohol since benzos zapped my brain is this:

 

VERY low tolerance-- i feel drunk just after a single drink.  liquor has almost an immediate affect and i'm  feelin it within 2 or three sips.

 

sleep is definitely disturbed and jumpy

 

since alcohol affects the same receptors as benzos, this is no surprise.  the damage has been done.  stay far far away from alcohol, especially if you are in the early stages of benzo recovery.

[[...]]

 

The problem with alcohol is..you just don't know how it will effect you in benzo withdrawal. The effects may hit you a week from now..who knows? They may not hit you at all.  They may impede your healing for days, weeks or even longer. They may do nothing.

 

To me..it is just not worth the risk...

 

I probably won't drink until I am at least 18 months post benzo and at that point...I am not sure if I will drink or not, but at least I will have the choice...right now, I can't see myself drinking ever again...that could change in the future..I suppose..but...drinking seems so trivial now after this experience...I believe when I reach 100 percent I will be high on life, and nothing else be necessary...

 

Be gentle to your brain

 

TC

[[ve...]]

Thanks for the update HY.  Glad you were able to tolerate the beer after a year and that your body has healed sufficiently.  I had small amounts of alcohol after my taper. The most I've had was a couple glasses of wine or 1-2 beers.  The first time I had a beer in the last couple years was at Oktoberfest last Fall.  I had one very tall cold German beer and it was great tasting and I slept really well that night.  I had another one the next day with lunch and again, it was not a problem.  I bought some of that beer to take home.  A week later I tried having two and ended up with a post nasal drip and sinus infection.  I used to get sinus infections after I drank beer and ate greasy foods as a result of acid reflux.  I guess one beer at a time is my limit, but I've decided not to drink beer again as I don't really care for it all that much.  I had a couple glasses of wine over Thanksgiving and over the holidays last month.  Thanksgiving was relaxing and did not cause any problems.  Another time I ended up with a lot of food cravings and felt cog foggy the next day, but no more so than I used to after having wine before benzos.  Bottom line, I'm very close to eliminating alcohol.  It doesn't seem all that worth it.  I'm now abstaining from it during my taper off prilosec anyway, a Proton pump inhibitor. It'll be a long time before I partake in the spirits but I'm not quite ready to say never.

 

Vertigo (no more)

[[am...]]

I've had 5 beers since I quit benzos 5.5 months ago, the last time was about 2 months ago.  They had no effect on me really just slightly groggy the next morning, the one night I had 3 I felt a little spaced out, the other two times I felt nothing.  It then dawned on me that there wasn't really anything I was gaining from alcohol, I could have argued I like the taste, but there are 100s of other non alcoholic drinks that are great.

 

It was then that I decided I won't drink alcohol anymore, don't need it.  Plus I get the added benefit of using the money I would have spent on other useless, yet gratifying things, like indoor helicopters, usb socks etc etc 

[[...]]

 

Wait..

 

YOu have a helicopter?

 

 

TC

[[Mi...]]

 

Wait..

 

YOu have a helicopter?

 

 

TC

[[...]]

 

 

I want a helicopter! Ok, not really, but it would be cool...

 

 

TC

[[am...]]

They're fun

 

http://rcvehicles.about.com/od/air/tp/indoorheli.htm

 

you can use them to bring snacks from the coffee table when you can't be bothered to move.

 

 

http://www.find-me-a-gift.co.uk/usb-heated-slippers.html

 

[[Bl...]]

Thanks for the update, Yorba.

 

I've been struggling with alcohol cravings which have skyrocketed since I stopped benzos.  It's always good to hear from people who have had alcohol during w/d and reported its not so positive results.

 

--Bluegus