HELP ME understand

Kittie · Newbie

HELP ME understand

TenderheartsKS · Senior Member

I would agree in seeing your doctor and being honest about your prior drinking history. You might have health issues that are causing the fatigue.

I slept a lot when first sober, and like you, had many drinking dreams and restless nights.

I remember that starting to correct itself around a year sober.

It helps tremendously to eat right, get some exercise (yes, I know that's difficult when exhausted), and continue working the program.

Lately with my health issues and chronic fatigue, I find it very helpful to just take it 5 minutes at a time :)

Tuggboat · Senior Member

Hows your program work coming along. My rest started to get better with prayer. I had some depression I covered with alcohol. It came back when I quit drinking. A ton of that left with the fifth step so I would say to make sure your giving the whole program a try. Its the cheapest way out for sure.

Fatigue can be many things. We are not doctors, 20-60 percent of fatgue has physical causes. But 40 to 80 percent is emotional and this will respond to time and working a good program. We cause a lot of damage to ourselves and it takes time to heal. You have tortured your body for 22 years. You cannot expect physical recovery overnight. The saying that used to go around about sleep problems was 6 months to two years, never killed anybody.

I might suggest you try shorter naps. When I first got sober I was exhausted after only part time work also. Dealing with stress sober is harder and wiped me out on 5 hours also. Try setting an alarm for only 20 or thirty minutes. Anything longer than a short nap seems to take more energy than it gives. This really worked for me. I'd come home, set the alarm and shut my eyes just for a bit and get back up and bang down to meetings and all for the rest of the night. Made me less cranky too. I did a b complex, short naps. I got enough exercise at work so I can't say I exercised but I went to meetings and more meetings. I made friends and got involved and had a reason to be awake.

StPeteDean · MIP Old Timer

Hi Kitty,

Your fatigue could be a lot of things, go see a doctor and have some bloodtests on your liver and blood sugar. Liver problems and diabetis are somewhat common problems for alcoholics. I found out that I had a liver disease a year after I got sober and have heard many recovering AAs mention it in meetings. Fatigue is one of the symptoms. Hopefully it's just your metabalism adjusting to life without alcohol. We more than anyone else need to eat,sleep, and exercise regularly to function well.

Kittie · Newbie

Thank you for the information. If I could afford to see a doctor I would. A visit is $84 and I struggle now with just trying to keep my children warm. We heat with gas and it is so expensive I have borrowed a space heater and we 3 sleep in one bed with this so I can turn the heat off at night. I save the money should one of them get sick and need a doctor. God forbid.

I am working the progrm of AA to the best of my ability. I have a sponsor who says I'm doing good and I go to a meeting on my way home from work almost every day to save on gas and because when I get home I am too tired to go back out.

I have tried shorter naps. I set the alarm many times to sleep only 30 minutes just to relize when it sounds I can not get myself up. Sometimes I can but mostly I can't.

I had to have emergency surgery last October I'm still paying for that and my bloodtests were OK then. I had about 30 days being sober. I told the people doing the test and the surgeon of my drinking. Is it possible something could have changed? I think if it was OK 3 months ago it would be OK now ? Since I still have not had a drink.

I wish I had found this site earlier. My 30 day free trial internet will expire next week. Boo hoo!

Tuggboat · Senior Member

When to Seek Medical Care

Generally, you need to see your doctor if you experience any of the following:

* Fatigue that comes on suddenly

* Fatigue that is not relieved by adequate rest, adequate sleep, or removal of stressful factors

* Fatigue that is accompanied by unexplained symptoms

* Feeling as if you are going to pass out

* Unexplained weight changes

* Menstrual irregularities

* Any new masses, lumps, or bumps

* Mild to moderate pain in your head, chest, or abdomen

If you experience any of the following, you should go to a hospitals Emergency Department:

* Pass out

* Chest pain

* Shortness of breath

* Bleeding - Rectal bleeding, vomiting blood

* Severe abdominal, pelvic, or back pain

* Severe headache

* Irregular or fast heartbeat

* Other people or pets in same household have same symptoms (possible carbon monoxide poisoning) http://www.emedicinehealth.com/fatigue/page4_em.htm With all the medical possibilities its no wonder that your not getting answers. Maybe if you look at this link you can decide whether to find the money for a doctor visit. I know where your at. I don't have insurance, The community sponsors a blood test every year for 40 bucks and I just had one of those. If anything shows up I have to pony up the bucks but I'm sure I save hundreds by asking questions and educating myself.

At the bottom of that link you can go to page three and its most of the reasons for fatigue that are medical in nature. Maybe the list will ring a bell or two for you.

Don't drink whatever and keep comiing back. And Don't quit 5 minutes before the miracle happens. :)

StPeteDean · MIP Old Timer

those blood tests are recent enough, especially since you've been sober since. I also suffered from "post acute withdraw syndrome" as mentioned in the book "staying sober".

It generally lasts between 6-18 months after you start getting sober. here's one a many links I found to PAWS. http://www.tlctx.com/ar_pages/paw_part1.htm

Kittie · Newbie

Thank YOU StPeteDean. That is some very good information. Made me feel a lot better.

Sure wish you would tell me how to FIND money, Tuggboat! My community does not sponsor such things that I am aware of. I've come this far dont plan to drink and the miracle has already happend!

Thank you again SPD :)

StPeteDean · MIP Old Timer

You're welcome Kittie,

hang in there it's keeps getting better. here's the "promises"

The AA Promises

If we are painstaking about this phase of our development, we will be amazed before we are half way through.

We are going to know a new freedom and a new happiness.

We will not regret the past nor wish to shut the door on it.

We will comprehend the word serenity and we will know peace.

No matter how far down the scale we have gone, we will see how our experience can benefit others.

That feeling of uselessness and self-pity will disappear.

We will lose interest in selfish things and gain interest in our fellows.

Self-seeking will slip away.

Our whole attitude and outlook upon life will change.

Fear of people and of economic insecurity will leave us.

We will intuitively know how to handle situations which used to baffle us.

We will suddenly realize that God is doing for us what we could not do for ourselves.

Are these extravagant promises? We think not.

They are being fulfilled among us - sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly.

They will always materialize if we work for them.

Alcoholics Anonymous p83-84

-- Edited by StPeteDean at 23:12, 2008-01-27

Sobrietyspell · MIP Old Timer

Welcome to MIP, Kitty. I'm amazed with your miracle already. I'm so glad you've taken this brave plunge after so long. The rest of your life is just beginning & I'm really proud for you & your children. It sounds like you love them dearly & the promises will come true for them too 1Day@aTime with your sobriety. God bless & keep you & your children. I'm glad Dean posted the promises. Reading them again has moved me deeply because 15mths away from my last drink I can say with my hand on my heart how different my life ~ I am, since I came into AA & hav been working a program. Thanks to everybody who keeps coming back & sharing their journey & struggles with us. With me. It's hard. It is. I've had to learn all over again about who I thought I was & how to love me, my life, my family, my friends, my work, my opportunities to give & receive but it's worth it. So worth it. I wish you my best, Kitty. No matter if you don't get to spend much more time with us, I'm sure something will come up to keep you plugged in everyday in someway. Keep your heart open & continue with your meetings. These early days can be the hardest in alot of ways but I hope you're benefiting already. Keep coming back & hang in there. Your energy will return. You're giving your body a chance to recover & your heart & head will get stronger too. In an accepting & surrendering kind of way :) It's a different battle we fight today. Not the old rigmarole but a new way of living. I hope you enjoy it too. Easy does it. Thanks for sharing with us. I hope you get answers you need, Danielle x

cooncatbob · Senior Member

Kittie: I have no answer to your money woes but a Lady with over 30 years would say your liver turn alcohol into sugar and your body burns sugar to make energy. Maybe your body needs some extra sugar to make up for the sugar it used to get from alcohol.
Bob.

Doll · MIP Old Timer

Hi Kittie and welcome to MIP...... I believe Dean may have hit on something there, with the PAWS info... I definately have ALL the signs of that... Funny thing about it for me, I had a year sober, went out for about 15 hours one Saturday night last Sept. and it's as if the PAWS has started all over again! I have times where I can't sleep enough, then it shifts to times when I can't sleep at all.... Nightmares, drinking dreams and the like have happened frequently in the last month or so! ... My thoughts are all scrambled and I find that anger rises easily. According to what I read about PAWS these are dangerous times, easy to relapse. So, I"m diggin in my heels and hitting as many meetings as I can, sleeping when I feel like it and just working the best program I can.

Hang in there! It gets better.

(((hugs)))

Jen

lani · MIP Old Timer

Welcome Kitty:
Congrats on 4 months sober! Thats great! I have a big 3 months under my belt and can relate to the "being tired all the time!"
I cant pinpoint if its working the night shift at my new job or if it is actually "paws" related. I could truly just sleep and sleep.
Worked 14.5 hours sunday night, got home and slept 6 hours. Got up, ate, showered, got some movies, went to bed at 11, got up at 3, ate a poptart and some milk, went back to bed, got up at 730 and started my day.....Not sure if I got to much sleep, not enough sleep or what.
I think what kills me is getting little shots of sleep rather than an eight hours good sound sleep.
Cant keep it straight.
Liked Deans post regarding PAWS. It is alot of good info and Im planning on taking some action to change a few things.
Exercise, eating right and really getting into my 4th step.
Im sick of being tired and not sure if Im ignoring life, hibernating, isolating or what.....Just blamiing it on working to much but now that Im coming out of the blur of working all weekend, I think its something else. Only to return to work the next two nights and screw it all up again!
Best of luck to you, youre not alone....
Try the library....I think they have free internet service if you have a card. We'd love to hear from you!!!
Vicks on the feet!!!! Great idea. Used to put it on my chest with a warm towel.......Alka selter cold works well....Dang, Im babbling..Havent been on here in a while! Lani