What Happens After You Quit Drinking Alcohol?

Alcohol causes a disruption in the regular neurotransmitter levels in the brain. This makes the brain become used to the artificial interference making it more reliant on alcohol to stabilise these levels. Alcohol addiction causes the dopamine and GABA activity in the brain to be altered. This causes uncomfortable and even intense withdrawal symptoms when someone tries to quit drinking.

To make the decision to quit alcohol after being addicted to it is one of the bravest things a person can do. But, you obviously will have some questions like ‘What happens after you stop drinking?’ ‘What kind of withdrawal symptoms can you expect?’ ‘Is what you’re feeling normal?’. Well, don’t worry. Just read on to find the answers.

Quitting alcohol cold-turkey, especially after being an addict for a long time can be problematic. As soon as you quit you will experience psychological and physical symptoms of alcohol withdrawal.

These symptoms may be mild or severe, based on how much alcohol you regularly drink and how long you’ve been drinking for? For example, someone in their 20s will feel far less withdrawal symptoms than someone in their 40s.

It is undebatable that alcohol is bad for the body. Its negative effects can range from inflammatory effects on organs to potential damage to your DNA. Excessive drinking can also increase risks of diseases like cancers of the head, neck, oesophagus, liver, breast, colon, and rectum, diabetes, and liver disease. Alcohol also causes other effects like lousy moods, increased appetite, desire for excess calories, poor sleep habits, sugar cravings, dry skin, and lack of concentration.

Timeline after your last drink

1 hour after last drink

Your body will kick into high gear to get rid of the alcohol in your bloodstream and your liver starts working overtime. Your pancreas will also produce extra insulin causing an intense desire to eat carbs.

12 hours after last drink

Your blood sugar will start to normalize, but you will still want to eat sweets or carbs. Alcohol has a diuretic effect on the body. This means that you will feel extremely dehydrated for at least 12 to 24 hours after you quit. Drink a lot of water or fluids to make up for this dehydration.

48 hours after last drink

You have made it through the first stage of detoxification. Depending on how much you used to drink, you may experience symptoms such as headaches, grogginess and tiredness.

72 hours after last drink

You will finally become free from the side effects and stop having carb cravings. Around this time, you will finally feel like yourself again, both physically and mentally.

1 week after last drink

You will start getting good sleep. This is very important because you will then regain your mental and physical energy. Your skin will start to look better as the hydration process in the body goes back to normal. Skin conditions like eczema, dandruff, etc. will start to improve.

It can be a bad idea to quit drinking suddenly, especially if you drink heavily on a regular basis or have been a heavy drinker for years. It is better to do it in phases and start drinking less and less until you can eventually quit.

Quitting all of a sudden can cause Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome which can be very painful. If you’re not sure whether or not you should quit suddenly, check and see if you have the following behaviors. If yes, then it’s best to quit slowly.

●      Drinking a lot for years

●      Drinking heavily (4-7 drinks a day)

●      Suffered from withdrawal symptoms previously

●      Suffering from an alcohol addiction

●      Issues with binge drinking

Symptoms of Alcohol Withdrawal 

After you quit drinking, you may feel some withdrawal symptoms. The intensity of the symptoms differs for each individual, depending on their alcohol intake level. They may range from minor to severe:

Mental symptoms:

●      Feeling skittish or nervous

●      Rapid mood swings

●      Depression

●      Frequent anxiety attacks

●      Lethargy

●      Foggy thoughts

●      Irritability

●      Getting too excited

●      Trembling

●      Nightmares

Physical symptoms:

●      Headache

●      Rapid heartbeat

●      Nausea and vomiting

●      Loss of appetite

●      Sweating profusely, especially your face and palms

●      Clammy skin

●      Paleness

●      Insomnia

●      Hand tremors

●      High blood pressure

●      Delirium Tremens

When it comes to managing alcohol withdrawal syndrome, you should know that there is a severe type of alcohol withdrawal syndrome known as delirium tremens (DTs). This can happen anywhere between 2-4 days or a week after your last drink.

This occurs mostly in malnourished individuals. The symptoms are:

●      Severe confusion

●      Aggressiveness

●      Dangerous changes in blood pressure

●      Hallucinations

●      Irregular heartbeat

●      Mood swings

●      Excessive sweating

●      Tremors

●      Sensitivity to light, touch, or sound

A person going through DT will need to be taken to the hospital to get the symptoms under control, which can be fatal if not treated on time.

Final Word

It can be a scary thing to quit, but this is a decision you will not regret. Quitting alcohol will increase your lifespan by at least 10 years (even more). It’s okay to struggle and it’s okay to have withdrawal symptoms, as long as you have faith in yourself, you will get through it. For the withdrawal symptoms, you can use natural aids like Alcoban which is a homeopathic treatment that reduces the severity of the withdrawal symptoms. It can be a very useful solution for heavy drinkers who are looking to quit. So be brave, have faith and free yourself from the chains of alcohol!