We may be anonymous strangers on the internet, but we have one thing in common. We may be a world apart, but we’re here together!
Welcome to the 24 hour pledge!
I’m pledging myself to not drinking today, and invite you to do the same.
Maybe you’re new to /r/stopdrinking and have a hard time deciding what to do next. Maybe you’re like me and feel you need a daily commitment or maybe you’ve been sober for a long time and want to inspire others.
It doesn’t matter if you’re still hung over from a three day bender or been sober for years, if you just woke up or have already completed a sober day. For the next 24 hours, lets not drink alcohol!
Todays topic is medical.
My Public Service Message of the day: Be HONEST with your doctors. I lied for almost 30 years. The last 18 months since I admitted my alcohol usage was a problem has been life changing.
Many medications say avoid alcohol with usage. Some say alcohol intensifies the effect. In my 20’s I was on antianxiety meds, in my 30’s ADHD meds… drinking didn’t SEEM to be an issue. I got away with it for so long that I felt I was impervious to this caution, that was for pharmacy Cover Your Ass only. I’m pushing 50 now, and have been on a variety of heart and cholesterol meds along with mental health. It took one new prescription for my body to flip. 2 10% drinks would get me smashed, and if I missed a day, I started to detox. It took me months to figure this out, mostly because when I researched my symptoms on the internet, the results came up with alcohol withdrawal. That couldn’t possibly be me, I wasn’t an alcoholic. It HAD to be something else. I was convinced that the cold sweats were perimenopause, so my gynecologist put me on hormones. Didn’t help. Went to the ER after 24 hours of sweating, yet shivering uncontrollably. After 4 hours of scans and labs, I was discharged for “nothing wrong” with me! Looking back, alcohol is absolutely the reason. The warnings on medications are REAL and they are there for a reason. Saying you are on a medication and can’t drink is an absolute fact. Do not feel like it’s a cop out.
Now for the YAY medical story… before I got sober, I developed tachycardia issues. Dr. put me on a beta-blocker. It did NOT get rid of the problem fully, I still triggered the watch at least twice a month. It dawned on me in March that I have not gotten the high heart notification in quite a while… checked the phone log and sure enough, I have not had one since July 2022. Still true to this day.
I’m still hungover from drinking on Monday. I never usually drink during the week, but when I drink on the weekends I can’t stop. I drink until I pass out. I sneak liquor when my wife isn’t watching, because beer alone doesn’t do it for me anymore. It’s out of control for me right now. I see my friends drink and have a few and they are fine. I wish I could control it like that. I can’t for now, so I’m staying sober until I feel that I can control it again.
day two yay!! It WILL get better, you are going through the worst of it right now.
Last day of my vacation. First sober vacation with the family in a very long time, I truly enjoyed it. Day 46!
One of the events that led to me deciding to try out sobriety was a low blood sugar (drink all the day before, ate very little) induced panic attack. Being the first one I ever had, naturally, I freaked out and thought I was dying and wound up in the hospital. I was honest with them about drinking. I was then honest with my primary doc. This landed me in the liver specialist with a fatty liver diagnosis asking me if I had any kids (that I might leave behind).
I’m glad I was honest with them when I was. IWNDYWT.
I feel so much better since I quit drinking. No more heartburn! I havent taken a Tums in so long.
I will not drink today.
Yes, the acid reflux is way lower for me! I was on the highest dose of prescription med, and still had to take Tums on the regular. Still healing from the damage, but no more Tums all day for me.
I can eat a whole pizza and feel fine now. Well, no heart burn, but I would still feel like I ate a whole pizza.
IWNDWYT
