Alcohol Withdrawal: Methadone Symptoms & Side Effects

Question: Is this alcohol withdrawal weirdness?

(Posted by: dolores the smallest on 2009-05-05 17:55:04)

I've been a heavy drinker since I was about 15 (I'm now 22) at around 8+ cans of lager a day or a couple of bottles of wine a day. I decided to go cold turkey and I'm only on the second day but I'm so frigging hungry no matter how much I eat. Most of the sites I looked on suggested it should be the other way around with a loss of appetite. Is this possible due to quitting booze or just a random bout of hunger? I also feel pretty dizzy but that's a common thing with me.

Posted by: gmonte33 on 2009-05-08, 01:33:13

Yeah, alcohol withdrawal usually causes reduced appetite. A possibility for your increased appetite is that alcohol can deplete nutrients from your body. If we're low on certain vitamins or minerals our brains send out signals causing us to crave foods that are high in those nutrients. It's like when we're getting a little dehydrated we crave liquids. Also there is alcohol withdrawal mood disorders. Increased appetite can be a symptom of that. If you have other symptoms of depression (low mood, changes in sleep, fatigue, feelings of worthlessness, etc.) that could be a possibility. Once the withdrawal recedes your appetite should return to normal. If it doesn't you should see you doctor to find out what's going on.

Posted by: Dr. Fix a Lot on 2009-05-05, 18:01:27

Oh yes i believe that is one of the side effects, but seriously congratulations to you on doing that; thats a great resolution. Since you are eliminating a ton of calories per day from the alcohol you are guaranteed to have an increased appetite.

Posted by: vadaptre on 2009-05-05, 18:06:18

Don worry abt eating an poss w8gain!..remember w8gain is reversible..cirrhosis of the liver is not!

Posted by: didi on 2009-05-06, 02:20:00

Maybe you are getting thirst mixed up with hunger? Apparently it happens a lot to even healthy people. Could be anything but almost certainly from the detox. Maybe your mouth and body is just wanting some sort of stimulant you know? Since you're used to putting stuff in your body all day. Did you eat much when you drank? or did you drink instead? It could be your metabolism going a bit weird for a bit, what with the changes in eating/ drinking/ sugar habits. Most people feel antsy in some way and end up replacing the alcohol with something else (another addiction) like coffee, so make sure you don't go overboard on the food, and replace it with that. Congrats and good luck for the future.