alcohol withdrawal

[almightyseancore]

and i thought quitting cigarettes was hard!

for a while i was only drinking around a six pack a day, which understandably could be bad enough to some people, but i managed to kick that a few months ago and replacing it with diet and exercise, which i did an amazing job at keeping up for about a solid month before i got hurt hitting my head in a pool.

after i cut back on my bike riding until i healed, which only lead to me quitting exercise altogether, and decided to drink one night with a friend, "oh well, haven't had one in a month, i've earned it".

started drinking every day again.

got to the point where i was killing an entire 12 pack a day, this has lasted only about 3 weeks before i decided that needed to stop ASAP. i was getting cravings, drinking in the morning, buying beer before the wife left for work and more after she got home, etc.

last night at around 11pm was my 24 hour mark for not having a single sip, even tho most of yesterday was pretty much one big hangover, i still had mild shakes and lots of irritability.

i went to bed at around 1 and don't think i honestly fell asleep til maybe 5, which didn't last because i had to get up with my kids at 7.

i was shaking all night.

at around maybe 2, i started shaking real bad, and i blacked out.

apparently i had something like a seizure? tho i've never had a seizure before in my life.

i was shaking so hard and making strange sounds with my mouth (this was all described to me by my wife) i asked her why she didn't call an ambulance, she she thought i was just having a nightmare, and was scared i would wake the children.

my whole brain felt like it was wearing a hairnet of electricity, and both legs felt like they had just come out of some major charlie horsing, not to mention my heart was POUNDING.

i did some research and apparently withdrawals CAN trigger seizures, but i don't want to start drinking again just to avoid that.

i want to kick this proper, and i'd like to find a safe and possibly natural way to do so.

i figure my pretty heavy marijuana habit will kick most of the cravings, but i have been out for the past two days so i can't really guarantee that will even work.

i can't afford clinical attention, and i have no insurance to ask a doctor for some kind of prescription.

i know there's a lot of booze drinkers here, and i'm wondering if any of you ever got as bad as i did and managed to kick it back to socially drinking or even never drinking again?

i'm concerned that even a social drink will get me right back to doing it every day.

i really don't want what happened last night to happen again.

[thebiglebowski]

Daaaamn dude, sorry.

I just watched a documentary on Netflix called "Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead". It was about guys who were severely overweight and had weird skin/immune diseases that were able to be cured/controlled by going on a diet of home made fruit and vegetable juice, beans, and nuts. May have been exaggerated for the purpose of the story, but I believe there is something to vegetables being "superfoods" -- full of vitamins, minerals, and other stuff that makes your body function more efficiently.

Might sound like a joke to say "eat your veggies" to someone in your shoes, but your liver has to work harder to process meats, dairy, and other processed foods. Eating super healthy will give your body a break. I don't know if it can do anything to help with the seizures. It can't hurt, though. Been doing it for a week. Little expensive but tastes better than you would expect. If you are overweight at all, it is guaranteed to help you shed a few, as well.

I have been a social drinker for 6 years but haven't had a drink in a month. No health/addiction problems, just wanted to take a break and work on getting healthy.

And if you are having seizures from alcohol withdrawals, my gut feeling is that you need to get off the booze and never come back. You have severely damaged your body to the point where it can't function properly with alcohol in it. Sell a few of those 577 records and get money to see a doctor. Possessions come and go. Your health (especially since you have kids!!) is a billion times more important.

[BuzzersonKillwell]

"Nitrous oxide has been shown to be an effective and safe treatment for alcohol withdrawal"

_{-Placebo and analgesic nitrous oxide for treatment of the alcohol withdrawal state.". Brit J Psychiatry}

Just saying.

When I go booze-free it is all or nothing for me. I found that it generally took around three to four weeks before I could go to bars and hang out socially and really not care about not drinking. I never had an episode like yours so your results may very. I'd go cold-turkey if I were you bud, it doesn't sound like compromising is much of an option.

[One Hundred Fifty-Two]

Ask your drug dealer for Xanax or Valium. I was pretty sure about this and a quick internet double check confirmed it.

The immediate goal of treatment is to calm the patient as quickly as possible.

About 95 percent of people have mild to moderate withdrawal symptoms, including agitation, trembling, disturbed sleep, and lack of appetite. In 15 percent to 20 percent of people with moderate symptoms, brief seizures and hallucinations may occur, but they do not progress to full-blown delirium tremens. Such patients can nearly always be treated as outpatients.

After being examined and observed, the patient is usually sent home with a four-day supply of anti-anxiety medication, scheduled for follow-up and rehabilitation, and advised to return to the emergency room if withdrawal symptoms become severe. If possible, a family member or friend should support the patient through the next few days of withdrawal.

Benzodiazepines. Patients are usually given one of the anti-anxiety drugs known as benzodiazepines (tranquilizers such as Valium), which inhibit nerve-cell excitability in the brain. They are used to relieve withdrawal symptoms, help prevent progression to delirium tremens, and reduce the risk for seizures.

[tkelly426]

"Nitrous oxide has been shown to be an effective and safe treatment for alcohol withdrawal"

_{-Placebo and analgesic nitrous oxide for treatment of the alcohol withdrawal state.". Brit J Psychiatry}

Just saying.

When I go booze-free it is all or nothing for me. I found that it generally took around three to four weeks before I could go to bars and hang out socially and really not care about not drinking. I never had an episode like yours so your results may very. I'd go cold-turkey if I were you bud, it doesn't sound like compromising is much of an option.

this is actually true! my uncle went through this and used the same method. FREE ALMIGHTY SEANCORE'S LIVER!

[almightyseancore]

Ask your drug dealer for Xanax or Valium. I was pretty sure about this and a quick internet double check confirmed it.

The immediate goal of treatment is to calm the patient as quickly as possible.

About 95 percent of people have mild to moderate withdrawal symptoms, including agitation, trembling, disturbed sleep, and lack of appetite. In 15 percent to 20 percent of people with moderate symptoms, brief seizures and hallucinations may occur, but they do not progress to full-blown delirium tremens. Such patients can nearly always be treated as outpatients.

After being examined and observed, the patient is usually sent home with a four-day supply of anti-anxiety medication, scheduled for follow-up and rehabilitation, and advised to return to the emergency room if withdrawal symptoms become severe. If possible, a family member or friend should support the patient through the next few days of withdrawal.

Benzodiazepines. Patients are usually given one of the anti-anxiety drugs known as benzodiazepines (tranquilizers such as Valium), which inhibit nerve-cell excitability in the brain. They are used to relieve withdrawal symptoms, help prevent progression to delirium tremens, and reduce the risk for seizures.

yeah i read about the xanex and valium, and i'm interested in trying it but wouldn't be able to score from my source because the only deal with pot, and like i said, no dr.

nitrus is also an interesting substitute but i have a pretty big history of inhalant abuse already. i stopped doing that stuff around 10 years ago.

i'm well aware thats i'm genetically prone to addiction and abuse as both my parents suffered and eventually died from this, so i'd rather find a more natural solution than pills or other drugs.

glad to see people take this seriously and don't rag on me or do the whole "this is all your fault" shit, which is pretty much how my wife is handling it.

her lack of encouragement and sympathy really just kind of pisses me off, even though she thinks i deserve it.

i already know it's my fault, which is why i'm trying to be mr. responsible and kick it before it totally ruins my life.

thanks to both of you for your advice, and i look forward to hearing from more folks about their experiences and solutions.

i know i can kick this, i've ditched plenty of other drugs in my past and would like to get to a point where i can just stick to pot. which i know i'm not addicted to, but still/always will love and use as much as possible.

[thebiglebowski]

If you have a history of substance abuse, try AA? I have a cousin who was forced to go after his 3rd DUI, but now goes because he wants to. If no one is forcing you to go, you can quit or leave anytime you want.

And yeah, sounds like there is a lot of science backing some of these drugs. Just be careful not to trade one addiction for another. Sounds like you know the dangers.

[almightyseancore]

Ive learned from experience that aa is more of a religion than actual help, and i cannot acknowledge a higher power of any kind.

The group sessions and confessions thing is a descent form of reinforcement, but I don't need anyone but myself to tell me why I shouldn't drink.

Meetings won't stop the pain, which is all I really need right now. The fact that there's actually neurological reactions from this is scaring the crap out of me.

I'm on my 4th cup of coffee an I've hit a nasty resin pipe a few times. I'm feeling a little better. Got a weird chest pain that's more uncomfortable than painful, and my hands are a little shakey.

This I can live with. I'm kinda worried about another seizure or somthing tho.

i've read that if you can make it to day 4 without a DT or major seizure, than you'll be fine.

[circuit bored records]

Well, I see a few different problems here if are really truly trying to combat addiction. Any therapist/addiction medicine specialist wouldn't want to treat an actual addict with drugs or chemicals and would only recommend a chemical detox for hard drug users/heavy alcohol abusers, which it doesn't really sound like you are. So good news there. They'll also tell you that you'll never be able to kick the stuff on your own and that this is something that requires some form of treatment, usually in the form of AA, NA, or MA meetings. All of the meetings follow the same principle of the 12-step program and getting a sponsor, because this is something that requires heavy support from those around you. Which meeting you choose to go to is basically all about which stories you can relate to the most (as a pot-enthusiast myself, I can attest that MA meetings aren't nearly as depressing as the AA or NA ones I've been to.) If you have a history of trauma in you childhood/upbringing this usually would exacerbate the problem and require more intensive and personal therapy sessions. The nature of addiction is to jump from one addiction to the other, which it kind of sounds like you might be doing. As for the whole god/higher power thing, it's not something that you really have to be "into" or even agree with although some might say that it's necessary.. I don't think so personally. With AA and MA it's more about finding and connecting with people who have been through and shared similar experiences to you that can be there for support.

Now for some more harsh news. A true addiction medicine specialist will also tell you that It's downright impossible to kick an addiction without the support of loved ones, ESPECIALLY ones' significant other. If you are both serious about this (which it doesn't sound like she is) she really should get involved in al anon, which is a support group for her to learn how to end her enabling/addiction-friendly behaviors. I've heard doctors say that you can be fully involved in a 12 step program and be getting clean, but if SHE doesn't learn to change in some sort of way, then that will push you right back to the booze so-to-speak. I would really try to educate her on the nature of addiction, that it is now basically PROVEN to be a genetic disorder and part of someone's biology and nothing that they have control over. Even with just one addicted parent the child has a 50/50 shot at inheriting the gene, from the research that I've read.

If you're only worried about seizures I wouldn't be crazy worried over it, especially after being off whatever chemical for a couple weeks it shouldn't happen again.

As someone who has been battling addiction in one form or another for basically my whole life, I can relate and sympathize with you bro. Best of luck, let me know if I can do anything to help ya out, including toking some sticky if you're ever in cali

[sjb2k1]

sometimes i wish i could go back and bitch slap teenage me the first time i ever picked up a bowl or a pint.

i quit drinking in nov. 2010. haven't picked one up since. i white knuckled/smoked weed for like 5 months and then went to AA for a good period of that time. it definitely took a while for me to be comfortable in bars and stuff after quitting, but now it's no big deal...although i'm not much of a partier anymore, that's for sure. after all the years i spent being a drunken fuck up, i rather enjoy being DD now, being able to give back after taking so much.

you've recognized there's a problem and are willing to fix it. that's really the first big thing in all of this. what you experienced is not uncommon. does your wife still drink? i understand the "no sympathy you did this to yourself" mentality but i really hope she's not got like a bunch of wine out drinking in front of you and stuff.

for me it was always one day at a time and i know that sounds stupid but it's really all i could do. these days i struggle with wanting to smoke vs. sitting with my feelings and mushy things of that nature.

more thoughts when i have a minute. sean i will tell you, once i quit i felt a lot better physically, like dropped 10 pounds in a week or two just from no booze. i was a hefty beer drinker back in the day.

edit: also really quick regarding AA, i'm an atheist and the idea of the higher power thing is tough. it's one of the reasons i don't go much at all anymore. but the rest of it is sound advice, i'd say.

[almightyseancore]

no my wife rarely drinks at all. maybe 2 or 3 times a month, and never more than a few drinks.

there's actually 4 beers in the fridge and a little tequila in the freezer, that are hers and i have the will power not to drink it.

mostly because i respect her stuff, but also because i'm a super awesome bad ass.

and yeah, i am a very devout atheist myself, and i attended several aa meetings as a teenager for my drug use.

that place is not for me.

i'd much rather take care of this myself, that way i can use my own pride as motivation.

edit: and thanks eric, didn't see your post for a second.

i was kind of expecting my wife to react this way, it's just the way she is, and her negativity isn't going to throw me back into using, i have more control than that.

i've never kicked a drug that was this painful.

i've been using alcohol at least once a week since around the age of 14 but it's never been very heavy until recently, and thats why i stopped after 3 weeks of major binging.

i'm actually pretty proud i stopped myself so quickly, my mother drank exactly a case of beer every day for like 10 years and i know i don't want to do that.

self control is really important to me, i resented my parents my whole life for their abuse and every year i find myself more and more like them.

[sjb2k1]

that's a big help to me. my ex wasn't a huge drinker and my current gf likes quiet nights in or out. my relationships aren't built on going out and getting fucked up anymore. it's kinda nice.

[bigbruise]

No intelligent input here but...keep smoking weed.

[sjb2k1]

something i used to use when i was dehydrated, no idea if it will help in this case, but pedialyte or any of those "my kid is sick and pukin and shittin and needs to keep fluids up" products.

[kgry]

Sean, I'm kinda in the same boat. I have a gf (although currently that's kinda over). I drink almost every day after work. Vodka and diet coke. I wait until later at night when my TV shows are on. I have maybe 5 drinks a night. I don't drink at all in the mornings, only around 7pm till 11. And I rarely go to bars. She yells at me almost every night about it unless she has weed. Then she could care less. Never had a seizure or anything that drastic. I sometimes get the shakes at work during the day. I've also experienced the no sleep, sweating and shaking in bed when you don't drink for a day. I have gone days without a drink but lately not so much. Currently I don't see it as a problem but I know I need to cut down. It's not effecting my job at all but I know it's not normal to drink every night.

[yocaseycasey]

Sean, this makes me like you. Good vibes coming your way from the midwest, brother. Hang in there, and look for fun things in the mailbox soon.

[almightyseancore]

Sean, I'm kinda in the same boat. I have a gf (although currently that's kinda over). I drink almost every day after work. Vodka and diet coke. I wait until later at night when my TV shows are on. I have maybe 5 drinks a night. I don't drink at all in the mornings, only around 7pm till 11. And I rarely go to bars. She yells at me almost every night about it unless she has weed. Then she could care less. Never had a seizure or anything that drastic. I sometimes get the shakes at work during the day. I've also experienced the no sleep, sweating and shaking in bed when you don't drink for a day. I have gone days without a drink but lately not so much. Currently I don't see it as a problem but I know I need to cut down. It's not effecting my job at all but I know it's not normal to drink every night.

the wife works nights tuesdays and wednesdays, and doubles thrus-sun, i'm stay at home super dad with my 3 girls, and drinking really helps keep me from killing them or myself (not literally, but other parents here will understand).

never really got DRUNK the way i paced myself, just kept a really solid buzz ALL DAY, it eliminated the stress, but turned into dependency.

if i had a job i probably never would have started the morning drinking thing. i'm pretty good about being presentable and responsible when a paycheck is involved.

i just don't want my kids to remember their dad as the guy who always had a beer in his hand and yelled at them about random shit for no reason.

also casey is a fantastic human being, regardless of what anyone else says.

[sjb2k1]

as a kid of alcoholics

"i just don't want my kids to remember their dad as the guy who always had a beer in his hand and yelled at them about random shit for no reason."

means more to me to read than you'll ever know. seriously.

[BuzzersonKillwell]

Don't really use nitrous, even if there is some scientific validity behind it.

Use willpower and a constructive hobby. Until you can replace the drinking with something you find more enjoyable, whether running, painting, music, sandwich making, whatever it is going to be tough to not want to fall back on it. Once you find something you like better drinking is a hinderance, not a benefit. Works for me, I design stuff.

[kgry]

never really got DRUNK the way i paced myself, just kept a really solid buzz ALL DAY, it eliminated the stress, but turned into dependency.

Totally understand. Everyone drinks for a reason. I think for me, it helps me relax after work. I try to limit it based on what's on TV at night (I have no life). If there's sports on, I tend to drink more. If there's a show I like on, it's the typical amount of drinks. If nothing is on, I try to not drink at all. But then there's Netflix. So I'm catching up on Breaking Bad and of course that show is all about substance abuse so I'm drinking during watching that, which is every night. So it's a challenge.

[selfreliable]

Dude, the DT's are nothing to fuck with. Forget medicating yourself with what your dealer can get you, forget drinking to dull the withdrawal symptoms. You really should go to a hospital or a House. Obviously without insurance a House will be damn expensive, but a hopsital will be able to treat you much cheaper and often you can have a sliding scale thing done/get the debt wiped off cause you dont have any money. Worse comes to worse you sell stuff to pay them off. They often will set up payment plans that are cheap as hell (like 3 bucks a week) to pay them off. DT's are deadly and self medicating the DTs often leads to death. Scary as hell man, get help from a professional for you, your children and your wife.

[almightyseancore]

Dude, the DT's are nothing to fuck with. Forget medicating yourself with what your dealer can get you, forget drinking to dull the withdrawal symptoms. You really should go to a hospital or a House. Obviously without insurance a House will be damn expensive, but a hopsital will be able to treat you much cheaper and often you can have a sliding scale thing done/get the debt wiped off cause you dont have any money. Worse comes to worse you sell stuff to pay them off. They often will set up payment plans that are cheap as hell (like 3 bucks a week) to pay them off. DT's are deadly and self medicating the DTs often leads to death. Scary as hell man, get help from a professional for you, your children and your wife.

really hope this doesn't have to happen.

gonna try and ride this wave for a week.

i'll only go to a hospital if i absolutely have to.

another dt or seizure (whatever it was) and i'll def. be there, but i'm going to try and avoid it.

got some pretty bad shakes right now, but i've had about 6 cups of coffee, and i'm not much of an uppers kinda guy.

it's also made me kinda nauseous.

i found a bottle of 1aday vitamins, and about 2 weeks worth of detox pills left over from a recent body cleanse i did.

wondering if these will do any good.

[sjb2k1]

stop drinking the caffeine right now!

[almightyseancore]

stop drinking the caffeine right now!

haha, already done for the day trust me.

i was trying to substitute one drug for the other and it really just kinda sped up the heart rate and the shakes.

[thebiglebowski]

All opinions, but I think Yan hit it pretty well.

Why are you drinking 6 cups of coffee? Vitamins will help your body, whether in pill form or by eating healthy.

Why don't you go for an all-out health mission? Eat right. Exercise. No uppers. No downers. Commit to it for 2 months. Then work back in coffee and weed and whatever you can handle if you choose to do so (this is assuming you can do it without the seizures. That's nothing to fuck with). It's all personal choices, but SO much of this is mental determination. Sounds cliche, but you have to want to change. Sometimes the easiest way to do that is to completely change your life around temporarily, not just tweak things and try and get by. I'm doing it right now and feel great. Didn't hit a bottom near as bad as yours, but that doesn't mean I can't understand making a change for the better.