I am fed up with this poison. I have withdrawl symptoms and then drink to get some relief. I hate it.....it's a vicious cycle. I am going to my doctor in a couple of weeks and will ask for something to ease the craving and withdrawls. Any recommendations. Thanks All. I really want my life back!
If Dr.'s gave out meds to help people quit drinking, there probably wouldn't be many people with drinking problems. All you can do to quit drinking, is quit drinking. It will be hard, scary and somewhat painful but it's going to be that at any time you quit. Drawing this out for weeks after you've made the decision to quit is just giving yourself time to talk yourself out of quitting.
Kat
The Following User Says Thank You to katlin09 For This Useful Post: mommaoftwinsplus1 (05-02-2012)
I am fed up with this poison. I have withdrawl symptoms and then drink to get some relief. I hate it.....it's a vicious cycle. I am going to my doctor in a couple of weeks and will ask for something to ease the craving and withdrawls. Any recommendations. Thanks All. I really want my life back!
My psychiatrist put me on Revia for the craving witch i found helped out a lot. There is another drug called antabuse as well that if you do drink it makes u deathly ill that you wont want to drink again. As for the withdrawal symptoms I was put on librium in the hospital which seemed to help a great deal. Good luck with everything. I know what your going through is hard, but you CAN overcome this.
The Following User Says Thank You to frisbeefreak For This Useful Post: mommaoftwinsplus1 (04-30-2012)
If Dr.'s gave out meds to help people quit drinking, there probably wouldn't be many people with drinking problems. All you can do to quit drinking, is quit drinking. It will be hard, scary and somewhat painful but it's going to be that at any time you quit. Drawing this out for weeks after you've made the decision to quit is just giving yourself time to talk yourself out of quitting.
Kat
There are meds to reduce cravings FYI. Antabuse and revia are a couple of them and they do work to an extent. a lot of ppl with drinking problems DON'T see they have a problem and/or don't want to stop. which explains your belief that "Dr.'s gave out meds to help people quit drinking, there probably wouldn't be many people with drinking problems."
Have you ever tried to quit before, and if so, how long were you able to abstain? Do you ever drink in the morning? The general rule of thumb is that addiction specialists double the amount you report drinking to get a more accurate assessment. You may need to go into detox first and then have a follow-up plan. Depending upon your doctor's awareness of the extent of your drinking, it is unlikely that she will give you anything more than a few day's supply of librium or ativan.
There are meds to reduce cravings FYI. Antabuse and revia are a couple of them and they do work to an extent. a lot of ppl with drinking problems DON'T see they have a problem and/or don't want to stop. which explains your belief that "Dr.'s gave out meds to help people quit drinking, there probably wouldn't be many people with drinking problems."
FYI, yes those drugs do exist, but most Dr.'s will not prescribe them unless there is a health issue with trying to quit the regular way a.k.a stop drinking. The drugs have serious side effects. The other drugs they prescribe are Benzo's such as the Librium you took, benzos are highly addictive. Quitting one addiction with the risk of starting another one is not the best idea.
IF Dr.'s gave out meds to help people quit drinking, there probably wouldn't be many people with drinking problems.
And this was a statement of whatif, not a belief, said statement meaning if alcoholics could grab a pill and quit drinking easily they all would and there wouldn't be so many alcoholics trying to quit drinking.
FYI, yes those drugs do exist, but most Dr.'s will not prescribe them unless there is a health issue with trying to quit the regular way a.k.a stop drinking. The drugs have serious side effects. The other drugs they prescribe are Benzo's such as the Librium you took, benzos are highly addictive. Quitting one addiction with the risk of starting another one is not the best idea.
IF Dr.'s gave out meds to help people quit drinking, there probably wouldn't be many people with drinking problems.
And this was a statement of whatif, not a belief, said statement meaning if alcoholics could grab a pill and quit drinking easily they all would and there wouldn't be so many alcoholics trying to quit drinking.
Interesting. I had 2 different doctors put me on 2 different meds for alcohol withdrawal. guess it's different depending on where you live.
Last edited by frisbeefreak; 04-30-2012 at 09:12 PM.
ReVia, which is actually Naltrexone, although it's a narcotic, is an opiate/narcotic blocker. It wasn't designed for alcohol, some docs use it off label. This med had a high mortality rate right out the gate, because Dr.'s were prescribing it but not educating there patients on the correct way to use it.
When taking this med, you cannot take any other narcotic med, since it blocks the opiate property, you don't get pain relief or a buzz or euphoria, people were taking more and more of it to get those things and they overdosed. In light of that Dr.'s were making patients either come into the office to get their dose, take it as part of an in-patient clinic setting or having a spouse or family member pass out the meds, this was their solution to keep people from accidently killing themselves with it. It also has a list of side effects a page long, not little things like sleepiness or no appetite...things like seizures, hallucinations, suicidal urges, jaundice, respiratory suppression, etc.
With Antabuse, it's not just Alcohol in it's pure form that causes trouble, cough syrups, foods with alcohol in them also causes a reaction, and not just vomiting, the reaction can include fast heartbeats, dehydration, chest pain, vertigo, and low blood pressure. And it has a list of side effects a page long that include major things like seizures, jaundice, and severe neurological problems. With this drug you can't take Benzo's, tricyclic antidepressants, MAOI's and several other general medications.
Both of these drugs are very hard on the kidney's and liver, as in "severe and sometimes fatal liver problems have occurred with people taking these medications".
So, it's not just that some Dr.'s will RX them and some won't. Everyone has to be there own advocate. All of these meds, the ones we abuse, the ones that exist to help cure the abuse, are serious high risk drugs. And nobody should jump on the "quicky" cures without educating themselves and knowing exactly what the drug can and may do to them.
The Following User Says Thank You to katlin09 For This Useful Post: SadComputerGuy (05-30-2012)
I have gone back and read old threads where Mommaoftwinsplus1 has been worried about withdrawals from alcohol since 2006.
I know how difficult this is for you, but please be as honest with your doctor as possible. If you are drinking around the clock to "feel normal", let her know. You can call AA and someone in your area could accompany you to a meeting. All you need is the desire to stop drinking. I'm not pushing AA on you, but know that support is so helpful in the beginning. Please keep posting and keep us updated.
Last edited by moderator2; 05-01-2012 at 11:07 AM.
ReVia, which is actually Naltrexone, although it's a narcotic, is an opiate/narcotic blocker. It wasn't designed for alcohol, some docs use it off label. This med had a high mortality rate right out the gate, because Dr.'s were prescribing it but not educating there patients on the correct way to use it.
When taking this med, you cannot take any other narcotic med, since it blocks the opiate property, you don't get pain relief or a buzz or euphoria, people were taking more and more of it to get those things and they overdosed. In light of that Dr.'s were making patients either come into the office to get their dose, take it as part of an in-patient clinic setting or having a spouse or family member pass out the meds, this was their solution to keep people from accidently killing themselves with it. It also has a list of side effects a page long, not little things like sleepiness or no appetite...things like seizures, hallucinations, suicidal urges, jaundice, respiratory suppression, etc.
With Antabuse, it's not just Alcohol in it's pure form that causes trouble, cough syrups, foods with alcohol in them also causes a reaction, and not just vomiting, the reaction can include fast heartbeats, dehydration, chest pain, vertigo, and low blood pressure. And it has a list of side effects a page long that include major things like seizures, jaundice, and severe neurological problems. With this drug you can't take Benzo's, tricyclic antidepressants, MAOI's and several other general medications.
Both of these drugs are very hard on the kidney's and liver, as in "severe and sometimes fatal liver problems have occurred with people taking these medications".
So, it's not just that some Dr.'s will RX them and some won't. Everyone has to be there own advocate. All of these meds, the ones we abuse, the ones that exist to help cure the abuse, are serious high risk drugs. And nobody should jump on the "quicky" cures without educating themselves and knowing exactly what the drug can and may do to them.
Well previously you said dr. wont RX. So now your saying they will RX as long as you comply? My doctor evaluated my particular situation and we both agreed that taking the risk was more beneficial to my quality of life than it was to continue my life as it was.
I,ve battled with alcohol abuse since my teens. Went to detox several times. They gave me something when I was done detoxing that I took for around a half yr. that took away the alcohol cravings. It was not antibuse. I don,t recall the name of the med. I do remember that I had to see my pcp once a month for a blood test. Whatever this medicine was it could affect the liver. My test were allways fine. Anyways, if your dr. can,t see ya right away can you see another one? Did you tell your drs. office that this is an emergancy? Cause it is! How about going to E.R.? I know that sucks. Have you gone to AA? Meetings were never my thing but they have helped many people trying to get straight and stay straight. You don,t need to have stopped drinking to go to a meeting, they don,t care, they are there to help and support. A dr. told me once that alcohol withdrawall can be deadly in some cases. You don,t have to be some drunk sleeping in alleys, the dt,s effect people differantly. Stay in touch, lets hear how your doing. Good luck!
I am fed up with this poison. I have withdrawl symptoms and then drink to get some relief. I hate it.....it's a vicious cycle. I am going to my doctor in a couple of weeks and will ask for something to ease the craving and withdrawls. Any recommendations. Thanks All. I really want my life back!
Hello mommaoftwinsplus1,
You may want to explore the benefits of vitamin B.
After a 21 year abstinence, I fell back into the beer barrel and soon was up to 9-12 beers a night. I was self-medicating with the beer from side-effects of exposure to toxic mold. It got old fast. My Dr. gave me a drug called Campral, somewhat new, that actually quells the desire for alcohol in many people. It helped me enough to stop for a few months, but I fell off again due to the "need" for it to help with shaky side-effects of other meds I was taking, so it will be a bit more complicated for me, I'm afraid. I, too, am seeing my doc in 2 weeks and give her the spill, like you, I want my life back, as do you, so let's go get 'em, girl! Good luck, JB
The following user gives a hug of support to Jackbeanstalk: mommaoftwinsplus1 (05-02-2012)
Well previously you said dr. wont RX. So now your saying they will RX as long as you comply? My doctor evaluated my particular situation and we both agreed that taking the risk was more beneficial to my quality of life than it was to continue my life as it was.
Nope, I said Dr.'s generally only RX them in cases of medical necessity, and what was described in that quote is how most Dr.s make those patients comply. I have no problem with what you and your doc are doing, if your willing to take those kinds of risks, more power to ya. It doesn't mean its right for everybody and people need to know about the drugs they're considering taking. Okay, the debate's over now.
I am fed up with this poison. I have withdrawl symptoms and then drink to get some relief. I hate it.....it's a vicious cycle. I am going to my doctor in a couple of weeks and will ask for something to ease the craving and withdrawls. Any recommendations. Thanks All. I really want my life back!
If you're to the point where you're experiencing alcohol withdrawal,then you are going to need medically supervised detox. NEVER STOP DRINKING COLD TURKEY ON YOUR OWN IF YOUR BODY IS PHYSICALLY DEPENDANT ON ALCOHOL! YOU COULD HAVE A DEADLY SEIZURE! My uncle recently died because his girlfriend made him stop cold turkey after 25 yrs of hard drinking. Alcohol is a central nervous system depressant,and when your brain becomes accustomed to the severe depressant effects over a long period of time it becomes dangerous to suddenly just stop the depressant effect on the brain. Stopping suddenly after drinking for a long period of time basically "shocks" the brain,because when the depressant effects wear off all the nerves and impulses in the brain suddenly spring to life and can cause a life-threatening seizure. Please go to a medical clinic or rehab facility to get off the alcohol. I think it's great that you want to stop,but let's have you stop drinking because you want to get your life back,not lose it. My prayers are with you!
__________________
sweetcheeks7873
The following user gives a hug of support to sweetcheeks7873: bolter (05-03-2012)
Thank you Sweetcheeks....I have cut back drastically and feel fine. Thank the Lord. A little wine and loads of water. I have only been drinking HEAVILY for the past year. Goodness...I have so much more energy. Thank you for your thoughts!
When I read Sweetcheeks reply, I cringed from a past memory of when I checked myself into a local hospital rehab center and saw "drunks" CHAINED to the walls, throwing up, shaking, a living nightmare. I was told by a few nurses that up to 20% of the folks that stop drinking on a dime and try to get through it on there own terms, end up dead. The truth is harsh but she's right. Be careful, and so will I., JB
Nope, I said Dr.'s generally only RX them in cases of medical necessity, and what was described in that quote is how most Dr.s make those patients comply. I have no problem with what you and your doc are doing, if your willing to take those kinds of risks, more power to ya. It doesn't mean its right for everybody and people need to know about the drugs they're considering taking. Okay, the debate's over now.
I was just trying to figure out exactly what you were trying to say. Wasn't trying to debate with ya =) some good info. I didn't know about though. Thanks!
I was just trying to figure out exactly what you were trying to say. Wasn't trying to debate with ya =) some good info. I didn't know about though. Thanks!
Sorry, I shouldn't have popped off like that...It's been one of those days and I'm grumpy, but that's not your fault.
