Oguin23

Thanks agains for all the advice everyone. So, my question is now, being a single adult who lives alone, what is a safe way to taper off alcohol and break this drinking habit? Id rather not have to take time off work for medical detox or anything like that... Can I safely ween off by just decreasing my drink intake little by little over the next few days? Thanks.

Dee74

Hi Oguin

the absolute safest way is to see your Dr first. I didn't and I had a very bad last home detox.

It may not be necessary for you to take time off, but only your doctor can really advise you on that.

D

Sober'sBest

I'm hesitant to provide medical advice.

But in my similar circumstances, I tapered off ok.

How about reading specific medical info online?

Then deciding if you should seek an out-patient resource for guidance.

By deciding to quit, you've started on the journey of a GOOD LIFE. . .

steve-in-kville

I tapered over the course of 5 days. I had quit numerous times by going cold turkey and the withdrawals caused me to give up after a few days or so. Not saying a taper is for everyone, but that's how I did it.

JeffreyAK

You might talk to a doctor to get advice. Yes, you can taper off (if you can, most people fail when they try this, since once you start drinking it's very easy to say, "F'it, I'll start tapering tomorrow instead" ), but what's the safe taper rate? The other thing a doctor can do is prescribe benzos to make it (relatively) safe to quit cold turkey. You don't have to check in to a residential program to detox safely.

ScottFromWI

I posted on your other thread where you asked the same question Oguin. Especially with the extreme quantities you've been consuming, it would be best to seek medical advice before quitting or trying to cut back. What works for others may not work for you, and you should really use caution. It's entirely possible to experience severe withdrawal symptoms even when tapering.

SoberLifeForMe

I would also suggest seeking medical assistance. My first time detoxing, I tried to taper, with bad results. I saw my doctor, who was very sympathetic and caring. My heart was palpitating like mad, I had severe, debilitating panic attacks, and my blood pressure was 191/?? (sorry, I forget the bottom number at the moment; it was dangerously high). And that was with already being on two blood pressure medications.

She put me on two short term medications to get me through it, and I had a couple follow-up appointments over the next few days and weeks. Please, if you feel in any danger, don't hesitate to seek medical assistance. I honestly thought I might be dying. Maybe I was, maybe I wasn't. Whatever the case, proper medical assistance gave me peace of mind that I would survive.

Please don't take unnecessary chances.

Smckay87

I guess it depends on how much you drink per night,I tried tapering off and started having really bad withdrawals.

MattM316

I think tapering off is different for everyone, some can do it easier than others but it just doesn't work for other people.
It never worked for me. I've come off cold turkey a few times (with disastorous near fatal results on a couple of occasions) but I found I could never taper down.

Best bet as already suggested is to see your doctor.
Withdrawing under medical supervision is by far the best way of doing things, but I'm not sure how long you'd have to wait to get into some kind of detox centre.

August252015

As I say every time I comment about this topic, tapering is a terrible idea. I say this mainly because it is usually a way to play mental games with quitting, as has been said here and elsewhere. Most of us just don't get around to it. As some have said, a good dr and meds can make tapering effective for some - IF you stick to the plan.

For me - and as I also say often- it was cold turkey. I had a handle of vodka every two days habit. I went flat cold, 247 days ago. Did I suffer? Yes. But it was quit or not, keep going and die or finally STOP and deal with the immediate consequences. I have escaped death a number of times, and do often think I have the skin of a rhino, so I understand that my experience may not be the norm, or perhaps advisable. I was scared straight and I threw myself directly into sobriety just as hard as I threw myself into drinking.

Talk to your doctor. Honestly assess what you want: do you want to be sober more than you want to drink? Honestly? Then make a plan and stick to it. I'd go so far as to say things like checking in with a dr every day of the planned taper - have a very supervised plan- might be advisable.

Good luck.

BrendaChenowyth

Alcohol abuse tends to cause malnutrition, dehydration and all sorts of imbalances... electrolytes that are involved in your cardiac and neuro functions get all thrown out of wack, and my thinking is that because your central nervous system is depressed when you're drinking heavily, when you take that away, it goes in to overdrive.. It isn't used to responding to stimuli and now it responds to EVERYTHING. It doesn't have the correct levels of things to keep it running smoothly, and things go haywire (seizures, et al)

When you're admitted for withdrawal syndrome, they take your blood and look for levels of all these things.. and I don't even know all of them, you can also be anemic and immunosuppressed, low red and white blood cells.. I mean severe chronic alcohol use can mess up EVERYTHING. They will prescribe a plethora of meds and supplements, some you'll get each morning based on your blood levels, and some are on hand in case of an increase in symptoms, like you have a seizure.. nurses continually assess the severity of your symptoms and chart it on a scale that determines what if any meds to give. (I can't wait to get back to nursing school, I love this stuff lol)

Point is, doctors can anticipate how bad your withdrawal will be and keep you from dying. Yeah, I said it. Not everyone will have a little bit of fatigue and shaking. I think if you have ever tried to quit cold turkey and the symptoms were so overwhelming you reached for alcohol, that's a good indication that some medical help might be a good way to go. It can't hurt.

Get health insurance. It could even get you some outpatient treatment.

MattM316

It's pretty staggering that the dangers of alcohol withdrawal are not widely known especially considering that the fatality rate in withdraw seizures is estimated at 5% to 25%.

I have no idea what meds I was given when I was in hospital for it but I was hooked up with tubes for a few days.
My memory may be playing tricks on me but I swear one part of it had to do with potassium.

And there's all the essential vitamins you miss out on if you've been drinking heavily for a long time.
I don't know about anyone else, but when I was drinking heavily I'd regularly go three or four days without eating anything.

Jade1224

I was in a similar situation last month. My withdrawals were terrible. I went to the ER and they prescribed me medication to help with seizure risk.

It really is better to go see your doctor. At the very least if you're set on tapering, a doctor might be able to assist you.

Congrats on your decision to get sober

BrendaChenowyth

Matt, yup potassium is a biggie. It regulates cellular function, but all most people know is "have a banana or you'll get muscle cramps when you go for a run" lol

MattM316

There was something else I was given by my GP years ago, I think it was some kind of vitamin supplement because I was so lacking in that certain vitamin.

I've heard of librium being helpful too but I was never even offered that by a GP, but I presume it was one of the meds I was on in hospital.

NatVT

What helped ease going cold turkey? I'm going into day 3. My symptoms aren't bad really. I'm being supervised at home by my significant other who is a health care provider. She is checking frequent vitals, neuro checks, and I'm off work for the next several days.

Hawkeye13

I also (foolishly) stopped cold turkey.
I wouldn't do that now, but I didn't know better.

I drank lots of herbal teas to get some minerals and fluid in my system,
I also took milk thistle for liver support, made my own chicken stock
and drank that by the mugful, ate some fresh fruit, quality organic
food, plenty of sleep, restful meditation and lots of hot showers where I
exfoliated with vigorous scrubs to aid detox.

Also, I did some gentle yoga stretches, took slow walks in the sunshine and Nature,
and did a lot of journaling through the emotional debris that bubbled up.

STDragon

True... True... I did that many-a-time. I could tell myself I was in control. But it always seems I'd rebound and drink even more. It was by serendipity that I was tapering the week before I quit. It was later that discovered my intake levels where high enough that I should've got medical advice first. I guess I was just lucky I didn't have and serious withdrawal effects.

PhoenixJ

Seizures, falling over- a huge burden on others. Someone cleans up the mess. For me- I suggest see a doctor. Stop drinking- don't kid yourself about 'tapering' = will not work. Take time off work- then detox. Then stick to a recovery plan- with professional support, SMART or AA (whatever) do the hard work before you have no choice.