First week of withdrawal: complications? - SoberRecovery : Alcoholism Drug Addiction Help and Information

telephonepole · 02-02-2012, 07:58 PM

Hi all,

Figured I'd post in the women's forum because of the differences in the ways females' and males' bodies metabolize alcohol.

I'm on my third day of at-home detox and am worried about when I can reasonably expect physical symptoms of withdrawal to go away.

To sum it up:
I'm 26, about 120 pounds, and have been drinking every day for about three years. For the past week or so before detox, I'd been drinking about 2-3 bottles of red or white wine a night. By the end of that binge week, I was so shaky and sweaty and nauseated without drinking that I checked myself into the ER.

At the ER, they measured my BAC at 0.32--and to give you any idea of the BAC my body has been used to handling on a regular basis, I was still speaking coherently at 0.32. They gave me a phenobarbital IV, told me the drug would last a few days, and sent me home. (I was diagnosed with alcohol withdrawal, not full-blown DTs.)

I was fine for the first two days, and just now my shakes have started to come back--just a bit, but noticeably. I don't have a primary care physician, and I can't find any doctors in my area who are willing to deal with alcohol detox or to prescribe anything for it.

Is it worth it to check myself into an expensive (not covered by my insurance) detox clinic just to get a prescription for Ativan or something? Do I have other options? Do you think getting a bit of the shakes back on the third day is even something to worry about?

I know you guys can't give me medical advice, but any tips or experiences would be appreciated. Thanks!

FlyerFan · 02-03-2012, 05:41 AM

My tolerance was not that high I dont think, hell I dont even know! lol but i know it took me about 2 weeks to fully get over the withdrawl symptoms and did was horrible but if you stick it out the best that you can it will soon subside and you'll start feeling better.

I didnt want to get any meds because I didnt want to get myself hooked on them

jamdls · 02-03-2012, 08:12 AM

It took me 7-10 days to feel fully detox w/o medication. I was in the hospital (I had OD'd on prescription sleeping and pain pills) for 7 days but they didn't give me any medication other than mucomyst for the acetiminophen poisoning. I had shakes and mild hallucinations off and on for the first week.

02-02-2012, 07:58 PM	#1 (permalink)
telephonepole Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Portland, OR Posts: 12	First week of withdrawal: complications? Hi all, Figured I'd post in the women's forum because of the differences in the ways females' and males' bodies metabolize alcohol. I'm on my third day of at-home detox and am worried about when I can reasonably expect physical symptoms of withdrawal to go away. To sum it up: I'm 26, about 120 pounds, and have been drinking every day for about three years. For the past week or so before detox, I'd been drinking about 2-3 bottles of red or white wine a night. By the end of that binge week, I was so shaky and sweaty and nauseated without drinking that I checked myself into the ER. At the ER, they measured my BAC at 0.32--and to give you any idea of the BAC my body has been used to handling on a regular basis, I was still speaking coherently at 0.32. They gave me a phenobarbital IV, told me the drug would last a few days, and sent me home. (I was diagnosed with alcohol withdrawal, not full-blown DTs.) I was fine for the first two days, and just now my shakes have started to come back--just a bit, but noticeably. I don't have a primary care physician, and I can't find any doctors in my area who are willing to deal with alcohol detox or to prescribe anything for it. Is it worth it to check myself into an expensive (not covered by my insurance) detox clinic just to get a prescription for Ativan or something? Do I have other options? Do you think getting a bit of the shakes back on the third day is even something to worry about? I know you guys can't give me medical advice, but any tips or experiences would be appreciated. Thanks!

02-03-2012, 05:41 AM	#2 (permalink)
FlyerFan Woman in AA Join Date: Jan 2012 Posts: 1,145 Blog Entries: 49	My tolerance was not that high I dont think, hell I dont even know! lol but i know it took me about 2 weeks to fully get over the withdrawl symptoms and did was horrible but if you stick it out the best that you can it will soon subside and you'll start feeling better. I didnt want to get any meds because I didnt want to get myself hooked on them __________________ "Sit back, relax, and look at the world from your multi-colored glass."

02-03-2012, 08:12 AM	#3 (permalink)
jamdls Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Dallas, Tx Posts: 2,365 Blog Entries: 2	It took me 7-10 days to feel fully detox w/o medication. I was in the hospital (I had OD'd on prescription sleeping and pain pills) for 7 days but they didn't give me any medication other than mucomyst for the acetiminophen poisoning. I had shakes and mild hallucinations off and on for the first week. __________________ ~~~Judy~~~ "Failure is not falling down but refusing to get up" "With God all things are possible"

Currently Active Users Viewing this Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)