withdrawals right now - please help!
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Sacramento, CA
Posts: 63
withdrawals right now - please help!
My AH quit drinking about 2 months ago - after being admitted to the hospital for 2 days. Since then he hasn't had any beer except on Saturdays with his friends - once he had 1 beer and last Saturday he had less than 2 beers. That was Saturday and by Tuesday he was feeling anxious - today worse, and this evening he's in full-blown withdrawals with vomiting, diarrhea, chills, sweats, pain and cramps in stomach. Sorry to be so graphic...but -
Is this normal? (no one ever said you can never have even one beer again) and when should i take him to the hospital? I'm about ready to now but waiting for a dr to call me first....
any advice from you? It's Wednesday evening now - 12/5/07 at 7 pm pacific time. Thanks in advance! (p.s. this is scary!)
Is this normal? (no one ever said you can never have even one beer again) and when should i take him to the hospital? I'm about ready to now but waiting for a dr to call me first....
any advice from you? It's Wednesday evening now - 12/5/07 at 7 pm pacific time. Thanks in advance! (p.s. this is scary!)
Member
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Out of my mind
Posts: 113
It's normal, but you don't know what's happening to his heart right now!!! I would take him to the hospital immediately.
Seizures and stroke are also a common "side effect" of withdrawals.
Better to be safe than sorry!
All my best and good luck
Seizures and stroke are also a common "side effect" of withdrawals.
Better to be safe than sorry!
All my best and good luck
Forward we go...side by side-Rest In Peace
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Serene In Dixie
Posts: 36,740
Yes...hospital time.
ER doctors are all too aware of withdrawals.
They can quickly aid your husband.
Sorry you two are dealing with this.
Prayers and Hugs
ER doctors are all too aware of withdrawals.
They can quickly aid your husband.
Sorry you two are dealing with this.
Prayers and Hugs
same planet...different world
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Butte, America
Posts: 10,946
grandma -
get thee to the doctor. just your handle intimates uh... 'maturity'... the doc can give him medication to stabilize his system ... this kind of suffering is unecessary.
get thee to the doctor. just your handle intimates uh... 'maturity'... the doc can give him medication to stabilize his system ... this kind of suffering is unecessary.
Member
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Baton Rouge, La.
Posts: 15,238
Alcoholism is a disease.....if not treated it can be fatal....however it can be arrested....with the proper tools provided by an awesome program of Alcoholic Anonymous....the 12 steps of recovery to help anyone who has the desire and willingness to not drink one day at a time....
To drink for me is to die....Alcohol is POISON to me....and when i enter AA back in Aug 90...i had the DESIRE to stop drinking and the urge to drink was lifted from me immmediately.....and i still have that desire to not drink today.
I have a great recovery support system with in the program and the 12 steps to follow on a daily bases never ever facing situations that baffel me ever again alone.....
Grab a hold of many coattails and allow them to carry u, me and others till we r strong enough to stand on our own by ourselves.....
Wishing strength and much care and love as u get passed this difficult time.
For me my family did for me what i couldnt do for myself 17 yrs ago.....a family intervention took place sending me to rehab for 28 day recieving the tools and knowledge of my disease which set me on the path of recovery learning to stay sober one day at a time without alcohol.....for them i am truely grateful.
To drink for me is to die....Alcohol is POISON to me....and when i enter AA back in Aug 90...i had the DESIRE to stop drinking and the urge to drink was lifted from me immmediately.....and i still have that desire to not drink today.
I have a great recovery support system with in the program and the 12 steps to follow on a daily bases never ever facing situations that baffel me ever again alone.....
Grab a hold of many coattails and allow them to carry u, me and others till we r strong enough to stand on our own by ourselves.....
Wishing strength and much care and love as u get passed this difficult time.
For me my family did for me what i couldnt do for myself 17 yrs ago.....a family intervention took place sending me to rehab for 28 day recieving the tools and knowledge of my disease which set me on the path of recovery learning to stay sober one day at a time without alcohol.....for them i am truely grateful.
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Sacramento, CA
Posts: 63
thanks everyone and you were all RIGHT! (with your advice to get him to the hospital.) I had to take him to the emergency room - he went downhill fast. I thought he was gonna die on the way. He was treated and released and we're home now - it's 1:30 am.
We were told twice today (once by the physician's assistant, once by a registered nurse) that his symptoms were alcohol withdrawal because he had two beers 4 days ago. They both said that can and will happen, even if in the past month he's had a total of less than 4 beers.
However when we got to the ER, the doctor there said no, that's impossible. He said withdrawals only happen to people who are dependent on alcohol, and someone who has only had 2 beers in a week or more is not....He said it might be a withdrawal from a narcotic. (My husband takes narcotics for constant pain and lately he's hasn't been taking as much as he used to - long story...sort of a prescription mix-up.)
So what the heck do we know??
As we were going to leave the dr. said he cannot ever have even one beer. And he said to get with his regular m.d. to discuss his narcotics and try to slowly get off them if pain permits.
I still don't know if his illness was alcohol or drug withdrawals - it seemed exactly like the alcohol withdrawals he had before he quit drinking heavily! Really painful stomach cramps, chills, shaking, etc. Oh also the ER doc said when it's alcohol withdrawals your heart rate is fast and his EKG showed a very slow heart rate...but then they did it right after giving him meds for pain and nausea...he calmed right down.
We were told twice today (once by the physician's assistant, once by a registered nurse) that his symptoms were alcohol withdrawal because he had two beers 4 days ago. They both said that can and will happen, even if in the past month he's had a total of less than 4 beers.
However when we got to the ER, the doctor there said no, that's impossible. He said withdrawals only happen to people who are dependent on alcohol, and someone who has only had 2 beers in a week or more is not....He said it might be a withdrawal from a narcotic. (My husband takes narcotics for constant pain and lately he's hasn't been taking as much as he used to - long story...sort of a prescription mix-up.)
So what the heck do we know??
As we were going to leave the dr. said he cannot ever have even one beer. And he said to get with his regular m.d. to discuss his narcotics and try to slowly get off them if pain permits.
I still don't know if his illness was alcohol or drug withdrawals - it seemed exactly like the alcohol withdrawals he had before he quit drinking heavily! Really painful stomach cramps, chills, shaking, etc. Oh also the ER doc said when it's alcohol withdrawals your heart rate is fast and his EKG showed a very slow heart rate...but then they did it right after giving him meds for pain and nausea...he calmed right down.
Member
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Baton Rouge, La.
Posts: 15,238
I surely didnt have a problem with alcohol....so i thought.
When i had my accident back in Feb 90 and ended up
in the hospital for 10 day...many broken ribs, a punctured
spleen that was removed are i would have bled to death....
...just simply banged up pretty good.....
I was placed on pain meds at the time with no alcohol.
When the pain pills didnt have anymore pain to heal
i thought it was safe to pick up a drink...
Hmmmm.....the progression of my disease from
not drinking in that short amount of time was
unbelievable as i look back on it now,,,,,,
So rapidly that i tried to end my miserable
life......
That was when my family did for me what i
couldnt do for myself....
I have a disease and how did i come to know
that so clearly when i surely didnt think i had
a problem with drinking before? Well.....i look
at my behavior.....see i love alcohol....the smell,
the taste, the way it made me feel and what it
could do for me.....then i looked at the problems
it caused in my life....the trouble i got into because
of it....the people i hurt....the denial i had because
i thought i could drink u under the table and i never
ened up as a gutter drunk....
I was prim and proper....married, house, family, cars
etc....and yet i was miserable as heck.....nothing
could fill that void in my life like alcohol did....
It was my friend,,,,companion....
Till it turned on me.....it cause me mental, physical,
emotional, pshycological problems....
I was on my way to the bottom and i did
hit bottom eventually....
Today i have to tools and knowledge provided
to me thru the intervention bestowed upon
me.....i have the tools and knowledge so freely
passed on to me....
Today some 17 yrs later im still working my recovery
program in my everyday life on a daily bases.....sharing
my own ESH with others.....what it was like when
drinking, what happened and what it is like now....
Doing this keeps me sober one day at a time.
And thats how it works for me.....
When i had my accident back in Feb 90 and ended up
in the hospital for 10 day...many broken ribs, a punctured
spleen that was removed are i would have bled to death....
...just simply banged up pretty good.....
I was placed on pain meds at the time with no alcohol.
When the pain pills didnt have anymore pain to heal
i thought it was safe to pick up a drink...
Hmmmm.....the progression of my disease from
not drinking in that short amount of time was
unbelievable as i look back on it now,,,,,,
So rapidly that i tried to end my miserable
life......
That was when my family did for me what i
couldnt do for myself....
I have a disease and how did i come to know
that so clearly when i surely didnt think i had
a problem with drinking before? Well.....i look
at my behavior.....see i love alcohol....the smell,
the taste, the way it made me feel and what it
could do for me.....then i looked at the problems
it caused in my life....the trouble i got into because
of it....the people i hurt....the denial i had because
i thought i could drink u under the table and i never
ened up as a gutter drunk....
I was prim and proper....married, house, family, cars
etc....and yet i was miserable as heck.....nothing
could fill that void in my life like alcohol did....
It was my friend,,,,companion....
Till it turned on me.....it cause me mental, physical,
emotional, pshycological problems....
I was on my way to the bottom and i did
hit bottom eventually....
Today i have to tools and knowledge provided
to me thru the intervention bestowed upon
me.....i have the tools and knowledge so freely
passed on to me....
Today some 17 yrs later im still working my recovery
program in my everyday life on a daily bases.....sharing
my own ESH with others.....what it was like when
drinking, what happened and what it is like now....
Doing this keeps me sober one day at a time.
And thats how it works for me.....
Follow Directions!
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Fredericksburg, Va.
Posts: 9,730
Glad to hear you took him to the ER and all is going well now. I hope his MD convinces him to get into some sort of long term recovery program, because experience shows that staying clean and sober with out a program like AA, SMART, or the like is close to impossible.
Member
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Omak WA
Posts: 1,049
Withdrawal...
I have seen withdrawal from both alcohol and drugs and they are pretty much the same.
It has been my understanding that the person will go into withdrawal when they don't have the regular amount of alcohol or drugs at hand.
When I was working in the ER of one hospital, we got people in that were seeing bugs all over them and on the walls etc. and they had not been drinking. We also had a regular ER Patient that came in with alcoholic seizures...did not have enough alcohol or money to buy usual amount of alcohol.
I had a seizure when my grandmother died and had to cut down my drinking everyday to none except one drink before dinner. The ambulance people nor the ER Doc (back where I grew up) did not catch up to my being alcoholic and I did not understand why I had the seizure then but do now. :chatter
We had another lady in the hospital that came about every six months to detox and would come walking down the hall for her medication to keep her from going into full withdrawals. I think they used something like peraldahide(not right spelling). Her robe would be flowing behind her as she walked fast. Then when discharged...would start the whole cycle over again.
My son has gone through withdrawals when he has messed up with his meds or run out of the meds because he didn't remember to get them refilled...and would end up in ER in severe withdrawal at times, from pain medications. :sorry
Each person reacts different to this but I know if I didn't drink close to the same time everyday I would get the shakes and start into a withdrawal.
kelsh
It has been my understanding that the person will go into withdrawal when they don't have the regular amount of alcohol or drugs at hand.
When I was working in the ER of one hospital, we got people in that were seeing bugs all over them and on the walls etc. and they had not been drinking. We also had a regular ER Patient that came in with alcoholic seizures...did not have enough alcohol or money to buy usual amount of alcohol.
I had a seizure when my grandmother died and had to cut down my drinking everyday to none except one drink before dinner. The ambulance people nor the ER Doc (back where I grew up) did not catch up to my being alcoholic and I did not understand why I had the seizure then but do now. :chatter
We had another lady in the hospital that came about every six months to detox and would come walking down the hall for her medication to keep her from going into full withdrawals. I think they used something like peraldahide(not right spelling). Her robe would be flowing behind her as she walked fast. Then when discharged...would start the whole cycle over again.
My son has gone through withdrawals when he has messed up with his meds or run out of the meds because he didn't remember to get them refilled...and would end up in ER in severe withdrawal at times, from pain medications. :sorry
Each person reacts different to this but I know if I didn't drink close to the same time everyday I would get the shakes and start into a withdrawal.
kelsh
Member
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Cumming, Ga
Posts: 665
What you are describing is narcotic withdrawl. And it is drastically different than withdrawl from alcohol or benzodiazepines. It sounds like your husband has become dependent on some type of pain medicine (narcotic). While it is a dreadful withdrawl with nausea, vomiting, body aches and stomach cramps, it is not deadly like withdrawl from alcohol or benzodiazepines (valium, xanax, etc.) Addicts feel like they are going to die when they are coming off narcotics, but the truth is that it is a painful withdrawl. You answered the question, they gave him some pain medication, and the symptoms went away. I have no idea if your husband is an alcoholic, but it sounds like he is definitely dependent on opiates. There is a solution for that too. Get off the pain meds. Our sister fellowship of Narcotics Anonymous is a great source as well, after he has detoxed.
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Sacramento, CA
Posts: 63
Thanks everyone - my AH saw his regular MD today who confirmed that his withdrawals probably WERE the narcotic he was taking for pain. He is not taking them any longer.
Yes, it was more painful for him (in his stomach) than the alcohol withdrawals but to me it was about the same. A lot of anxiety and confusion, etc. And I guess it is not life-threatening like the alcohol withdrawals were.
I never want to see him go through that again!
He is still taking a narcotic but the m.d. doesn't want him to stop that one yet. Next month if he's doing ok the dr. will cut it in half and wean him off of it.
Then he'll be off both the alcohol and narcotics.
Wow.
Yes, it was more painful for him (in his stomach) than the alcohol withdrawals but to me it was about the same. A lot of anxiety and confusion, etc. And I guess it is not life-threatening like the alcohol withdrawals were.
I never want to see him go through that again!
He is still taking a narcotic but the m.d. doesn't want him to stop that one yet. Next month if he's doing ok the dr. will cut it in half and wean him off of it.
Then he'll be off both the alcohol and narcotics.
Wow.
Member
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 35
To stave off withdrawal from drugs or alcohol cant you just taper slow? Say you drink 10 beers a day, cant you go to 9 1/2 then 9 then 8 1/2 until nothing.
I know its a disease and thats the struggle, but in theory if you had the strength couldnt you taper it down slowly to avoid withdrawal?
I know its a disease and thats the struggle, but in theory if you had the strength couldnt you taper it down slowly to avoid withdrawal?
Member
Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 1,697
It can be done, but the problem with the alcoholic is that there is no such thing as control in regard to drinking.
Most elusive of all, is say that I start your method above, cutting one beer per day, each week until I hit zero. I might do really well for a month or more, but inevitably there will be the time I will just say 'F it" and drink the whole case. Then I am right back where I am started. That is why medical detox by a professional (M.D.), is the best suggestion.
Most elusive of all, is say that I start your method above, cutting one beer per day, each week until I hit zero. I might do really well for a month or more, but inevitably there will be the time I will just say 'F it" and drink the whole case. Then I am right back where I am started. That is why medical detox by a professional (M.D.), is the best suggestion.
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