why should i see my doctor?
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Canada
Posts: 20
why should i see my doctor?
i've read some posts of people going to their doctor. What is the reason to go to your doctor. To tell her I drink too much? Sorry this sounds like a silly question but is there something medical that might help me quit drinking?
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Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: UK
Posts: 4,682
Love it, i felt exactly the same way...i mean what the hell are they going to say? Stop drinking!!!!
Luckily for me my doctor insisted i had a blood test and it was found that i have a sky high fatty blood cell count which basically means i would have a stroke or a heart atttack very soon indeed, got medication and changed diet, exercise etc...non of which i would have done without going to AA as i didn't give a **** whether i lived or died btw...
Get checked out, better to get a heads up than pissing and moaning for the rest of your life about how you wished you'd gone to the docs, wished you'd stopped drinking before etc etc...
I'm not scared of dying at all, i'm not too happy about the prospect of walking around with a cane whilst trying to not dribble out food out the side of my mouth for 5 years before i croak...go to docs:-)
Luckily for me my doctor insisted i had a blood test and it was found that i have a sky high fatty blood cell count which basically means i would have a stroke or a heart atttack very soon indeed, got medication and changed diet, exercise etc...non of which i would have done without going to AA as i didn't give a **** whether i lived or died btw...
Get checked out, better to get a heads up than pissing and moaning for the rest of your life about how you wished you'd gone to the docs, wished you'd stopped drinking before etc etc...
I'm not scared of dying at all, i'm not too happy about the prospect of walking around with a cane whilst trying to not dribble out food out the side of my mouth for 5 years before i croak...go to docs:-)
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Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Australia
Posts: 211,442
It's always a good idea Bailey - preferably before you start detox, but I recommend it as soon possible really.
It doesn't happen to everyone, but I'm still suffering some small ill-effects from my detox time because I didn't see a doctor....
D
It doesn't happen to everyone, but I'm still suffering some small ill-effects from my detox time because I didn't see a doctor....
D
Member
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Atlanta, GA
Posts: 88
Your doctor can prescribe meds that can help you safely detox. It is medically dangerous to quit drinking alcohol once you've reached a certain point.
And, yes, there are medications that reduce the cravings for alcohol once you are safely detoxed. Naltrexone is the most successful anti-craving med.
And, yes, there are medications that reduce the cravings for alcohol once you are safely detoxed. Naltrexone is the most successful anti-craving med.
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Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Albuquerque, New Mexico
Posts: 565
We all say "go to the doctor" for all the reasons listed above. Depending on your consumption, you do not want to detox alone. Death is a real possibility for those who cold turkey and find themselves going into DT's or seizures. Your blood pressure skyrockets when you abruptly stop drinking which puts you in danger of a stroke.
There are medications available to prevent all this and allow you to safely detox. But only your medical history and honesty with your doctor can determine the right ones.
Plus, don't you want to know how all the drinking has affected your overall health? It's not just your liver; it's also your stomach, pancreas, fatty tissues, etc. Also, you will need an electrolyte workup. You could be severely dehydrated and not even know it.
Sorry if I sound like I'm preaching, but these are all reasons we need medical help if our drinking has become out of control.
There are medications available to prevent all this and allow you to safely detox. But only your medical history and honesty with your doctor can determine the right ones.
Plus, don't you want to know how all the drinking has affected your overall health? It's not just your liver; it's also your stomach, pancreas, fatty tissues, etc. Also, you will need an electrolyte workup. You could be severely dehydrated and not even know it.
Sorry if I sound like I'm preaching, but these are all reasons we need medical help if our drinking has become out of control.
Member
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Sobersville
Posts: 28
I agree with all the reasons stated above for seeing your doctor. There is also another reason which I only realised after seeing the doc and having all the blood tests going and then being told to sit down and listen to what she had to say. I found that when friends and family tell you that you need to stop drinking it is very easy to slip into denial mode and say 'yeah, yeah, yeah, I know', and then do absolutely nothing about it. When a doc sits you down and tells you exactly what the situation is and tells you the results of the blood tests then it's a little harder to be blase about it.
The doc bluntly told me my liver results were sky high. One test should have been below 50, my result was 150. The second test should have been below 40, my result was 500. She looked at me and said, 'you must be drinking a colossal quantity of alcohol'. Also my cholesterol was twice the limit, I have what she called 'pre-diabetes', and my B12 result was haywire and, oh, all sorts. I decided to be totally honest and say I want help. She prescribed something that really helped with withdrawal, and inists I have weekly appointments with her for the first 3 or 4 weeks. She is also nudging me gently but insistently towards AA.
Having a conversation with your doc who you are completely honest with and gives you no-nonsense medical advice about your specific case can be very cathartic. It felt to me like I'd been drowning for a long time and then suddenly had a lifeline thrown to me from a lifeboat. Sorry if that sounds dramatic, but that's how it felt to me.
The rest as they say, is up to you. Good luck
Bananaman.
The doc bluntly told me my liver results were sky high. One test should have been below 50, my result was 150. The second test should have been below 40, my result was 500. She looked at me and said, 'you must be drinking a colossal quantity of alcohol'. Also my cholesterol was twice the limit, I have what she called 'pre-diabetes', and my B12 result was haywire and, oh, all sorts. I decided to be totally honest and say I want help. She prescribed something that really helped with withdrawal, and inists I have weekly appointments with her for the first 3 or 4 weeks. She is also nudging me gently but insistently towards AA.
Having a conversation with your doc who you are completely honest with and gives you no-nonsense medical advice about your specific case can be very cathartic. It felt to me like I'd been drowning for a long time and then suddenly had a lifeline thrown to me from a lifeboat. Sorry if that sounds dramatic, but that's how it felt to me.
The rest as they say, is up to you. Good luck
Bananaman.
Last edited by Bananaman; 08-29-2009 at 09:16 AM.
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Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Southern Colorado
Posts: 1,167
Originally Posted by Bailey61 
i've read some posts of people going to their doctor. What is the reason to go to your doctor. To tell her I drink too much? Sorry this sounds like a silly question but is there something medical that might help me quit drinking?
I went on a 2 day bender after about almost 3 years of sobriety and guess what? I had to go get a physical for my work because of the transport system I drove. I passed the physical, but the doc...my dad's doc... said something funny to me. He said, "You're a chip off the old block, aren't ya?"
I can fox a doctor, a shrink, a preacher, a counselor... anyday of the week. And I have many times.
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