Supraman

Hi All,

A bit of background.

I found this place a few weeks ago doing some research on what needed to be to be done to calm down my drinking.

Everyday drinker for as long as I can remember, was beer for the most part, until about 5 years ago. Trip to Vegas, no suitable beer (I prefer Labatt), started drinking Bacardi and never looked back.

46, married two kids. My wife drinks (beer) too, but nowhere near the extent that I do.

Major issues started 12-2008 when I was laid off from my job of 8 years (contractor in the domestic auto industry, due to no fault of my own as almost all contactors went at that time). Did some impendent contracting work (sales) and secured a full time (yet seasonal) job in July. Off in mid-November and returning to work in March.

Since then I have been drinking more than I would like. I usually average over 800ml of Bacardi (diet Pepsi as a mixer) per day and realized this has to stop. When working my average was around 400ml, but now have too much time on my hands and not much money to do other stuff but keep the bills current and drink.

After my research and seeing my symptoms, I realize that cold turkey is not an option, since with no insurance (and not willing to lose my house with an unexpected trip the ER), I have decided the best way to go at the moment was to wean by switching to beer.

I do almost all my drinking at home and have been keeping some logs of my drinking activity over the last few weeks. Having stopped rum in the past for a week or two (didn’t really like it) I have a question I wonder if someone could answer.

Why if raw alcohol is raw alcohol, does having the same amount of drinks in rum and DP and beer offer such varying results in terms of withdrawal symptoms and overall feelings of wellbeing the next day?

Thursday through Sunday averaged I about 16.5 drinks over about 10 hours. I was able to then go to sleep for about 4 hours, be awake for about 5 (involuntarily and without drinking) then get back to sleep for about 4 hours. When I finally got up I had all the classic withdrawal symptoms, shakes, sweating, and usually had my first drink within 60 to 90 minutes of waking up.

Monday I went to beer. I had 16 beers in 11 hours (5PM to 4AM). Was unable to sleep until 11:00 AM and slept for about 4.5 hours waking up every 40 minutes. Felt OK when getting up, no shakes, started drinking again (beer) at 5:30PM today.

I am hoping that I will be able to sleep sometime before dawn today but know, no matter what, that I will be in good shape tomorrow (better than drinking rum) even though I will probably drink 15 or 16 beers.


My plan is to keep drinking beer (at least during the week) and try to cut down gradually.

Does anyone know why having the same amount of drinks over roughly the same amount of hours makes such a difference in the body’s reaction to different types of alcohol?

I have done some searching but really can’t seem to find a good answer.

Sorry for the long post.

Thanks,

Dan

Boleo

We are not allowed to give medical advice, try:

http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...at-we-did.html

stillsober27

This study says it could be becuase darker drinks have more toxins.

Dark Alcohol Produces Worse Hangover than Clear Alcohol eFitnessNow

I wish you well in your recovery, and yeah we are not suppose to give medical advise like the last poster said so I do not think I can say much more.

Supraman

Sorry,

I wasn't asking for medical advice. I just assumed I was not the only one that experienced this and wondered if anybody knew why this was.

I did read through that thread a few weeks ago and that is why I decided to start with beer.

Thanks

Dan

Dee74

I was an all day everyday drinker for several years.

I drank beer, or cheap wine when I couldn't afford beer.
Simply put, it nearly killed me.

From my experience, you're not 'improving' by drinking beer, Supraman, you've just changed your drinks.

All alcohol is a toxin - but especially so to an alcoholic.

I'd rethink.
D

Supraman

Thanks,

I used to drink dark rum before switching to clear a few years ago and can appreciate that link. I switched due to feeling better drinking the light stuff.

I guess I don't seem how I'm asking for medical advice, as much as I am thinking that someone must have done a study that found, like (Dark Alcohol Produces Worse Hangover than Clear Alcohol), liquor produces worse issues than beer when used in the same capacity (units or total drinks).

I guess, also just looking for a little support here, since it will be 48 hours in about 5 minutes since I had any rum and that is a good thing for me (has not happened in about 3+years.

Dan

Supraman

Thanks,

I can't stop could turkey(no insurance) because I have drank so much for so long and can't take the chance of complications (read having to see a doctor) so I have to wean. Seems that beer works best for me.

Also, I will be back to work in about a month. 50 hours a week. Thankful for that.

I hope to be down in the 8-10 beer range by next week.

Dan

CarolD

Hello.... ...

For about 35 years I used scotch and vodka for
staples......also drank gin...Canadian..wine...cognac...cordials.
Never noticed a whit of difference in the effects...


I do know that according to the US Center for Disease Control
all alcohol is processed in the same way by our
brain and liver. They all do the same damage.
Perhaps their site would have info for you.

And the Salvation Army runs free short term de tox
centers in many areas. I think most stays are 3 days.
That's how long it took me to de tox CT at home.
partly assisted by a friend who had been to re habs.

After all this effort.....seems a shame you are not
planning to give sobriety a chance.
Being a non drinker is simply fantastic.....

Supraman

Thanks Carol,

I will look into the SA detox. Doubt anything would be available to me anytime soon in the burbs though.

Should be OK with the beer weaning, I hope. Only 14 beers today in 8 hours.
Getting ready to eat and hopefully sleep.

Looking forward to that(sleep) and maybe 12 beers tomorrow. The hardest part for me is not drinking rum.

I have decided I won't start drinking until at least 6PM tomorrow.

If I'm posting in the wrong place due to the fact that I am still drinking please advise.

Dan

Supraman

Carol,

Missed the first part of your post.

I did this a few times before and notice a huge difference when I drink beer instead of rum. Never drank any other booze than rum.

Just was wondering if anyone else noticed this.

Thanks,

Dan

exquisitered

Hi Supraman

I personally was never able to use beer to cut down. I tried more than once. I just ended up drinking more beer. I hope you have better luck than I did.

I also couldn't really tell a difference in what kind of alcohol I was drinking. I drank mostly vodka, but I also drank rum, tequila, whiskey, and beer... it all had the same effect on me. I did have to drink more of the beer, but I couldn't limit it any easier than the hard stuff.

yeahgr8

No idea, some drinks gave me worse hangovers than others, a hangover, for me, was all the symptoms you are describing as detox symptoms. I didn't go through detox but i assume it wasn't what i had before the afternoon drink which was shaking, sweating, feeling foggy, tired, dehydration and slight nausea?

CarolD

Dan...
Sorry I must have been changeing/editing my post
while you were replying.
i wanted to add your quote ...make my
reply shorter and corect my typos.

Please do check your PM box too.

least

Weaning yourself off alcohol IS possible but very difficult. For me, I would try to wean off and find myself drinking the whole bottle of wine in one night, as usual. But it is possible. Just reduce your drinking day by day until you're down to one beer. I wish you the best in your desire to quit drinking. Living sober really does have many rewards.

Welcome to SR!

intention

Hi Dan

To wean yourself off beer you need to be able to control your drinking. If you could control your drinking you would not be an alcoholic, would you?

This is the insanity of alcholism. We all believe we can control our drinking.

I understand your concerns with lack of medical care......I hope that you are able to check out that free detox facility Carol has been talking about.

Once you get free of the booze you can start working on your recovery. Take care.

littlefish

Instead of imagining an emergency room scenario, have you looked into what safe detoxing options you might have as an uninsured person? Are there any outpatient alcohol-recovery services you can use for people without insurance?

I am echoing Carol's post there, and I might add that choosing a detox date with a beginning day and an end day and then a plan for sober recovery may be a more successful plan than weaning.

Toronto68

Supra, I usually started drinking after 6PM and was finished around midnight or sooner on 6 or 8 beers - something like that. That was the most recent stretch as an addict. Ten or twelve years before that, I told a guy once who was worried by my drinking that it was only beer, and it's not as "harsh" as vodka, gin, etc (since I had gotten into fights with those). He tried not to laugh and said he knows a friend who became alcoholic on strictly beer. I didn't forget it, but I ignored it, and just kept taping over it with more false medicine (beer).

That guy who was worried about my beer drinking was an Al-Anon and a different friend of his (actually a past boyfriend of his, and later mine) was an alcoholic and was successful in AA for about 12 years. The AA guy (the boyfriend) went back to drinking. And he told me not to worry, it was only beer, he had a handle on it. (I had long since moved on from him at that point.) He hanged himself 2 years later and I can't get him back - me or the Al-Anon guy who was worried about my beer drinking.

I drank for a good stretch of years after that, whether the beer tasted like crap or not. I'm getting "me" back though, and I am glad I quit.

I don't think the volume that you are drinking is good for you, regardless of whether you are alcoholic or not. If you are though, then you are "rationalizing." If you like, you can choose not to waste your time on alcohol, and not believe that sticking with beer is like saving pennies in a jar, either financially or emotionally. It really isn't.

The first time I listened to an alcoholic speak, it was a lady in her late 50s or early 60s and she said in front of the group that she had a couple of wee little drinks once or twice a month or something that sounds incredibly benign like that. She knew what she was talking about though. She went on to tell about the pain and how alcohol was involved. I was way different from her abuse method, but I am of the same breed on so many other levels. Me and the other types of drug addicts here who understand.

I wish you the best in your thoughts on this.

Toronto68

Supra, something important I forgot to address (sorry about that) is the fact that you don't think cold turkey is the right thing - probably for physical reasons. The only thing I can think of saying to that is to get some medical professionals involved. I hope it works out for you. Thanks

Supraman

Thanks for all the responses.

I have realized that I have been posting in the wrong area of this forum.

I do appreciate all the advice and good wishes.

Thanks,

Dan

CarolD

Dan....
May you find what is beneficial to your future.


I'll close this thread