jokerman73

I drink beer, only beer. I have never done drugs. But after getting laid off two years ago my beer intake grew from roughly 6-8 a day to now 30. I can pound a 12 pack and brush my teeth and nobody would know. That is not something to be proud of.

I want to quit cold turkey, but the shakes and anxiety get so bad, I just sip on three beers or so to calm it down. But it is like a damn hurricane...then it is one more then another.

I am sick of it!!

But I am scared if I go cold turkey I will either have a heart attack, stroke or seizure, which 1/3 of heavy drinkers have when going cold turkey.


I talked to my DR. He put me on Benzos, but they gave me the runs and made me feel weird. I am not sure what to do.

TigerLili

Maybe talk to your doctor about doing an in-patient detox? Or find a drug and alcohol support line in your area to get some advice from.

There will be plenty of advice coming your way. When I quit drinking my levels were not at the point where I needed to taper off or be under a drs care, so I'm not sure what to tell you.

Welcome to SR, though. Stick around :-)

Sanantoniosober

"But I am scared if I go cold turkey I will either have a heart attack, stroke or seizure, which 1/3 of heavy drinkers have when going cold turkey."

I had 2 seizures before I tried to quit. Both on a morning after my usual nightly 18 drinks.

You did the right thing by going to a doctor, did you tell him/her your fear?

It can be dangerous to detox without medical help.

Coming here is a good start. It's the only thing that saved me after AA and trying it on my own both failed. Keep coming back. Lots of great help here.

Michael66

Hello JokerMan. Is a detox program am option for you?

Well done recognising your need to give up, but to do it carefully.

Dee74

Hi Jokerman - welcome

I only drank beer too - it was enough to nearly kill me.

If you're not confident about your Drs advice get a second opinion. Detox is nothing to be cavalier with.

Taking5

Having the runs often happens to us alkies regardless. Go talk to your Dr. again. He'll probably give you something for the runs as well, or recommend an OTC med for it. Don't give up you can do this.

jokerman73

30 beers a day is big. The fact I can pull off going to meetings and be in a suit and tie and nobody know makes me feel bad actually. I just know in one way shape or form it is going to kill or destroy me. But with my level of tolerance, I can't just quit without my body going nuts. I have viewed beer as an asprin or whatever to just fix how my body feels.

Dee74

Are you sure noone knows Jeff?

I used to think noone knew - everybody knew.

D

jokerman73

What do you mean by Detox is nothing to be Cavalier about? I am curious. I figured you do that and get through the shakes and other stuff and then you are clean.

jokerman73

You are probably right D. Maybe I could pull it off at times but over time, they knew.

Dee74

Probably easiest if I share my story..

I detoxed on my own, probably hundreds of times, without incident. The last time I did it tho, I ended up with several mini strokes.

Read up about Kindling...every withdrawal is not necessarily the same.

I still have the legacy of those mini strokes today, and always will.

Thats why I recommend folks see a Dr, or at least consider seeing one if they feel concerned or unwell.

D

jokerman73

D....that sounds exactly like me! It is the physical addiction that annoys me. The mental may be 10%. I tried AA and it just annoyed me and wanted me to go get a beer.

In fact the worst thing that happened was when I got a DUI. Only one. No wreck, just a swerve over the line.

Well having to go to AA and all the classes and get random calls in the morning to do a breathalizer actually turned me in to a rampant alcoholic. I started drinking in the morning so I would not be busted in my afternoon or evening meetings.

Then when my DUI was clear and I paid my debt, I became physically addicted to beer because to skirt the law I had to drink early in the morning. I did that just as a big middle finger of "you can tell me what to do".

Now I regret that middle finger. That big finger is shoved up...well you know.

So I got physically addicted and want to fix it and don't know where to turn.

I don't want "moderation" I WANT ZERO. NADA. ZIP. I hate the smell of it, but I drink it to help me sleep and cure the anxiety and shakes.

Dee74

Withdrawals tough for all of us - if you find it really tough then seeing a medico might make it easier for you Jokerman

D

zjw

I hate to say it but in the begining just about anything will annoy you and make you wanna go have a beer dont single AA out it might not matter what program or route you choose it will not be simple.

Benzo's are one of the typical routes they go with in your case the runs might be the lesser of 2 evils in order to get you out of the woods and past the worst of the withdrawels I'd imagine you may not have to stay on them for long. But the anxiety etc.. after the thread of siezures or wtvr other horrible withdrawel symptom has passed is not going to be simple.

Given your issues you might end up with those seizures if you decide to quit or not. In the end i'd wake up really needing a drink just to calm me down. its like the withdrawel symtoms come on way faster and way harder the deeper your in. so while i had just hammered 15 - 20 beers and passed out at midnight by 6 or 7am i was already itchen and haven problems and needing another drink. I could normally get past that but it was not easy and idealy I wanted to just keep drinking to ease it all i just couldnt afford it and still had some sense left in me to not screw myself any more financially then i already have of course not having any cash certainly helped.

I'd consider a detox program or explaining to your dr just the level of consumption you got going on etc..

I'd be real careful going cold turkey. I tapered for a few days as i was not sure what i might be in for. after a few days i went cold turkey but it doesnt always work that way.

Despite the battle you have ahead of you the ONLY thing you can do is take it 1 day at a time its not just some dumb saying. I know for me I only had enough fight in me for one day on min one hour etc.. at the end of the day i'd be happy that i made it sober the next day i got to start that battle all over again. I could not look 6 months ahead or 1 week ahead it terrified me too much. But one day at a time was an easier outlook to focus on.


Once you sober up you'll be free from this nonsense. your anxiety will less and hopefully disappear all together.

Non drinkers dont sit around climbing the walls thinking about there drinking issues. You'll be able to go about your life consuming yourself with better stuff etc..

Taking5

1000 times what Dee said. Even people halfway across the country knew or suspected I had a drug and/or alcohol problem.

karate

I found that out too ,They ALL knew .

jokerman73

Z,
You sound exactly like me!!!

How did you do it?

That is what I am trying to figure out.

zjw

I tapered tried to shave a few off each day. Believe me I did not wanna quit. but the anxiety and panic and jitters where so bad i was willing to try this sober nonsense to see if it would offer me some relief. I even figured what the heck maybe i could drink again one day who knows.

I was serious too I new this was it i couldnt taper one day and say screw it the next i had to bite the bullet.

After a handful of days tapering i figured enough let me get on with this friggen misery i'm about to go through and i stopped.

for months i climbed the walls. i wanted to smash things the anxiety was unbearable. In hindsite maybe I should have gotten some pills or something but I refused to go to detox or see a dr. I just couldnt afford those options I had a job to keep etc..

as bad as it was doing it 1 day at a time was my saving grace. I tried lots of things along the way. herbal teas going for walks got involved with various projects to occupy my time and take my mind off things.
Its a rather long story but it was put together one day at a time. I'm now over 2 years sober and things are much better.

I learned early on that if i wanted to get past the hell i was in i was not going to be able to drink not even 1 drink ever again. It was a tough pill to swallow and a difficult thing to accept. I certainly did not accept it all at once. Each day I said today i wont drink or this hour i wont drink. Or I know i really wanna drink right now but this time THIS 1 TIME i'm not going to drink. Those all added up and i was able to remain sober.

It was like loosing my best friend etc..

But quiting sure pays off. it was worth it.

jokerman73

Z....seriously, that was the best advice I have gotten.

ynmamflm

Jokerman, first off I have no advice to give. I only have four sober days and I drank scotch not beer. About a fifth a day. What I can tell you is that I grew up with beer only drinkers and my Stepdad past away 4 years ago from it. It absolutely consumed him. He never would take that step to GO get help at a treatment center. He always tried it on his own and when the withdraws came he went back to it like it was an aspirin or a cure. I understand now why he always went back to drinking. I just wish he would have sought some pro's that know how to help. "One alcoholic helping another. Thank you so much for you post.