Safely Detoxing
 

I'm 35 and my wife was in a head on collision with a semi truck and died back in June. My daughter somehow survived the crash, but that wasn't enough to keep me away from the bottle. I'd been mostly a binge drinker, a few days there, a few days here, very sporadically, I'd go months without booze, but in July I completely lost it and began drinking everyday. At first it was a pint of vodka, sometimes a little more, then it was two pints, and yesterday I hit the three pint daily limit. I had tried to quit cold turkey and was successful for a few days, but became scared when the symptoms of seizure and DT's started showing up. Also, due to the heavy drinking I have gastritis which makes the nausea worse and unbearable. So, I get prescribed klonopin every month, but my sister has cancer so I let her have some because it helps her after chemo, so now I'm out, but I do have a connect on Xanax, in fact I decided to quit, again, today,because I'm just completely done with alcohol and how it runs my life and started with 1 mg of Xanax when I woke up. I don't like benzos, never have, so I'm not trying to switch addictions here, I just want to safely self detox because inpatient is an impossibility right now because my little one has her last surgery from the accident tomorrow and will need me for a couple weeks. I was a combat medic in the Army so I'm not ignorant about drugs, but I was wondering if anyone had a suggestion on the med regiment I should follow to safely kick this crap out of my life, as in how many days should I take the benzos and if you know a lot maybe a good dosage. I'm just trying to not die, and move on with my life. Trust me, I am done with drowning my sorrow in a bottle. I've learnt my lesson. Any guidance is appreciated. Thanks guys.

Welcome to the Forum!! :wave:

I'm very sorry for your loss, it can't be easy getting through something like that!!

I'd probably say check in with a Dr to be safe and if you need something prescribed it'll be tailored to your needs, as everyone is different when it comes to withdrawing from alcohol.

The reality though is, there is going to be some discomfort as the body adjusts from alcohol, but it needs to be done safely!!

You'll find loads of support here on SR!! Great to have yo onboard!! :)

This site prohibits us from giving medical advice, which is what you've asked for here.


Benzos and alcohol together can be fatal, so be careful. Detoxing itself is very dangerous. Please ask for professional medical advice.

Good luck.

Problem with me going to a doc is I am VA insured and can't get an appointment until the 1st of November, which isn't going to work. I am done with alcohol now and do not want to wait. Thank you for your warm reply.

Fair enough. Just looking for help. Thanks.

Hi and welcome. Could you go to the ER or a walk in facility for medical advice? The first week can be dangerous. Please seek medical advice.

You can always go to an ER and ask for help detoxing. That's the thing to do.

I'm really sorry about the loss of your wife.

With the amount you've been drinking, in you are danger of severe alcohol withdrawal symptoms which certainly will justify a trip to the ER. I was a daily vodka drinker for a while too. 3 pints sounds close to what I was consuming. I was ignorant of Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome at the time and when I stopped cold turkey one day, I had a bad withdrawal that included hallucinations and tremors.

What Anna said i would go to the hospital and ask for help

I also send my thoughts prayers & condolences

I am sorry for your loss original poster; but if you want to detox from both benzos and alcohol you should do it at a rehab/detox center with medical professionals as people have died from both alcohol and benzo withdrawal.

Oh my.
That is such a terrible time you are going through.

Medical advice from non-doctors can be really dangerous, which is why it's not allowed on this site.
Detoxing from three pints of vodka is kinda heavy duty, so prepare yourself for a rough few days.
I would totally agree with the suggestion that you go to an ER.
Cold turkey withdrawal can be fatal.

I really wish you and your daughter well.
Please use this site, as it was a great source of support for me in the early days and continues to be today.

If not the E/R, how about a medi-center? Even if you pay out of pocket, one visit should not be as costly as an E/R visit. You said you were dealing with DT's, you definitely should have a Dr. on board. I wish you the best in this.

I'm so sorry for your loss. What a terrible experience. While using alcohol to cope is not a great method, I understand completely, just as I understand your need to move on now, leave alcohol behind and be a parent to your daughter.

Alcohol is one of the only substances that can be fatal during withdrawal. If you have VA coverage, you should be able to get to a VA Emergency room and get help without spending an arm and a leg. There are some medications that can really help you feel more comfortable during this time. Still, no matter what you take, you're going to feel lousy for awhile. It took me about a week before I started feeling okay, but soon after I started feeling great! Good luck, and I hope you feel better soon.

I'm very sorry for your loss TGG.

D

Thanks to everyone for their advice and well wishes. Through the magic of the Internet and a webcam I just paid for a doctor consult. I got lucky, she knew the routine, gave me a med schedule and luckily my sister had a med that I needed. Feeling okay now and it's bearable. I can assure you this I am never going back to the bottle, I officially retire. Thanks again.