sarahlou87

My docs wouldn't detox me with meds. She suggested weaning myself off it by giving my drink to my parents. Thoughts?

sugarbear1

Maybe find a doctor who understands alcoholism a bit better. Weaning doesn't work for many of us; it's like moderation and it just didn't work for me.

Maybe talk more with that doctor to find the reasoning behind their thinking? Find another doctor? Go to the ER and ask them to help you out?

Stopping abruptly can be lethal, but weaning doesn't always work for us

sarahlou87

Yeah she said another option was cold turkey..

aasharon90

Everyones insides are different and what
works for one may not work for others.

When I enetered recovery via rehab, I
was grateful that I didn't need any meds
to help me thru withdrawals or anything
else. All I did was exercise each day, eat,
rest and begin learning about my addiction
those first 28 days I was sober.

I was always glad that each morning in
rehab that while many others would
wake up and walk to the front desk to
get their vital signs and handed meds
to take, all I did was have my vital signs
taken then walked away. Yah.

Many who are deep within their addictions
need to be montored by their physician
closely till they have all the toxins and
poisons out of their system. If someone
just stops abruptly then that could be
dangerous. A slow weening and detox
I would say is safer.

I always felt healthy and strong inside
to stay sober without adding other meds
in my body. If you need extra advice from
a doctor then go seek that help because
that is why we have physicians.

Get the poison and toxins out of our bodies
then begin to learn about addiction and
it affects on our minds bodies and souls
with a program of recovery to guide us
each day that we don't drink or use.

headcase1

Find a different Dr

Dee74

Not everyone needs meds and not every Dr will prescribe them Sarah.

Many Drs in the UK still seem to favour tapering.

I think thats a reflection more on the overloaded health system there than on best practice, but that's my own personal opinion.

If you're not satisfied with the advice you got, get a second opinion Sarah.

D

zjw

I feel for you. I told my doctor about my panic and anxiety issues and he promptly cut me off mid dialog and told me to find another doctor that he does not prescribe those kinds of meds. I was not even asking for those kinds of meds! This after a doctor friend of mine told me to go to my primary care physician and tell him whats going on and he'll likely give me this or that and i'll be better.

In my case I paid 40 dollar copay to be told find another doctor! I was there for something else anyhow and I do like this doctor otherwise. but what I'm suppost to now ahem doctor shop at the tune of 40 dollar copays each time I make an apt to be told sorry we cant give you "those" meds?

its another reason I never got on meds it seemed like it was too much trouble to even get them.

Eddiebuckle

We cannot give medical advice here, but I would suggest that you find another doctor. Depending on how much you drink, abruptly going cold turkey could be fatal: seizures, heart attacks and strokes.

I saw a 23 year old woman suffer a grand mal seizure while I was at rehab. This was 2 weeks after she got out of detox, I will not soon forget it.

Alcohol Withdrawal: Symptoms, Treatments, Duration, and More

Soberwolf

I got help off my Dr and if you Dr didnt help id contact your local alcohol addiction services to get further advice

if you go to a hospital they will help or you can find another Dr but really Any Dr in england should be able to help the local drug & alcohol teams in all areas of england are proof of that

Sorry your Dr was like that Sarah

Esspee

I had a chat with my doctor today and he spent a lot of time with me talking through how much I had been drinking and how often. I'd had bloods taken for something else last week and he took my blood pressure. He then double checked what my intake had been and then said he would not prescribe anything for me (that wasn't what I had gone in for, I had gone in to discuss the tiredness and ways to counteract it).

Actually, when I say it was my doctor it was actually a Nurse Practitioner - one of those that's not qualified as a GP but can prescribe etc.

If you don't think your GP did talk things through with you fully then go back and see someone else - strange as it sounds I have found that male medical staff seem to have more empathy with people with addictions and also mental health problems.

Also remember that you can self refer to addiction organisations like Addaction and DART as well as mental health teams. You don't have to rely on your doctor.

Good luck

Gottalife

Obviously, your doctor knows you and your circumstances far better than we do. She may be doing you a huge favor by not adding other chemicals to the mix of your current problem. How often do we hear of people developing other serious addictions through carelessly handed out prescriptions?

Our national strategy for medical detox is based on health board guidelines which suggest that no more than 1% of alcoholics require medically supervised detox. They only have half a dozen beds in each major city, and it is very rare that all beds are full.

If you can avoid adding other medications, you may well be avoiding future problems. However, there is nothing wrong with sticking close to your doctor over the next three or four days (if you go cold turkey) and call or have your parents call at the first sign of trouble.