soupcon

I would get the librium filled as soon as possible. Did they know this wasn't your first rodeo and you have had severe dts before? Do you have anybody to check in on you? I hate that you were discharged so soon. How many hours since your last drink?

Rob762

Yes I have someone to check on me. The hospital def knew my track record, they just don't think I'm bad off enough in my opinion. Around here if you don't come in by ambulance or pulled out of the gutter you just need to suck it up. I look fairly clean cut for my situation, may be a factor. They were very helpful while I was there, but I don't think they had the open beds to hold me. I'll find something if it comes to it. Thanks to everyone for their input and encouragement. Just about to hit 36 hrs since my last drink.

fini

just came to this thread and relieved you went and got help and are where you're at.
your friend(s) sound wonderful the way they took some drastic measures.
keep them

Ken0331

Your friend did the right thing. Mouthwash? I've heard of people drinking hand sanitizer b/c of the alcohol content.

I thought they would have given you discharge instructions. Be violating standard of care if they hadn't. The Librium will help with the withdrawals. I was on it during my first detox. Made me loopy as hell, though. Of course, they had me on dilaudid and then morphine for the pancreatitis pain at the time, too. That might have had something to do with it . . .

Hopefully the discharge instructions tell you signs & symptoms that, if you experience them, tell you to seek medical attention right away. Possibly there's a phone number they provided to call the hospital or a 24 nurse line. If not, that means either call a friend or an ambulance to go back to the ER. Alcohol is the one substance that people can die from in withdrawal, as you have figured out. The other substances may make us wish we were dead, but alcohol withdrawal can actually do it.

If it gets so bad you question the need you might need to go back, be safe and just go back.

Then, once you're through the worst of it, please look into a recovery option that will work for you and take action to begin it.

You never have to feel this way again.

Rob762

Thanks great advice. I've been through this so many times that I've gotten to the point where I'm willing to just deal with the pain. im mostly worried about anxiety related heart issues. And high blood pressure. It's been pretty darn high today. Seems to be worse when I lay down so I've been trying to sit up as much as possible.

Ken0331

Yeah, both my blood pressure and heart rate go through the roof when I am in withdrawal. And my BP is usually on the lower end.

The worst mine got at home was auditory hallucinations and those "night terrors". My dogs sleep next to me, and I'd gone into this half-waking/half-dreaming state where I was hearing them growling at me, threatening to attack. I KNEW something was wrong. I was sweating so bad it was dripping off my face and drenching my shirt like I'd just ran 10 miles in the dead of summer. I was shaky, my balance was so bad I feared I'd fall down my stairs if I walked anywhere near them.

At the hospital I had such awful hallucinations to this day I don't know what was real from what was my imagination. The only thing I didn't have was a seizure.


Like I said, hopefully the discharge instructions have some guidance about, "if you experience this, seek immediate medical attention". The withdrawals continue to get worse the more times we go through them. Hopefully you'll make this time your last.

You don't have to live like this anymore. Here's hoping you make that decision and get some help.

Rob762

Yeah my hallucinations are going to probably start kicking in tonight. Generally auditory ones are the worst for me. But couple that with really crazy nightmares and get a bit dangerous. The visual ones are usually just seeing things out of the corner of my eye constantly moving around. But I've been through them so many times I know what they are so I generally ignore them. Forgot to mention that I'm taking Gabapentin, helps with the hallucinations and is an anti-seizure medication. Generally seems to cut the whole process in half

Dropsie

Rob and Ken,

I cannot imagine going through that even once. I am just watching the elementary season with Nelsan Ellis who died during a self detox, so unbelievably sad, what a loss. So I am very very happy you sought help and PLEASE go back if needed.

A friend of mine just lost her son to fenatol and the doctor who did the autopsy told her that he would legalise all drugs EXCEPT alcohol. Makes one think.

Thanks for keeping us posted.

Ken0331

Mine were that, too. Then they got so bad that I was seeing things like they were in the Matrix, that kind of stutter-effect, with images trailing after the movement. "Cool, I can dodge bullets."

Gabapentin helped me, too.

MindfulMan

I also had the trail stutter hallucinations, it's called alcoholic hallucinosis. Different from DT hallucinations. Not a good sign, but not nearly as dire as DTs.

The librium might keep the worst of your symptoms at bay. Fingers crossed. Gabapentin good as well.

I did my detox in rehab. My referring psychiatrist was a bit unhappy with that, as she wanted me to do a full medical detox in a hospital. The valium taper (they generally do librium or valium, they're both benzos with long half-lives) took away the shakes and sweats and probably kept me from progressing to DTs or seizures. The initial dose was pretty high, and they SLOWLY tapered me down over a 2 week period. My blood pressure went through the roof, they almost had to take me to the ER a few times even though I was starting to feel human again.

I know this is easier said than done, but do you think you'd be able to make some calls to inpatient rehab centers near you tomorrow? Even if you don't go, it would be good to have something in reserve.

Of course PLEASE get to the ER if your symptoms don't improve, or get worse.

A final suggestion....one of the worst things for your body in withdrawal and excessive drinking is a severe thiamine deficiency. The hospital may have given you that or perhaps other supplements, like B complex. If you don't have any, please have your friend bring you some thiamine supplements, and megadose on them. You can't overdose on B vitamins, any excess goes right through you. The consequences of severe thiamine depletion are very serious, and can include Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome, or wet brain. PLEASE get on this, it's nothing to chance.

Please keep checking in.

soupcon

How are you feeling today? Do you want to stop drinking?

FBL

Rob, I hope you'll use this experience as a wake-up call. You NEVER have to go thru this crap again, but you must stop drinking for good. Are you ready to surrender?

Rob762

Hard to say, it was pretty rough night but I'm still here. I'll get a better idea when I get up and try to move around a bit. On a side note is there way to adjust the time settings? I'm guessing the site is running out of a different country but I haven't figured out how to adjust for my time zone. Found it under FAQ troubleshooting. Mentions click user CP in upper left and choose edit options. I don't seem to have those options

Rob762

Eta: nevermind figured out I needed to do it from the desktop

Rob762

Most definitely ready to surrender. That's pretty much why I'm here for the first time. In the past the little guy on my shoulder kept saying you got this you don't need help. He's nowhere to be found now. I think I'm going to get through this. For me however the big test will be the Long Haul and it scares me. But I want to reach out to every available form of help I can get my hands on.

soupcon

That is very encouraging news, Rob. Try to focus on getting through today. Don't worry about the future. In time things will seem so much more manageable.

Ken0331

Just get through this withdrawal episode. If you are like I was at this point, my mind was way too jumbled and foggy to think coherently, let alone form a plan.

I did make the decision I was going to rehab, but didn't know where yet.

MindfulMan, B-complex vitamins - great suggestion! See if your vigilant friend will stop by a store and get you some.

FBL

Rob, I remember how scary it was for me to quit for good. Stay close to SR, we'll help you get thru it!

Ken0331

So how did today go? The Librium help you get through the day?

Rob762

Wow did it ever. I got some good sleep and the dreams were actually kinda fun. The kind that make you want to go back to sleep and resume..


Just ate some potato soup and some steamed veggies and it went down good. Washed it down with a cup of decaf and about to go watch some live PD and feel even better about myself..

Going over the list of resources the hospital gave me trying to make a decision on one to commit to an inpatient program. Thankfully I have family that is very supportive and I will be able to take the time off work. Thanks for checking in, you guys are great.