5Stars

So I have a question.

My AB quit drinking Friday. Today is his third day.

My question, how long does it take to detox?
If he is going to have symptoms of withdrawl when and after how long should I expect them?
And is it possible to need detox or have withdrawl symptoms if you only consume 4 - 12 beers at a time and not on a daily basis? (Sometimes more but not often)

I dont know if their is anything I should watch for, he is not under any care but mine. I asked my doctor for the Antabuse and Campral prescription and I did it over email. I knew what to ask for from reading on the websites.
I do know he has quit drinking before, once for a whole month following a hit and run DUI in my car. (In which case he left the scene because he does not have a license due to the last DUI, but thats another story) Anyway he quit the last time cold turkey and the guilt kept him sober for a month. He did it with no meds and didnt appear to have any detox or withdrawl symptoms. Is there any reason I should worry about it this time? (and FYI he is actually drinking on average less time around)

Thanks all for any advice

P.S. I posted a picture of my babies!! My twins are Caleb and Cameron, My middle child the blodie is Caiden and my precious girl is Alyssa

WhatAboutME

Every time my husband has been admitted to a medical detox, they have kept him 3-5 days. He has no history of seizures/DT, however. The insomnia, night sweats, shakes, etc. can last days to weeks (w/ him anyway). The Campral and Antabuse will not help him detox. My husband always gets Librium to calm him down and lessen the w/d when he's in detox. I would imagine that monitoring his heart rate and BP would be essential in watching out for any of the more serious side effects of detoxing. Not something you can really do at home, unless you're an RN.

prodigal

As many of us suggested to you when you posted you were going to help him into recovery, the same thing goes for detox. You are not an addictions counselor. You are not a medical professional. However, based on my experience putting AH into three detoxes, and each one being worse than the one before, it can take from 3 to 5 days, as a rule. Hand tremors, rapid breathing, elevated blood pressure are general signs. I knew one guy who had a seizure trying to detox himself.

So he was in a DUI and left the scene of the accident. I'm surprised he didn't do some jail time for that incident - or did he? So the "guilt" kept him sober for one whole month. What makes you think your helping him and playing nurse will keep him sober longer than a traffic crime that left him feeling guilty?

WhatAboutME

Oh, and my experience with my AH encompasses 5 trips to detox in the past 60 days, and going back tomorrow at 7 AM, and 5 trips to inpatient rehab and on the waiting list for the 6th round. And my experience is similar to that of prodigal, each and every trip to detox was more grueling than the last. My husband has not had seizures yet, but his BP does get quite high and his mental capacity is completely shot when detoxing (not that it's so great when he's drinking). In addition to the Librium, he usually gets some type of sleep medication to prevent him from going even more insane from lack of sleep (or the ability to pass out!).

Even though 3-5 days of medical detox has been my experience with my AH, I think I heard that it can take up to 6 months to completely "cleanse" the body of alcohol / the effects of the alcohol?

5Stars

so in either of your opinion does the amount of alcohol he regularly consumed pose a threat for any of those symptoms?

Can 4-12 beers maybe 4 or 5 times a week develop the alcohol dependance to that exteme?
When he quit for the month last December he didnt experience any of those and he was drinking a bit heavier. should I be concerned?

And about my attempt to keep him sober longer than the guilt did over the DUI.
I am not naive to the fact that HE has to do this, I just want to be as supportive as I can.


I am hopeful that he will change, this is his last opportunity at being a part of our family. This has been a problem for over half of our relationship with it most becoming apparent last Decemeber with the DUI. However, our attempts to fix things were to "control" the amount of drinking not banish it. There were a few episodes where I told him he had to quit but after some "good time" I allowed him the opportunity to "show me" he could control it. They all failed and this time I am just gonna stick to my guns and say no everytime!! My hope is he wont EVER ask though...

I understand too that he may not give a flying f*** what my opinion is at one point and if or when that day rolls around I will tell him not to let the door hit him on the a$$ on the way out.

I just want him to have all the tools available to help him at a price we can afford. I do have four children to feed after all and I know that my responsibility as a mother is to take care of them first. They are indeed children and not just an adult acting like one.

WhatAboutME

I'm not a medical professional by any means, but it would seem like it's not the amount he drinks per week now or how much he drank last month or even if his daily/weekly intake has decreased recently. How long (in years) has he been abusing his body in this manner? Does he have any other underlying diseases that may/or may not be secondary to alcoholism - hypertension, diabetes, high cholesterol, etc.? Does he have a genetic predisposition to chronic illness? Has he ever had a liver function test? Is he overweight? Etc.

I guess it just depends on the individual, which is why it is better to be safe than sorry when it comes to detox/treatment. He could experience no side effects whatsoever, he could have some insomnia and hand tremors or he could have a seizure, stroke out and slip into a coma.

ETA:
"There were a few episodes where I told him he had to quit but after some "good time" I allowed him the opportunity to "show me" he could control it. They all failed and this time I am just gonna stick to my guns and say no everytime!!"

For whatever it's worth, he will likely never really achieve sobriety until it is he who is controlling his recovery, and not you.

denny57

5Stars, I don't really have any experience with what you're doing, but I have to say I admire your incredible drive and I have absolutely no idea how you are managing your husband's recovery and raising 4 children. You are awesome.

FormerDoormat

There's nothing wrong with holding out hope, 5Stars, as long as you don't put you and your children's lives on hold in the process because alcoholism is a chronic illness, and despite many alcoholic's attempts to reach and maintain sobriety, the vast majority of them fail over and over again, as you will see if you hang out in this forum.

I hope in the process of sorting things out and deciding whether you want to pursue a relationship with him that you don't allow him to drive with your children anywhere. And I think it would be wise of you to research the laws in your state about what responsibility, if any, you may have if you allow a known alcoholic to drive your vehicle. In some states, if you knowingly allow him to drive your car, and he maims or kills someone in the process, you may be held held liable as well.

Alcholism is a serious, incideous disease that takes many victims along the way--not just the alcoholic. His alcoholism can wreak havoc on your emotional and physical well being, your financial well being, your and legal well being as well. And it can wreak serious havoc on your children's emotional well being and lives, too.

Are you attending Alanon? If not, perhaps now is the time to join a meeting in your area.

hope3

Dear 5Stars, I think this site might help you with some of the

facts you are looking for, it's the National Institute on Alcoholism
Abuse and alcoholism.

This is the link to the most frequently asked questions.

5Stars they also have information on al-anon, and there are on line information

for al-anon as well..kepp in touch, hope3

FAQs for the General Public

Taking5

The posts about antabuse and campral are correct, neither of them are for withdrawals. You should pay attention to what the Dr says regardless, check pulse and BP, etc.

BTW, 4 - 12 beers is a wimp, IMHO. I was drinking 20-25 mixed drinks or shots daily, sometimes more, and I hardly ever took a day off in the last 3 years.

I am on day 70 of sobriety now (first 6 days were hell, all the w/d symptoms you have read here plus more) and I couldn't have made it without AA.

hope3

There are stages of alcoholism, all are just as important.

The early stages usually have less physical withdrawal symptoms, but

are just as neurologically binding...IMHO.

hope3

steve11694

I am quite close with a physician who informs me theoretically a detox could be done at home BUT the person detoxing would beside someone knowing what to do with the following, need an IV line and a bunch of potentially necessary drugs at hand to deal with anything from anxiety, tremors, high blood pressure to a full on seizure. One would also need pulse oximetry, blood pressure monitoring, cardiac monitor helpful, and the dreaded endotracheal tube and laryngoscope, vent bag in case it takes general anesthesia to control seizures. The other potential nightmare is needing to restrain the person detoxing and he/she might be very strong.

elizabeth1979

Im not a doctor, but Ive seen someone detox more than a dozen times.
Seizures, vomiting blood, nose bleeds,shakes, skyhigh BP, and ER trips all included.

Im assuming that if you havent seen these things after 3 days..he either a) isnt having them and isnt going to get them,..(some people dont) or b)hes not dry.

But either way, I would try not to obsess over what he may or may not be thinking, doing, feeling, going through, whether hes taking pills, whether he will replapse, maybe hes mad bc you told him he had to quit, whether he was feeling guilty still, and on and on and on and on.

Its not your deal..leave it alone.

This is interesting.
Guilt doesnt keep alcoholics sober..its keeps them stuck and keeps them drinking, IMO.


I forget, have you been to Al-anon?
The Melody Beattie books are good...and Marriage on the Rocks, I found particularly helpful.

queenteree

My AH detoxed this Friday also at home (he drinks 20+/- beers per day). He was shaking, sweating, throwing up, diarreah, drifty (as he calls it), dizzy, filled with anxiety (couldn't breathe), severe muscle cramps, bloody noses etc. He survived. By Monday he was fine (and I know he wasn't drinking). He was sick as a dog, but made it thru, probably to start drinking by week's end. Not meaning to trivialize anything, but doesn't it cause unnecessary worry to families of A's when everyone says how dangerous it is to detox at home? I'm sure there's millions of alcoholics out there who do it all the time.

Zoey

gueenteree,

IMO the risk is not worth it.
I have known AA members transporting an A to the vet's hospital that took along booze to keep the A from getting into trouble on the way'. They made sure he had maintence drinks.

Myself I always want to know the worst that could happen, in my own health and my loved ones.

WhatAboutME

Oh my, I almost forgot about the muscle cramps. My husband would be on the ground crying like a baby from the muscle cramps. Not a pretty site.

5Stars

So far no symptoms... I am happy for him.

He just started his new job and has been in really good spirits through all this. I think he is so happy about starting that job that he is not thinking about it, he loves to work, its a man thing, he likes being that provider. Today he is off and he took the boys to the park, I am working from home with the baby. Last night in fact he was having a good time playing with the kids and he commented about my lack of interest in the "family". I was too busy on the computer. He threatened to lock my computer up in the car. I need to let go, I do need Al-anon, our family issue is a constant in my mind.
I am reading the book co-dependant no more. I cant put it down actually. Very interesting and informational.

Tazman53

Hi 5Stars, my name is Martin, I am a recovered alcoholic, I went through medical detox, I was given a wide variety of meds to prevent siezures and control my blood pressure.

Detox can and does kill!

Every time an alcoholic goes through detox it is worse, never better.

An aside for you queenetree, your husbands next self detox at home may be his last, especially if he drinks half as much as you say and has detoxed that many times.

5Stars, I am an alcoholic, trust me when I say that he was drinking a lot more then what you think he was/is. I managed to keep myself down to 8-10 beers in a 3 1/2 hour period for a week one time and my wife told me she was proud of me for not drinking!!!!!

5Stars you keep saying I did this to help him and I did that, unless your AB is the one in a million alcoholics he is not going to stay sober until he is ready to stay sober, as long as you are helping him he will continue to drink. Heck he will even quit drinking for a little while just to fool you and maybe himself that he is not an alcoholic to where he can start some "Controled" drinking.

What is he doing besides not drinking to stay stopped?

Take it from an alcohlic that quit drinking at least 1,000 times and that is not an exageration, I tried quitting for 10 years. When the only thing I did to stop drinking I was never able to stay stopped!

It was not until I went through real medical detox for 5 days, and trust me the fog was still not cleared at that point and I went to AA to learn how to live sober and become a better happier person that I stayed stopped.

Unless an alcoholic does something to change them selfs as a person they will always return to thier bottle or become a dry drunk which is far worse then a wet one.

mallowcup

Well, I'm an RN and I wouldn't recommend detoxing at home, many medications need to be given IV and with an increased incident of heart attack, agitation, delirium, combative behavior, hallucinations, stroke etc, that's nothing I'd attempt to deal with at home. If you have no choice, call 911 at the first sign of a medical situation of any kind. I am an RN and I think it would be arogant of me to think I could handle this situation at home. The medications and equipment sometimes needed and the manpower aren't available. In a medical crisis, you are just that much farther away from the help you need. Your boyfriend has chosen to do this at home. Maybe it won't be so bad or maybe it will be worse than he expected. You call an ambulance without discussion with YOUR comfort level not his.

hope3

There are so many factors to consider when looking at detoxification.

There are people on this site who have lost family members while they were

detoxifing...It has to do with to much for me to go into, however, here is the low down on detoxifing from the NIAAA.

Hope3

http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publicatio...22-1/44-46.pdf