Cassie6

Firstly I am aware that this is a VERY controversial subject!

I visited my GP (Doctors) and told him everything quite a while ago he told me that I 'was not an alcoholic, as I was not drinking enough...' he also advised me to 'taper off my drinking' i.e. less and less each day.

I went to a different GP today after suffering withdrawals - mainly extreme anxiety (breathing difficulties, dizziness, awful panic attacks, hallucinating at night, sweating - I began having terrible 'shocks' while falling asleep also - which I guess is due to my brain (and the chemicals) being used to to the alcohol) I was told the same thing - 'just reduce the amount you drink gradually'.

I've done reasonably well today, but the point I made to my GP was that once I've had 'one' that's it... Because one leads to two... Which inevitably leads to three... You get the point!

If I could 'taper' it would involve 'controlling my drinking' and if I could do that I would not have been at the Doctors office in the first place...

So my question is (my apologies for the waffley back story!) Has anyone 'tapered'? I have obviously been told to do this by a medical professional, but am quite scared, and yes, I was hoping he'd offer me 'something' to at least 'ease' the pain of withdrawal...

Any advice at all is appreciated (currently drinking a tonne of water, plus rehydration salts, vitamin B, multivitamin, healthy food, and hot chocolate as my blood sugar has dropped!)

entropy1964

I hear this often from folks in the UK. Hopefully someone in your neck of the woods will chime in. In the US we can go to the Emergency Room and ask to be helped with detox. Usually they will give some meds while there, some will give a small prescription to take home, some won't. But often they will help get the patient (that would be me, many times) into a detox facility. Doesn't the UK have some kind of ER hospital?

I have tapered in the past. Its a crap shoot as to whether or not I'll be successful.

blueberry2015

I was advised by drug and alcohol team to taper, but my doctor gave me valium instead for home detox. If you are going to taper then its really important it is strictly monitored, I personally wouldnt be able to taper on my own tbh. Do you have someone who can help you in the tapering process?? I have no idea whether tapering is effective tho? My thoughts behind it is that as an alcoholic for me that would be near enough impossible. You could try contacting your local drug and alcohol team as they maybe able to arrange rehab for you x

ScottFromWI

I think a lot of folks have attempted tapering - I know I did ( It didn't' work unfortunately ). The thing about quitting though is that there's really no way to completely get rid of the pain or suffering. Basically your body is used to the alcohol, and when you take it away it doesn't like it. Tapering just means that the pain is drawn out over a longer period of time and theoretically less intense, although there was just another thread here today of someone who tapered off too quickly and ended up in the ER with strong withdrawal symptoms.

You could consider seeing another doctor or see if a private detox or outpatient program is available. Going to your local AA meeting would help too, you will find lots of resources there.

Dee74

Tapering never worked for me either.
I would look for a second opinion, Cassie

D

thomas11

Tapering works if you can discipline yourself to not drink to get drunk, but rather stave off the withdrawal process (by minimizing the symptoms). But as you indicated in your original post....one leads to two, leads to three. Tapering is literally impossible in that situation.

uncorked

That just doesn't make sense. Seems like the doctors don't have a lot of experience with addiction. You're right, if you could taper you wouldn't be in his/her office! Are there any detox centers around? It will be a lot more comfortable than just stopping cold turkey -- which, depending on how much you drink, could be very dangerous.

Forward12

I was thinking the same thing the UK docs seem to be pretty clueless with alcoholism, though the US docs aren't much better.
Tapering is possible, but it difficult. You can give it a go and if you can't do it, I'd try going back and asking them for some benzos for a few days to cover a safe withdraw if going to an ER or detox facility isn't available.

Dee74

I'm sure UK Drs as as good as anywhere else.

I think it's more a reflection of the overloaded National Health and the scope of alcohol related problems in the UK.

D

sainos

Hi Cassie, I am from the UK also. I had a home detox once, but it was 2 months on the waiting list and I had to have someone stay with me for 5 days or they wouldn't do it. A nurse came in every day and brethalized me, took my blood pressure etc. That was years ago, and I don't even know if they still do them.
I have gone to A&E a couple of times with the withdrawals. They will generally keep you in for a few hours, give you a couple of doses of benzos (if you are lucky ) and send you on your way ..giving you the advice to taper. Which I explained I couldn't, but it falls on dea ears.
The only other thing to do, is to get on a waiting list for an inpatient detox at a psychiatric unit, which as you know, could take months.

The only helpful advice I can think of, is as even if they still do home detoxes, they wanted someone with you for 5 days, could you not ask anyone if they could stay with you and help with the taper? Only allow you so much a day.

I would add, if you got into real trouble with withdrawals, they have a duty of care, so they cannot just turn you away.

esinger

I theory tapering of alcohol and other drugs would help lesson the pain of withdrawals. But if your like me your in all or nothing. When I tried detoxing at home my GP gave me valium. I ended up drinking on them (no good). I ended up in inpatient detox which was kind of like ripping the band-aid off only medically supervised.
It's a tough situation. I live in the US so I know nothing about healthcare in the UK but I would get another opinion.

Take Care

Berrybean

Remember that the only requirement for going to AA is a desire to stop drinking. It is worth getting to a few meetings (preferably before your alcohol for the day) and chatting to people there. They are likely to be in the know about local facilities and which doctors in your area have the best insight into alcoholism and addiction.

I am in the UK also, and hear of this suggestion to taper (unsupported - so basically it equates to telling an alcoholic to moderate their drinking - NHS craziness) a lot. It's like they know that's what happens in some treatment centres so they think the average alcoholic can pop home and do a DIY version with the poison of their choice. As others have stated, it needs to be measured and controlled a lot more carefully than that.

I hope that yiu find the help you need. Wishing you all the best for your recovery. BB

LBrain

generally speaking, the vast majority of doctors are not trained in addiction...

so, although their advice may be well intended, they may not fully understand the scope of the problem...

tapering in a 'controlled' environment can be accomplished - but 'controlled' is the operative word there...

and, generally speaking, most addicts/alcoholics are unable to control themselves... many have tried to taper on their own and most have failed...

for most, the process of trying to taper does nothing more than prolong the addiction and usually ends up with nothing changed...

advbike

I have done it, with beer (microbrew), but not anything stronger. It is extremely mentally challenging, if you're really trying to quit, because your AV will tell you that you're able to moderate once you get the number of drinks down.

I did it to reduce cravings. I cut back from 6 per night to 5, then 5 to 4.. etc, with a couple days in between before going lower.. and 3 beers was as low as I could go. It worked for me a few times and I was able to quit for awhile.

DolAndel

Not much luck with tapering personally. To borrow a phrase I read from someone on this forum (sorry I forgot who said it), I tend to end up playing whack-a-mole with my dopamine system more than anything. As I try to taper the booze I find myself smoking more weed, eating more food or playing more video games... all activities that I suspect help in maintaining those cravings by activating the similar reward centers in the brain as alcohol. If you feel like you are having problems controlling your drinking, tapering seems like a very slippery slope to me.

Best wishes for your recovery, regardless of your methods! I hope to hear of your success.

TulsaGentleman

My tapering off consisted of telling myself that I would only have one drink today, than after the first one I decided that two might be OK, etc. etc. I had to give it up completely.

Cassie6

Thank you for all the responses and advice! The night I posted was the first night I 'cut down' it was the worst - insomnia, and going from boiling hot to cold (at one point I though my body would just overheat, and I would boil myself alive). Last night I'd managed to cut down to 3/4 of what I'd had, and drink around 2 litres of water. I must have slept 11 hours, but a more uninterrupted sleep, only woken up with heartburn this morning, today I've managed with almost nothing until 6pm when I felt unable to breath again, so had 1 glass of wine over an hour period, plus water, plus food.

I agree the NHS is so stretched, I once went in after having a severe reaction to shellfish , which saw me suffocating(!) passed out (I had not even touched drink that night), the paramedics were great, but considering the medication they put in the IV made me so sick, they were unable to either help me back into bed, replace my IV drip, or even give me a straw - it was impossible to drink as my throat has closed up - everything I drank I was dribbling and crying as I was so thirsty). They woke me up (my body had been through a lot) and discharged me at 2am despite me barely being able to stand - asked me to get a taxi - I had no money or phone as the Paramedics had wheeled me out still having drugs pumped into me - they told me I could wait it the reception (despite being covered in water and whatever I had brought back up from the effect of the drugs...)

I would hate to think how they would treat me if it was alcohol related.

I did ask my GP about getting something to ease the withdrawal symptoms (ie Diazepam) but he told I was not drinking enough, and that he would not prescribe anything of that nature to someone so young. Hence why he suggested 'tapering'.

Like I mentioned the withdrawals are easing somewhat. My breathing is still very bad, and my heart is beating quite slowly and weakly. But I'm feeling about 50% better. I know that, 'should' there be a next time it might be too late, and I am very lucky to have escaped anything more serious, therefore will take this opportunity to carry on the right path. I'm off to bed shortly and have no intentions of drinking anymore.

Thanks again

August252015

I am flabbergasted that tapering seems to be common advice from drs in the UK. This seems borderline criminally negligent "treatment" advice. Sure, lay people like to banter this about and justify it as a legit road to quitting, but physicians?

Insane.

EndGameNYC

It seems that medically supervised detox is one of the unintended causalties of the UK's NHS, if it was ever on the table at all. No worries about malpractice related to prescribing drugs, and if something happens to the person tapering, well, you can't take responsibility for the way an alcoholic drinks, can you? The waiting lists are simply inhumane and unacceptable. But many of you over there already know that.

It's incomprehensible to me whenever I read that people with life-threatening conditions must wait in order to see a doctor.

Anyway, no, I've never tried to taper and I've never attempted to moderate. I have a very active imagination, but I cannot even conceive of attempting either.

Cassie6

Like I said in the UK we are told to be grateful for the NHS, and obviously I am and it has never been this bad in my lifetime - but with all the cuts to the NHS (I have no idea what they are spending out tax on, because mine keeps going up!)

I ended up there about 5 years ago after a severe bout of food poisoning - and they point blank insisted I be put on a fluids and vitamins via IV. (Despite me telling them I was fine!)

But yes, these days it's just cut down each day, but like I said earlier if I was able to 'cut down' I would be able to 'moderate' and if I was able to 'moderate' I would not be in his office in the first place...

Yesterday, I had half a bottle as I got awful anxiety again to the point where I could not breath or see.

I'm pretty much dreading the weekend