Karen22

First - thank you all so much for your help! I read on HAMs site that a dr can prescribe meds to detox with going to a facility. I already have xanax - haven't taken it in a couple of years. The HAMs site said to take .5 mg every six hours or so. What do you think?

ScottFromWI

You need to speak with a doctor before doing this Karen. We cannot offer medical advice here and detox can be dangerous - please speak with your physician first.

Anna

Absolutely talk to your dr. We cannot advise you on anything like that.

Hopefulheart911

I agree with the others you should defiantly speak with a doctor, and also in my experience with my husband, he tried that and quit drinking and just taking what he needed of Xanax and it calmed his anxiety and tricked his brain into not wanting to drink and his mood was stable until it wore off and needed more Xanax.

And what your doing is just transferring your addiction from one thing to the other your not fixing anything. you might not be drinking per say but you will still go through a mild withdrawal from the alcohol and if it gets to severe you can go into dt's and die so no i say dont do it at all, dont even think about it.

Question, why not go into treatment? why do you want to keep playing this game feeding your addiction to keep it going? Believe me there is no better feeling waking up first thing in the morning and your honest first thought is what do i want to do today? instead of where is my next drink or fix.

Just give up the fight and come to the side of recovery where you can TRULY find the freedom and rest you've been searching for. Good luck and hope you consider going for your (me time) to get better, hugs and prayers.

CreativeThinker

I agree with Hopefuflheart. Don't trade one addiction for the other.

We alkies like quick fixes, we don't like to feel uncomfortable, that's why we used booze to function.

Call your doctor! He/She will be able to advise you with options.

Take care of yourself Karen. We're all here for you!

Shitzupuppy

It's a really REALLYbad idea to do it without medical supervision

Ditto what others said

Shitzupuppy

I was just rereading your post, and my reaction is that I wouldn't even give my dog drugs without consulting her vet.

Flush the pills and go see a doctor.

AnvilheadII

do yourself and your future sobriety a favor and speak with your doctor or an addictions specialist about the safest way to detox.

SnoozyQ

Definitely not Karen , not without advice from your doctor.
Alcohol is the one drug that is extremely dangerous to detox from depending on the severity of your personal usage etc.

It's always really good to have trusted a friend to confide in just to check on you at home if your doc thinks it will be ok to be treated at home.

Good luck honey and I hope you manage to beat this thing xxxxx

Karen22

Thanks everyone! I called my doctor's office- he is out until the 30th! So I am seeing his PA in a couple of hours. I don't know what to expect. I really don't want to do inpatient but will do whatever is advised.

I spent the morning pouring out liquor and wine bottles- still many more to go. 🙄
Wish me luck!

ScottFromWI

Glad to hear that - hope you have a good visit. What you can expect is help and recommendations on what to do next...that's what doctors are for ;-) Be honest about your history and your intentions, they cannot help if you don't give them the whole story.

cellardoor77

I agree with the others here, and believe it is a good move going to see the PA. No idea what they will say, but using benzos like xanax to detox if fairly common (and often necessary depending on the prior level of alcohol consumption). I'm just throwing this out there because I've had some experience in detox centers. The thing is, although xanax might work, it is definitely not ideal because it is one of the strongest, shortest acting, and most addictive benzos out there. They usually use librium or serax because they are longer acting, have less potential for abuse, but still serve the same purpose of easing the withdrawals. Another thing is that in a medical facility, they would start you at a particular dose based on your alcohol consumption, then slowly lower it for a week or so. You would then no longer have access to it, thus preventing the possibility of trading one addiction for another. Either way, I'm sure your PA will be able to properly advise you, whether inpatient or outpatient detox is recommended. Best of luck to you, and congrats on your decision to stop drinking!

Karen22

We have a plan. She prescribed Lorazepam for three days -reducing the dosage each day. She also prescribed folic acid and Thiamine as well as magnesium for sleep. Our plan is that I will meet with her every other day this week to check vitals,etc.

Waiting on the Hubster to get home to share the big news! I spent the day throwing out many liquor and wine bottles. Also ditched my fav martini glass 🎉

Thank you all for supporting me. I felt prepared and a bit educated when I spoke to the PA. And I didn't break down as I thought I might. It was all very professional.
The hardest part was telling the receptionist why I needed the appt. I said anxiety- surely dealing with that !