Home detox help please!
 

Well, here is my saga and I can use some advice. My brother is an alcoholic who is staying with my husband and I to turn things around. He is ready to detox and take the steps to get sober. We have found a program that was going to do a medically supervised detox then 21 days in house before starting outpatient. Well, I'm waiting for the intake guy to call me as to when he can go in, we're waiting for the bed. We're at his mercy since its a state funded bed and my brother doesn't have insurance or medicaid. The program that I'm going through has different locations that do outpatient, inpatient without supervised detox, or medically supervised detox with inpatient. We're waiting for a bed at the medically supervised one.
Long story short, he is also working with a shrink due to anxiety issues. This week the shrink prescribed him a tapering dose of librium for him to detox before he found out about the bed we were waiting on. If I don't hear from the intake guy I'm going to see if I can find him a bed in an in house program that doesn't have the detox option since the doctor gave me the librium that I need to go and pick up. I'm thinking that we can try the librium option once I find him a bed to go to right afterwards.

Does anyone have any experience with librium at home for detoxing? Does anyone have any suggestions or recommendations? He really wants to detox, so I'm trying to work my the options that I have when insurance or medicaid isn't an option.

Thanks

Alcohol detox can be deadly if not medically supervised. Up to 7 times more deadly than opiate detox. If he is severe enough that he gets delirium tremens the mortality rate is 35%. So please do the medically supervised route.

This can be even worse if he has abused other substances.

I detoxed with valium and a high blood pressure medication (to help guard against having a stroke). Please have him see the Dr., preferably someone that knows alcoholism and addictions.

Welcome P3bble,
We ask members not to give medical advice here since we are here to support each other in our recovery and since we are not medical experts. Alcohol detox should be supervised by a medical expert, so I hope you and your brother won't attempt any at home programs without expert medical approval and supervision.

I'm glad your brother wants help - that's a positive first step. Keep reading here - lots of great support for you!

Agree 100%.

I have experience in working with people who are admitted to inpatient facilities for medically supervised detox, however, I will not make those recommendations on here as each case is different and this isn't the appropriate venue for such.....

But, I will tell you this.... alcohol detox needs to be supervised in a hospital setting. If his psychiatrist has given him Librium to detox at home, then consult with him about the procedure. In the meantime, if he cannot get the psychiatrist and starts to experience withdraw symptoms, take him to a local ER and/or crisis center to be evaluated for a medical detox. When it comes to needing detox from alcohol, insurance isn't the priority, it's saving the life that becomes the priority and most hospitals know this. I worked as one of those screeners in a crisis center and 9 times out of 10 admitted all alcohol detox cases regardless of their ability and/or inability to pay. In some cases, the patient can apply for charity care, etc. and/or social workers can work with the patient in applying for medicaid if needed.

Please look at this situation, not one from insurance purposes, but one from what is the most safe. Alcohol detox should always be done in a hospital setting as the risk from withdrawal are far too great (e.g. DT's (delirium tremons, seizures, dehydration, etc.). If the psychiatrist is recommending an at home detox, please ask him to educate you on the risk.

In my opinion, knowing and seeing someone in active withdrawal from alcohol, I would not want that responsibility in my home.