ETOH1977

I am in the medical profession, so I am no stranger to the pathology of this disease. I consult with my GP on a regular basis and have recently told him that I have a problem. I mean he really has known for awhile due to my elevated liver enzymes, but has been waiting for me to say something. DT's are life threatning and all of the medical references we have debated over come to a common consensus. Quiting cold turkey is noble, yet dangerous. You have to "ween" yourself off, or risk seizures in which 85% of patients can get and 5 % die. I mean in less than 24 hrs i.e starting from yesterday b/c I had my last drink 11/28 around 10 p. m.....I started sweating and feeling jittery, paranoid etc.... I had to mentally calm my body down so as not to have full blown DT. At any rate.....is ppl wouldn't mind sharing there medical histories i.e how high were you guys Liver enzymes, how many have been admitted to hospital b/c of withdrawal tremors and or the more dangerous seizurs. I do know that when ppl are having those, a drug, benzodiazapines are given to aid in ceasing the "shakes", but also etoh is given via a iv drip in "moderation" to help also......thoughts?

LaFemme

Hi and welcome to SR!

Well...I have no idea where my liver enzymes were when I quit because I hadn't been to the Dr. In ages. I had gone a few days sober at a time over the course of the past few years trying to get sober and never had DTs. I was aware that there were some dangers in quitting but I was not aware of how serious it could be. So when I quit I went cold Turkey. Felt like crap for about 6 days...night sweats and flu like symptoms but that was about it.

Good luck!

Rusty Zipper

1987

i did the House Cow bit, the home detox after 35 years of boozing it up!

it blew brother!

what you wrote about all happened, and i did almost die.

the good news, that was my path.

i have to tell you, from my memories of it,

i will never touch a drop to my lips,

one day at a time again.

its still so green to me,

and i pray on it every morning,

as to not forget it.

my liver and kidneys were just shot,

though, in a matter of a month of no booze or drugs,

wilth eating right, healthy, exercise,

i came back to good health,

and the doc freaked when he read my charts not too long ago,

he said i have the body of a 16 year old,

i just laughed, and said the mind still too!

now i'm working on growing up!

at times i can almost think,

with all the help of meds,

people have it too easy,

hey, if were meant to die, why try to box with God?

good wishes 1987

Dee74

Weaning never worked for me ETOH - if I could control my alcohol intake I wouldn't need to wean, ya know?

Cold turkey nearly killed me too - I did not consult a Dr, and I was in no mental shape to 'calm my body down'....

I recommend nowadays everyone speak to a Dr (with some experience in the field) before they quit and get some professional advice on treatments available.

If I had, I might be in better shape now

D

ETOH1977

thanks for all those that have shared thus far.....as of now I am going with my M.D recommendation on slowly coming off so as to not risk a hospital visit....if I put my mind to it I can control the volume, but it still doesn't take the "need" and most importantly the WANT away, which is the big problem...anyways....i hope to be a regular on here and hope to get to know each and every one of you at some point......i will keep the status as recent as I can....thanks again guys/gals

Anna

I wish you well!

least

I was only able to wean myself off alcohol one time, all the other times I tried it I just ended up drinking way too much. I am blessed 'cause I never went thru the DTs, tho my withdrawal wasn't pleasant it was never threatening to my health.


Just to make it clear to newcomers: the DTs (Delirium Tremens) are NOT the same thing as detox/withdrawal, but are a life threatening condition some people get when going thru alcohol withdrawal. Which is why it's always a good idea to have medical help in getting thru the initial detox/withdrawal.


Welcome to SR!

Mark75

All that liver enzyme stuff... maybe relevant, but not presently. What is relevant is that if you are alcoholic, then by definition, how do you wean yourself off the substance you are addicted to? That is the question... All the other intellectualization... How high were your enzymes, EtOH drips, benzos... ??? Just so much denial and avoidance... BS in other words.... How do you parse out your drinking, control it, when you haven't been doing so... for how long... ???and now your life may be at stake.

Good luck with that.

Get some help with this, as in medical supervision... You are not the provider in this situation, you are the patient... Find someone who knows what they are doing, and follow their directions.

Welcome to SR !!

JackNWA

I has a seizure in rehab (they didn't give meds in '88). Woke up in the hospital. Scared the sh*t out of me of course, but I continued to drink for 5 more years...........what a powerfull disease this is...

Zencat

I had an opportunity to detox under supervision. That would be the best option. I never thought of weening myself off of alcohol because I knew I wouldn't be able.

Just keep active with your recovery plan.

Vanilla28

JackNWA, just out of curiousity...when you had your seizure, did you just all of a sudden wake up in the hospital? or could you feel it coming on and while it was happening?

Anna

Vanilla, you really should talk to your dr about these questions.

We can't give any kind of medical advice and everyone's experience is different.

ETOH1977

I am under medical supervision and was told this by multiple M.D's.....

wes1

I would have died of complications from alcohol withdrawal had I not checked into the ER within 8 hours of quitting. I spent 19 days in ICU with DTs, hallucinations, etc. under 24 hour medical attention and still almost died. Doctors believed I was brain dead during one particular period of that time. I don't remember a minute of my time in ICU. Alcohol withdrawals can be deadly.

Vanilla28

sorry. i wasnt asking because i thought i would have one. i saw a lady have one once and was just curious as to what the person who actual has one feels.
didnt mean to put him on the spot.

Itchy

I quit on my own twice for 30 days before I got really bad drinking all day and night several years ago, no withdrawals at all and I was drinking a 12 pack a day but spread out over 12 hours. Those two times were for knee surgeries and I was on coumadin for a small clot the first time and then as prophylaxis to make sure I didn't get another one the second time. The last time I quit because I had tremors every morning, and aia wasn't even in detox. I also had medical training as a Lab tech and a medic in the AF. So the last time I did it the easy way and checked into the VA for in hospital detox. Very smooth and no stress for me physically or emotionally.

If you are successfully weening yourself off, which many docs recommend, and rarely works because many of us tried and it was us trying to control that which we were having a problem with controlling. You nailed it when you said that you can regulate but that doesn't take away the craving or need. If I could ween myself off slowly I would have done so and lord knows I tried. I'd make it to my second cup of coffee and change my mind and add a shot or two of scotch to it. Did that for a year after realizing I was in big trouble, and my health was going South fast. More power to you if you can.

For most of us it takes quitting for good, forever, and knowing that in our heart not just in our head.

If you are uncomfortable and are having anxiety over seizure possibilities, ask your doc now. See no one has the same reactions the same way. One has a heart attack and has pain in the left arm, another in the neck, another in the chest before it gets bad. No one's body will do the same as anothers.

Just as my way or another's may not be right for you.

I am blessed with a yellow streak a mile wide. I quit to save my health, not to risk it even more.