Kris47

If I go slow and do what I should, can I taper off to quit drinking.

I normally have drank 10 drinks a day in the evening.

I have already tapered down to 5 a day. Wanting more but doing good so far.

I live in a rural area and have a hard time getting places in the winter months.

Kris

Dee74

You can do what you want Kris but personally it never worked for me and I don't recommend it.
My last home detox ended very badly.

Like I said in a previous thread, if you're that concerned about withdrawal, surely it's worth seeing a Dr?

D

BeachLiving

Yes. In my opinion. Others have posted that they were unsuccessful in tapering. It has worked for me. I was sober 6 months and tapered of. I quit when I got to 4 drinks a night. I was also at 10. if you are at 5 then you are doing great.

I fell off the wagon for the last 6 months and just got back on. I tapered off over the last few days and today I quit. I will report back tomorrow with my success and this forum is helping me to keep my promise to myself.

Shining~Again

Doctors will near always tell you to taper unless they feel you need a inhouse detox.
I actually am forcing myself to type "near always" as I've never heard any of my colleagues say different. It's a liability thing along with common sense.

I live in the country also and going anywhere is a pain, especially in the winter. We have never had cabs nor buses here either.

Good for you on tapering down to 5!
Keep on akeepin' on.

soberhawk

Hi Kris,

Welcome to SR

I did taber, but tabering does not garantie against withdraval symptoms.

Is there is reason why you do not want to do this with help from you doctor?

Early recovery can be hard Kris being worried and afraid – we do not need that in that period.

This can be done – you can stop, but do not make it more difficult than it needs to be.

Take care.

ScottFromWI

You won't hear too many success stories of tapering around here as it rarely works Kris. Not to say that it's impossible, but if your eventual goal is to quit completely it's best to have a discussion with a doctor or drug/alcohol counselor first anyway, even if tapering is the prescribed method.

Also keep in mind that even if you do successfully taper, at some point you will need to quit completely. And acute withdrawal symptoms are still possible no mater what volume you have tapered down to at that point.

So the bottom line is that yes, it is possible to taper of to quit, but you still have to quit even after the taper - and it's a good idea to have some medical advice before doing so.

BeachLiving

I would certainly go see a doctor. It was tough for me because it meant that I had to admit I had a problem with drinking. Since you are posting here you are already a step closer.

Mentium

Some people might ague that 'relapses' are a means of tapering off. Some of us learn the hard way that going back to drinking simply isn't wiorth it, but try a few times anyway. That's been my history anyway. And perhaps there's something in it because the first time I thought 'oh my god I am never going to drink again' the concept was pretty impossible to accept because I thought there was something left in booze for me. A couple of short relapses later and I realised there really isn't and long term sobriety now looks mighty attractive!

I know that isn't quite what you mean though. As a means of actually ceasing to drink on any given day I would not recommend it. For many of us it is the first drink that sets up the compulsion and leaves us helpless in the face of the stuff.

anchorbird

I tapered off successfully as per my doctor's suggestions. I did still have headaches, slight anxiety and night sweats once I stopped completely, but I don't even want to think about how much worse it would have been if I stopped cold turkey.

Good luck.

Thepatman

I tapered and have 29 days. Schedule must be strict, no cheating under any circumstance, and go slow. Cut one drink, do a few days at that level before dropping another. Use beer and not hard liquor.

Seeing a Doctor is preferable like others say. Your blood pressure can really sky rocket. You might still get withdrawal symptoms also. Tapering Is really a last option in my opinion and risky.

littlefish

I really want to avoid giving medical advice: your question could be viewed as a medical one. And, I think it is very hard to answer the question because your drinks could be 4.5% beers, straight up shots of vodka, or a big glass of wine. They all contain alcohol, but in different amounts.
Not knowing how your status is, as far as your heart condition is, and what your actual consumption is, I would highly recommend that you ask a doctor, and maybe get some blood work done first, to see where you are at.

Kris47

Thanks to ALL of you!

Dee, I understand what you are saying.

Beach Living..... how long and how much did you drink?

Hi Lethe,
Thanks for the kudos. Maybe I don't deserve them just yet. I live in the North and right now am in the south. I hope I'm doing the right thing.

Soberhawk,like that name. If I were home I'd feel comfortable, (kinda) seeing my own doctor. I have no doctor down here. I have however, made an apt two weeks out.
But as we all know, timing can be everything.

You just gave me my worst fear. I was lucky to get through detox on my own last time.


What will this doctor do for me?

OK, Scott from Wisconsin, withdrawals are inevitable it seems.

Do I just wait for two weeks then?

Mentium, Uh, no where to go, huh?

Anchorbird, you give me some hope.

Thepatman, Guess I should no there are no shortcuts. Back to square one.

Well, I managed only 4 drinks tonights. Of course I want more but know better. this time has to be a charm.

Have a good evening everyone. Pray for me please.

Thanks!

Kris

Kris47

Makes me smile that the "little fish" comes in at the end. I am in dire straits, ( not like some) but still scared. I am going to be scheduled for surgery on my knee or back, depending on the doctors. They none know I am an alcoholic. They'll probably cancel my surgery even if my heart clearance comes back good. I really need my knee done after an accident. I have to be honest at my consult. So in anticipation, maybe because it is a good thing................ I am trying to cut back, I knew it was time to quit anyway. I just haven't done so well doing that. Each time I quit, someone talks me into having just one. I don't blame anyone but myself. This time, if I can do it. no one will talk me into a drink again. PLEASE GOD. I have a very small room of opportunity for these things as I take care of my husband who is sick himself. We are here to help him right now. and if things work out for me, I can get myself taken care of too. Sorry for rambling on. I just really want to help myself so I can help my husband in turn.

Mountainmanbob

sounds like it's working for you
for excessive alcoholics an abrupt stopping of all booze
can bring on many problems (possibly even death) - big problem !
that's why doctors care is always recommended
don't know how long it took you to get down to 5 from 10 drinks a night
but
in around the same period of time you may be down to 0 per day ?

Mountainman

PurpleKnight

I couldn't have done it Kris, I went Cold Turkey, only after seeking Dr advice, my problem is that "allocation" for the day would have caused a binge, I needed to not ingest alcohol ever again, when I decided to be Sober!

Though I guess it's whatever works for each person!! my thoughts are with you!!

Dee74

I understand the fear and why you're doing what you're doing, but I think if your taper doesn't get you to where you want to be, or if you feel concerned about the way you're feeling, you have to push those fears aside and see a Dr.

it's really important to be honest with your Drs - it's in your best interests Kris.

D

bemyself

Kris, best of luck, I've lived in the country areas too (in Aus) so yes, it's difficult.

HOWEVER: just my story for you. I'm at the end of yet another four week relapse. And I mean full relapse - starts off quietly, and by the third or fourth week, I'm on maintenance drinking from early morning through to bedtime.

Every morning these last few days, I've thought about tapering and so forth - only because I've run out of Valium.

Right now? As I write, I'm waiting for a GP to do a home visit to me (at great expense). He will check my blood pressure, do a script for Valium and so forth. I've also had to ring the local pharmacy in order to get the Valium script filled and delivered to home - that'll be later in the day.

I'm drinking now, in order to stave off withdrawals. I'll be drunk - a bit - by the time the GP gets here. Possibly worse by the time the pharmacy people arrive a few hours later with the Valium.

BUT: I'm mucking about with all of this precisely because I - like most of us - cannot taper. Tapering merely keeps the brain wired for alcohol, albeit smaller amounts.

It's withdrawal - and MEDICALLY ASSISTED - or staying on the roller coaster.

I realise that the medical services in the States are rather different than here. But even so. Do you REALLY want to wait two weeks more of (even a bit of) drinking, the quantities of which you truly can't predict?

I offer all this, solely because I'm a now a bit of a veteran of rehabs, detoxes (both home and in facilities), and of decent periods of being sober.

I long ago realised that - once we've started drinking - the only safe way out eventually, when we make those phone calls, is to have medically assisted withdrawal. Pure and simple. No, it's not particularly fun, being a bit groggy and sleepy from Valium at the correct intervals. But I know for me anyway, it's better to go through that for a day or three than to keep on drinking. And drinking....and drinking....no matter how 'small' the amounts.

Our brains have to face it - lack of alcohol - eventually. It's such a hard truth, and one I kick against all the time. But I keep trying. The older we get, the more drinking we do, the worse it gets.

BeachLiving

To answer your question, I started drinking in 2000. At first it was only a couple shots a couple nights a week. Eventually (after a few years) I got to about 10 shots a night. I quit once 2 years ago for about 2 months. I quit last year for 6 months. The last time was pretty rough because I went cold turkey and was a heavy drinker. Most recently I have been very bad. On one day I woke up at 4 am and took a shot. It made me feel "normal". Now I have just been drinking to not be sick. I have cut back over the past few days and today is my "day 1" of quitting.

liberated

I can add little else except warm wished. I tried to taper and failed comletely. Cold turkey with some assistance was the only thing that worked. Just over 3 months- god willing many more for me and you!

Kris47

My husband is not doing well, worse than me. It's his heart. I have to take care of him as there is no one else right now. A hospital detox leaves him alone. I have to figure something out. We are not at home and our only daughter just moved to Idaho. We are not on very good terms anyway. They are drinkers too. I have only a period of two months to have my knew surgery. I can't get someone to take care of things for me until then. So sorry for my complaints.