Tapering for heavy drinker
Member
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: PA
Posts: 12,000
If it hasn't been said already, you should see a doctor as soon as you can.
Don't mess around with this stuff. Tapering in the manner you discussed is nearly the same as cold turkey. Your body will not like it at all. This could turn into a very serious medical issue.
Don't mess around with this stuff. Tapering in the manner you discussed is nearly the same as cold turkey. Your body will not like it at all. This could turn into a very serious medical issue.
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2014
Location: Washington, MO
Posts: 2,306
Day 3 and I awoke feeling better than I have in awhile. No sweats last night and I slept 6 hrs. (w/only 1 melatonin) and even dreamed! I will get one 3 unit and hold off till noon if I can (no craving at all).
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2014
Location: Washington, MO
Posts: 2,306
Was finding it hard to write my grocery list so I cracked a bud ice 25oz. at 10:30. Also have to mow later and it's hot so lotsa water for the rest of the day. I know this does not sound like recovery to some but I have come a long way from a week ago and I still hate the Idea of drinking for a buzz or out of habit. I WILL taper to zero by next week.
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2014
Location: Washington, MO
Posts: 2,306
Mornin folks! Day 4 and I slept til 7:15 (8 hrs. WOW!). Drank my second 3 unit beer at 8:30 last night followed by 32 oz. of water. Don't even want to drink today and really didn't yesterday too much but I'm gonna see how I feel after I mow the lawn this morning (got rained out yesterday). I feel good enough to drop to 2 units today so I guess natural light will suffice. I also ate like, 2600 calories yesterday and that has not happened in a long time. I've decided tuesday will be my zero day due to the fact that I'm now going 12 hrs. plus with no sweats, shakes or any real compulsion at all. Gonna keep dropping dosage and frequency til then.
Member
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Gatineau, QC, CA
Posts: 5,100
I hope you stay safe. Make sure you don't make this a big success story for the newcomers please. Some might get the idea of following your foot steps and that is not a good idea at all.
Just saying, try to stick to your experience outside the tapering. Like how you feel and deal with being sober, emotions etc.
Hope you are well
Just saying, try to stick to your experience outside the tapering. Like how you feel and deal with being sober, emotions etc.
Hope you are well
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2014
Location: Washington, MO
Posts: 2,306
Maybe I should have posted this in a blog format rather than the Newcomers Forum as I am not advocating this method of detox as "new and Improved"--nor am I trying to be a hero--I'm just trying to save my own ass. This is more of a personal diary to myself. So here's where I'm at...Ate breakfast w/1 coffee drank some water and mowed the yard (took alot out of me- I'm 52 and a smoker to boot). Came in, drank a 32oz powerade,then showered, went to walmart to check bp and it was 135/82 (sigh of relief). This is 14 hrs following my last 3 unit beer. So I purchased a 24oz Busch and came home. Ate lunch popped the beer at 12:30 (the latest I've drank in 4 months) and I'm still nursing it. Oh almost forgot--had a single, solid BM this morning and that borders on miraculous. I really don't feel the need to keep this up but am acutely aware of the dangers of abrupt cessation of alcohol intake from months of research--also equally aware of feeling very close to death by continuous drinking from first hand experience. So I'm gonna keep reducing till tuesday. This is just my experience and yes, I am documenting it. Peace and good health to all!
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2014
Location: Washington, MO
Posts: 2,306
Good morning! Yesterday was a bit dicey. the 2 unit noon beer only lasted till 4 so I drank a single. At 6 while slicing veggies for dinner I nearly caught a finger for the shakes so I drank another single (Lite--I abhor this gaseous swill but wife had some and I didn't want to go out). At 8 I drank another so my evening intake was 3 units instead of the 2 I had planned. Still down 1 unit total from day before so it's a win but I do not want multiple cans at all. Today I'm back to 2 units at noon and 3 at 8pm, one can, throw it away, watch a movie w/family, go to bed. Slow progress but still progress.
Forum Leader
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Wisconsin, USA
Posts: 16,945
Originally Posted by reisingwood1 
Good morning! Yesterday was a bit dicey. the 2 unit noon beer only lasted till 4 so I drank a single. At 6 while slicing veggies for dinner I nearly caught a finger for the shakes so I drank another single (Lite--I abhor this gaseous swill but wife had some and I didn't want to go out). At 8 I drank another so my evening intake was 3 units instead of the 2 I had planned. Still down 1 unit total from day before so it's a win but I do not want multiple cans at all. Today I'm back to 2 units at noon and 3 at 8pm, one can, throw it away, watch a movie w/family, go to bed. Slow progress but still progress.
Member
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 3,293
In my opinion, you are definitely trying to quit drinking the hard way!! Sounds like a lot of work to me. I've tried several times to do what your doing, and it just drove me crazy. I'd buy a six-pack and have maybe 2 at a certain time, that watch the clock until I could have another, etc. Worked for a few days, then found reasons to maybe increase it just a little, until that little became a lot and I was back to where I started. But everyone is different, and maybe your approach will work for you. It just might work if you stay focused and determined. Good luck.
Member
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: PA
Posts: 12,000
I admire your determination. I think you had a VERY aggressive plan. To taper in a manner that will not affect you will take a loooooooooong time. As I said earlier, reducing that quickly is almost the same as cold turkey according to your brain. You have discovered already by having 'make up' units to get you through it.
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2014
Location: Washington, MO
Posts: 2,306
Thanks 2much and lbrain. The last 2 days have been very challenging. I did go back to 3 units at noon and also at 7:30. The evenings are tough as my s/o still drinks from 5 to 10pm nonstop and talks alot of senseless drunk talk. When drinking with her this was tolerable but not so much anymore. Luckily for me this leaves me with dinner, cleaning,getting kids to bed so I can stay busy and I usually turn in early to escape. I have not wavered on the 2 can a day thing and will not. The tension is high tho as our usual co-dependent routine is no more. She asked me "what am I going to do" (about the monkey on back-she knows of this site and I've bookmarked so many others for her that she won't even gaze upon). My answer was simple "I guess hurt some more and trust me you don't want that!" The truth is I know better and it is painful to watch the me in her. Oddly tho it makes me want to go forward that much more. Our 10 and 12 yr. old get out of school tomorrow and with our 3 yr. old this summer will be busy for me--part of the reason I wanted to be done today. I did not even want to drink the noon beer yesterday cuz I knew it would bind me in contract to the evening one--but also knew(?) that I would soon be sweating, shaking. Today I'm gonna see if I can go to 2pm. The 2 older girls have already noticed and commented on my new demeanor and I told them what I'm doing--they are my best on-ground support for now..gotta go get them up for school...
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2014
Location: Washington, MO
Posts: 2,306
Haven't even touched the noon beer I bought this morning and don't feel any withdrawal. Have spent a lot of time in this sites' arcade shooting pool and cleaning house. Things are good!
Member
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 267
Hey reising--good job and all good luck staying on plan. Seems to me you're getting a fair amount of judgement for your methods and how you should/shouldn't talk about them, and I completely get that. Tapering is risky and difficult and takes titanium-grade willpower and is NOT for everyone, especially those who have not researched it as carefully as you have. On the other hand cold turkey withdrawal is abysmal and potentially dangerous, and formal detox--while clearly the safest option--isn't for everyone, either. If this is working for you and you have the sand for it and you feel in tune with what's going on with your physical self then I'm pulling for you. Be careful and keep working toward zero for yourself and your family. All my best to you and here's looking forward to true freedom at last.
Member
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 267
My last post sounded a little judgmental too, btw, now that I look at it. Unintended tone and I meant no offense to any other posters on this thread. I should reread more carefully before hitting the button. Point is I'm wishing you well, reising, as are we all.
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2014
Location: Washington, MO
Posts: 2,306
Yesterday was my best day yet as I did not crack the 3 unit I purchased at 7am till 3:30 pm after 3 hrs. of extreme housecleaning--and that was all-no second dose. Today will be the same and tomorrow will be zero day. Thanks to all who have posted and PMed as both pro and con have really pushed me to see this through. Today I call folks from home group and reconnect socially--catch a meeting by the weekend. Things are good--much better than I anticipated.....
Currently Active Users Viewing this Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
