Notices

Tapering?

Old 07-21-2014, 07:54 PM
  # 21 (permalink)  
Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Posts: 425
Originally Posted by megan86 View Post
Hi everyone - while I've googled a bunch and think I have a good idea of what a safe taper is like, can anyone supplement with personal stories? I finished a bottle of vodka earlier this afternoon and the shaky hands are already setting in. I know I should taper with beer - and I don't even particularly like beer so it should be easier - but any tips or success stories would be very helpful.

note also i have a benzo prescription which i think ought to help and also make things a bit safer.

thank you all so much already i can't say how much better it's making me feel to be able to keep clicking refresh here and not feeling so alone.
I won't tell you what to do, I'll just tell you what worked for me.
I tried tapering a billion times. I could usually taper for 2 nights maybe 3 nights max and then I'd get wasted.... What finally got me out of the withdrawal cycle was the benzos. For me 1 pill was like 6 beers that lasted all day long. Without the drunken effects, nor the desire to take any more. I had a 5 day script for benzos and after I completed that script I never had to drink again because I was afraid of withdrawals.... 5 little pills got me out of that nasty cycle and got me out for good. I haven't daily drank or drank to calm withdrawals in 9 months as of a few days ago! But then the harder part of addiction comes...the psychological addiction of wanting to drink.... pm me if you want more info
Serper2014 is offline  
Old 07-21-2014, 07:58 PM
  # 22 (permalink)  
Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Posts: 425
Originally Posted by megan86 View Post
ok, thanks all. i'm prescribed the klonopin for anxiety and am supposed to take one daily, but haven't taken it in weeks because i've been drinking too much. will it really help with the withdrawals? i'm sorry for being such a stupid baby but i'm genuinely worried as i've never done this before.
Yeah, I've used klonopin as well for withdrawals... it has a half-life of about 19-40 hours.... it worked really really really well for me because it stays in your system for so long. I know the withdrawals are scary now, but like other's have said the klonopin does make the withdrawal a breeze. I never had to worry about dying from withdrawals again after using my 5 day script. But be ready to start thinking about a recovery plan for the psychological aspect of drinking... the withdrawal cycle took me 5 easy pills and 5 easy days to get out of.....the psycological aspect I've been dealing with for 9 months.
Serper2014 is offline  
Old 07-21-2014, 08:28 PM
  # 23 (permalink)  
Member
 
cusper's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Canada
Posts: 500
Ok I know this is a controversial topic. But I tapered and this is the longest I have been sober. But I honestly thought I was going to die if I didn't quit drinking. I have absolutely no resources (like money for rehab), plus I had a toddler to consider with no help to speak of-so I couldn't even get to a doctor. I just kept cutting my wine intake in half and adding water to it. It worked for me. I tried just abruptly stopping a year before and it was the scariest experience in the world.
However, if you have the resources and can get to a doctor or rehab... go that route. They are professionals and can give you the best advice and probably proper medication.
cusper is offline  
Old 07-21-2014, 08:32 PM
  # 24 (permalink)  
Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Posts: 425
Originally Posted by cusper View Post
Ok I know this is a controversial topic. But I tapered and this is the longest I have been sober. But I honestly thought I was going to die if I didn't quit drinking. I have absolutely no resources (like money for rehab), plus I had a toddler to consider with no help to speak of-so I couldn't even get to a doctor. I just kept cutting my wine intake in half and adding water to it. It worked for me. I tried just abruptly stopping a year before and it was the scariest experience in the world.
However, if you have the resources and can get to a doctor or rehab... go that route. They are professionals and can give you the best advice and probably proper medication.
Yeah it does work.... if you can do it. It obviously worked for you, but it would have been sooo much easier for you with benzos....just sayin'
Serper2014 is offline  
Old 07-21-2014, 08:36 PM
  # 25 (permalink)  
Member
 
cusper's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Canada
Posts: 500
yep I would have loved the benzos for sure!!! but I had no way to get to the dr. So if you are able to get to the dr. that is really the best route. If I had it my way I would have loved rehab!
cusper is offline  
Old 07-21-2014, 09:19 PM
  # 26 (permalink)  
Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: in the city by the bay
Posts: 605
Tapering never worked for me. However, you said you drank a bottle of vodka earlier today? That is where my concern is because as much as I drank I couldn't drink that much. Over 2 days maybe and a small bottle. I mean I'm not sure how big a bottle we are talking about here.

And I had bad withdrawal for about 3 days. It surprised me. Also night sweats for about 3 days.

So, yes, I would agree with those who urge you to see your doctor. You don't want to wind up like Amy Winehouse.

I had elevated and fluctuating HR and BP for the first week. Now I am fine but it was scary.

If you really aren't going to see a doctor, then I would say cut out the hard liquor right now. I don't advocate tapering but if you can polish off a bottle of vodka in an afternoon...

But just drinking wine or beer is like leaving a door open.

It's harder to make the commitment.

Sober for 10 days...I've been able to distance myself from alcohol and see it from the outside. It never really satisfied me, just put weight on me and made me look older.

It also caused me to waste/lose many days. All those days when I could have been doing something productive. They are just gone.

If 86 is your year of birth, you have a long way to go, don't waste another day is how I feel!
soberjuly is offline  
Old 07-21-2014, 09:22 PM
  # 27 (permalink)  
Member
 
Windancer's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Southern Ontario, Canada
Posts: 1,618
I have tried tapering....it was torture and didn't work. Any doctor I know will tell you mixing benzos and booze is a bad and dangerous idea. Id go to your MD and get him/her to get you on a specific tapering program with the benzos.
Windancer is offline  
Old 07-21-2014, 09:22 PM
  # 28 (permalink)  
Member
 
Ruby2's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Midwest
Posts: 9,029
Megan, you got a lot of really good advice on here. I used klonopin to detox but I did it after getting the okay from my doctor AND I'd already done two detoxes before, in hospital, so I knew what to expect and what to look out for. I would talk to your doctor.

That said, you do know that a lot of your anxiety is probably stemming from your drinking? Mine did. The withdrawal is horrible for anxiety and I had full blown panic attacks while withdrawing. In my experience my anxiety was bad in the morning because that is when the alcohol was wearing off and I was in withdrawal. Until I had that next drink. I've been sober now for eight months and no anxiety unless I get too tired or have too much caffeine and don't eat right.

Don't mess around with it. Going to your doctor can't be any more embarrassing than me going to the hospital for detox and finding that my doctor just coincidentally happened to be the duty doctor that day. Imagine my surprise when the curtain was drawn back and I had to muster an "oh! Hi." She didn't blink. She did blink when I asked for help the next time when I went to her after I relapsed. However, she was kind and attentive too. Good luck.
Ruby2 is offline  
Old 07-21-2014, 10:45 PM
  # 29 (permalink)  
Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: new york
Posts: 25
hi all, just clarifying - i've been drinking around a fifth every twenty-four hours *winces even having to type/admit that* not an entire one in an afternoon.

thank you all so much for your advice and support - i feel like i'm going to be here a lot this week.
megan86 is offline  
Old 07-21-2014, 10:50 PM
  # 30 (permalink)  
Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: new york
Posts: 25
Another question - how have you dealt with the shame of admitting to a doctor that you're not okay? I don't even tell my psychiatrist (i go to therapy for depression and anxiety) how much I actually drink and I don't have a regular physician or doctor and my insurance is crap. I would have no idea what to say and I feel very nervous about this. Should I go to a regular doctor, or should I ask my psychiatrist?

Sobered up this evening after finishing that vodka - I've had one beer since then and I'm already practically crawling out of my skin with insomnia.
megan86 is offline  
Old 07-21-2014, 11:14 PM
  # 31 (permalink)  
Administrator
 
Dee74's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Australia
Posts: 211,043
When I did go, I went to my normal family type Dr.

They didn't bat an eyelid, Megan. They hear stories like mine and yours all the time

D
Dee74 is offline  
Old 07-21-2014, 11:22 PM
  # 32 (permalink)  
Member
 
MelindaFlowers's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: California
Posts: 2,693
Megan,
I also suggest being honest with your doctor. They have seen it all and won't even flinch. That might be a good first step to stopping the drinking.
MelindaFlowers is offline  
Old 07-21-2014, 11:25 PM
  # 33 (permalink)  
Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: in the city by the bay
Posts: 605
Ok I had to look up what 1/5 is and it said 750ml, so I get that now. It's quite a tolerance you've built up. Over the past 1-2 years I've pretty much been a wino. Not strictly but mostly. 2010-2011 I was drinking the hard stuff (and wine) and I honesty don't know how much I drank. I know I had to buy extra bottles, beyond what my husband saw, and I had bottles hidden (so hubby didn't know the full extent).

I was trying to stick to one bottle of wine a day for the past year, which was hard, and what a horrible diet! Imagine consuming 365 bottles of wine in a year! Never mind the fact that, as it was often not enough, I probably consumed more like 400 bottles of wine in the past year. So I'm not judging on amount here, I am just concerned that a home detox may be risky.

Like I said, I did taper off the past year and still had a nasty detox last week.

Anyhow, not here nor there...the point is you are here so you must want to quit and that's the important thing.

The thing is, 2 glasses of wine in the evening will never be enough for me. It will just leave me hanging so I can't moderate because I don't want to. It's all or nothing. All doesn't work for me so I'm trying/accepting that I need to have nothing.

I wish you luck, keep trying! You can do this, don't waste another day.

It's a vicious circle. You have anxiety, so you drink, which creates insomnia, which creates anxiety so you drink again.

I was really bad because I drank to reward myself and I also drank to relieve anxiety. So I was drinking all the time basically! Or almost.
soberjuly is offline  
Old 07-22-2014, 02:10 AM
  # 34 (permalink)  
Member
 
Windancer's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Southern Ontario, Canada
Posts: 1,618
Originally Posted by megan86 View Post
Another question - how have you dealt with the shame of admitting to a doctor that you're not okay? I don't even tell my psychiatrist (i go to therapy for depression and anxiety) how much I actually drink and I don't have a regular physician or doctor and my insurance is crap. I would have no idea what to say and I feel very nervous about this. Should I go to a regular doctor, or should I ask my psychiatrist?
I have had to be honest with both. Firstly, though your MD. I felt the same as you....ashamed. And, I had to do it more than once, PLUS he got crazy notes frequently from the local hospital about drunken episodes that landed my butt there. Never did my doctor judge..just wanted to help and for me to be honest.

I also had trouble being totally honest with my psychologist. It was a breakthrough in healing for me when I did.
Windancer is offline  
Old 07-22-2014, 02:31 AM
  # 35 (permalink)  
Member
 
Clementina's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Earth
Posts: 164
Klonopin has helped me a lot with withdrawals and esp the anxiety.

I'm really glad you aren't mixing it with booze, that's no joke!

I've "tapered" via the hair of the dog when I was really hung over from a bender. Unless I ended up drunk again and needing another hair later, that technique was often able to ease back to zero towards the end. Oh, I'm so happy to be out of that cycle.

You can do this Meg!
Clementina is offline  
Old 07-22-2014, 04:23 AM
  # 36 (permalink)  
Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Posts: 425
Quick question? How long have you been doing the 1/5th over the course of 24 hours? I only ask because I was near those levels when I finally went to the hosp for treatment. Surprisingly the doctors were all really nice (there was 4 of them and a social worker. ( I did go to the ER to be fair). When I went and I told them how much I had been drinking, I put my head down, but moments later it felt really good to get it of my chest. Everyone was so nice to me. I was honest about my drinking and I thought they were going to keep me in the hospital for monitoring. Nope. I wasn't even close to needing and inpatient detox. If I lived in a rural area I imagine they would do inpatient for you, but in a big city they a little bit better trained to know what really constitutes the need for a hospital bed. Typing this out is giving me chills. I can't believe that actually happened to me....I can't believe I was consuming that much daily. You will get through this, have you decided on your taper schedule/ benzo schedule yet?
Serper2014 is offline  
Old 07-22-2014, 04:40 AM
  # 37 (permalink)  
Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: England
Posts: 424
Originally Posted by megan86 View Post
i'm legitimately concerned about dangerous withdrawal symptoms though - and don't have any clue as to what risk i'm actually at for that, and am too embarrassed / don't have good medical access or support to go through any sort of detox or medical process. i feel so stupid and ashamed.
I was terrified for months about withdrawal symptoms. I used it as an excuse to keep drinking.

Ultimately is sought medical help - I know it's tough to make that first step but it is the best thing I've done.

Good luck
Needinghelp82 is offline  
Old 07-22-2014, 04:53 AM
  # 38 (permalink)  
Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: new york
Posts: 25
hi all, morning here. first night i can remember where i went to sleep not drunk instead of passing out and hooo boy that was rough. slept very fitfully and kept having very realistic anxious dreams that i was awake - like dreaming that i was texting a friend from bed and then woke up like "hm that didn't actually happen" - and of course very sweaty.

shaky hands and little nauseous this AM, but otherwise fine - and i'm up for work, where last week i slept through several alarms (i work from home so unfortunately could get away with that.) there's no booze in the house so i've got to 'behave' all day, but i have several meetings and won't be here. feeling nervous and a bit shaky but hoping i can do it - very anxious about how today will go and have no idea if i "should" drink a beer later to stave off withdrawal, if i should take a klonopin, what i should do to get through the day until i can see a doctor.

thanks again for everyone's advice and support! it means a lot to me
megan86 is offline  
Old 07-22-2014, 06:16 AM
  # 39 (permalink)  
KAD
Left the bottle behind 4/16/2015
 
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: NC
Posts: 1,416
Originally Posted by megan86 View Post
hi all, just clarifying - i've been drinking around a fifth every twenty-four hours *winces even having to type/admit that* not an entire one in an afternoon.

thank you all so much for your advice and support - i feel like i'm going to be here a lot this week.
You are/were drinking the same amount I was, and I spread it over 24 hours. If I was awake, I was reaching for the bottle. I never got totally wasted - I hate that feeling - I drank to maintain a buzz, all day every day. It was miserable. Withdrawals became horrific and unbearable. Librium got me through that so easily it almost felt like cheating! I was actually afraid I would look back on that as an easy escape hatch should I decide to drink again, but withdrawal is only a small part of what makes drinking a terrible and frightening existence. Existing is all it is. Can't call it living.
KAD is offline  
Old 07-22-2014, 06:40 AM
  # 40 (permalink)  
Member
 
readerbaby71's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 1,778
Talk with your psychiatrist about it. I did. He did not judge me. They have seen it all. It will be helpful to integrate your recovery from alcohol into your treatment for depression and anxiety, and as a medical doctor he will advise you on the best way to detox.

Good luck. xo
readerbaby71 is offline  

Currently Active Users Viewing this Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are Off




All times are GMT -7. The time now is 02:46 PM.