Really need to quit, but... was this a seizure?
 

Hi,

I'll keep this quick.

10 years ago I got addicted to beer. It's the only thing I drink when I drink alcohol. It started out with a couple, yadayada, now I drink 6 sixpacks a day.

I decided that needed to quit. So I went from all that to 1 beer a day. First day, I was fine. Second day, had one beer at night and then something awful happened.

I woke up shaking and suddenly my body was locked, motionless. With my arm in a weird position. I felt this "snap" in my head and it was like a metal wire kept my body in it's position. It passed eventually and I went back to sleep.

The day after I figured it was alcohol withdrawal. I can't go to a doctor, rehab, etc. All those really aren't an option for me. So I decided, for my safety to go back to my original "dose" and gradually decrease it. I'm at 5,5 sixpacks now and it's going well.

My questions are, is this the way to go and was it a seizure I had?

I don't know if it was a seizure, but it sure sounds like something that you should talk to a DR about or go to an ER.

Cutting down on alcohol doesn't usually work well for alcoholics. It's too tempting!

I'm glad you found us.

I would recommend seeing a doctor. Seizures and even worse can happen during withdrawals, but we cannot diagnose you here.

Hi and welcome Benny :)

None of us are Drs so none of us can diagnose you. I would get yourself checked out tho. I'm not being unreasonable but I really would make it an option, Benny.

As for only beer - beer's alcohol too. I nearly killed myself on beer. I suffered several mini strokes.
It's not 'the safe alternative' or anything like that.

Go see your Doc :)

D

Problem is that I can't go seek help. I need to do this myself. I understand that I can't be diagnosed here. But lowering my intake does work so far. I've done some reading on the subject and the best thing would be to be hospitalized, but it's really not an option. So gradually lowering my intake seems sensible.

Honest feeling: I feel awful, desperate and like a fool you screws up the lives of people around him.

I could do 1 a night until I had the heavy effect, so I know I can do 1 a night. But the scare lead me to believe it was too much withdrawal all at once.

we've given you our advice and shared our cautionary tales Benny - but it's your call.
Hope whatever happened doesn't happen again or worse.

Best wishes :)

D

I'm thinking lowering with one beer a week. Would that be a good idea? A doctor isn't an option for me. If there's an emergency I could dial the emergency number but I only want to do that if there's a real emergency.

A seizure is a real emergency. People who have one are much more in danger of having another. Please see a doctor. You say it is not an option and I'm. It sure why, but I hope there is some way you can.

Unless you know what you're doing tapering can be as dangerous as cold turkey.
So...we can't give you tapering advice here Benny - counts as medical advice under our rules.

D

I'm just not sure it was a seizure or just a weird reaction to do dream or something. What I would like to know most if tapering down one can a week is a good idea. I could quit right now, but I'm afraid I will have an emergency. And I just can't pay for it.

Would you mind explaining how tapering can be as dangerous as cold turkey. I'm pretty scared right now.

Benny, we can't give you advice about tapering down.

Your question about tapering was already answered....it rarely works and can be just as dangerous as cold turkey, especially if you have already had a seizure (which we cant say). Paying for an ER visit would be a wise investment long term

One can a week is pretty much the same as quitting cold turkey. If you can handle only one beer a week, why drink at all? As Dee said, you have received sound advice here. We cannot stress enough the importance of seeing a doctor or going to the ER. What you experienced does sound like it could have been a seizure, but only a medical professional could tell you for sure.

Please seek medical help.

Ok, but Dee74 said that tapering can be as dangerous as going cold turkey. So he opened the topic and apparently knows about it, so that makes me want a clarification.

I'm not trying to scare you, just impress upon you that medical supervision is best.

Self-tapering is an imprecise thing.

I was an all day everyday drinker...I've gone into withdrawal before - while I was drinking.

I'm not saying that's common.
Lots of people detox with no problems.

But if you've had something that might have been a seizure before thats a better reason than most to get checked out.

Even an ER could help.

LOL I hope this serves as a clarification.

D

I'm a bit confused here. I'm getting advice to go to a doc. Which is good advice but no option for me. Then there is the tapering down thing I want to do. The responses say that it's not wise and that I've received all the info on it. But I've seen no answer to the how and why it's a bad idea. I'm now more confused than when I got here...

Withdrawal is unpredictable. You might be ok, you may not.
Noone can give you guarantees over the net.

I was not ok, which is why I recommend Doctors.

I'm not sure if I read your post correctly - are you at 5 6 packs a night or 5 drinks?

In any case, there are other sites around that will give you tapering advice up the wazoo.

I don't think that's a good idea for someone who may have had a seizure but it's your dime Benny.

Google it.

D

Thanks Dee, that's clear.

So what can someone in my situation do? I cannot afford medical care. I need to do this myself. How?

If you are drinking 5 6packs, 30 beers per day ( 300 beers every 10 days, 900 drinks a month), that is 30 drinks per day.
You require a medical intervention to save your life. You can't function or make logical decisions with this kind of consumption.
I hope you go to the ER and be honest.