fancy19

I will come clean guys and gals, thanks...It's just weird b/c only I know how much I drink. My wife knows I drink too much and often but doubt she knows how much I slug down in 2-3 hour drinking sesh each evening while on my PC.

Mattq2

Good for you fancy. You won't believe how awesome living sober is if you give it a chance.

bigsombrero

Sorry to be the hard-liner old timer here. I'm your age and so I hope it carries weight. I was also proud of myself for "cutting down" but in the end you're still hurting yourself and losing the battle when you drink. You gotta be ready to completely let go of it. Your health isn't a classroom science project - things can get really scary when you try to quit on your own without any help. Talk to the doctor, be completely honest. It's not anything he or she hasn't heard before. Trust me. Good luck.

Zebra1275

Welcome back, and by all means, be truthful with your Dr.

fancy19

Saw the GP today who was actually filling in for my GP until November. I came clean and told him I've been drinking 8-10 beers/day for 5-8 years and wanted to quit totally. I told him I've tappered down 8, 6, 4, 2, 1 in the past 5 days and I'm just worried about any withdrawl. He didn't seem to concerned at first as I don't drink hard liquor but told me to just have 1-2 beer per day over the next 2 weeks to be on the safe side. My mind is made up so I have 100% faith I will only drink 1 beer/day for two weeks. I also got a req for my bloodwork since it's been 4 years and will see him in a month again as he changed my blood pressure meds. I have HTN for the past 8 years and they gave me an ultrasound of my kidneys last week to check for possible rental artery stenosis. Came back mostly normal but flow was increased in one side so not normal. He highly doubts I have it but has ordered a CT to confirm. So basically, I'm still anxious of my blood work (ie, what kind of shape my liver is in) and what the CT might show.

August252015

My stance on tapering is that it is a bad plan, as I often comment around here.

Quitting, full stop, is the answer- you just have do it knowing that the beginning sucks, whatever the degree of your detox symptoms (or in my case, severe PAWS- it was around 60 days where I felt the majority of it had rolled through and out of my body). Perhaps reading this will help you understand more about your body and the process, and you may want to read up on kindling as well.
https://digital-dharma.net/post-acut...r-immediately/

My first five weeks are pretty much a blur because I was so sick. Most people, I believe, experience far less severe withdrawal but it is about more than few days or week, even once the body is technically alcohol-free. You must want to be free of alcohol more than you are afraid of the process you will go through at the beginning.

Above all, be honest with your doctor. Scary and tough but IMO the best way to get through the process of getting physically sober (mentally, too, if you work with a psych or such as I and many of us do). Having medical help, whether tests being done, medicines rx'ed, whatever, is a great tool.

Good luck!

advbike

I was a beer drinker and relapsed for years. You did great with your taper but please stop now. I can't believe a doctor suggested continuing to drink one or two beers a day for two weeks. In my opinion that will lead to failure. Tapers never work for long.. ask me how I know, lol. Just do it - you will be fine. Don't drag it out another 20 years like I did.

This is a great day to quit - been three years for me now and life is really good. You can do it too.

Dee74

A doctor who advises you to keep drinking, thinks you can stick to 1-2 a day, and thinks that beer is less bad for you than hard liquor is stretching credulity.

Get a second opinion.

D

fancy19

Yea...he said first just stop then I questioned it and he told me that...either way I know I can only drink one, im committed mentally...... would stop tonight if I knew it was safe.....to bad my regular doc wasn't around.

JP519

Can you tell me which meds she prescribed and if you don't mind me asking how much were you drinking? Thx

JoeyG1000

I agree that there is an issue with a doctor who tells someone who says they're an alcoholic to continue drinking. Stop completely. Or see another doctor.

MissPerfumado

I was drinking about 1 and 3/4 bottles of wine every week night, more on weekends, and that was what I truthfully told my doctor.

She prescribed lorazepam, in low doses, which she recommended I take if I "felt I needed to". I had some trouble sleeping the first few nights, but not much worse than that, so I didn't take them.

JP519

Thanks, sounds familiar 😔 May I ask how long this pattern lasted?
I appreciate your belp

MissPerfumado

How long my pattern of drinking lasted? Well, years and years. I'm hesitant to go into further detail ... because I wonder why you wish to know and whether my experience is all that relevant.

If you're wondering if you have been drinking too much, if you have questions about whether you might be suffering withdrawals, if you're worried you might need medication to stop, then you should see a doctor and be honest with them.

I'm sorry to be harsh JP519, but asking here about other people's drinking and trying to self-diagnose from the answers is not advisable.

As I said here, I was in denial about the extent of my alcoholism and seeing a doctor stripped the last bit of denial away. Many of us know how hard and fast that denial sticks... lots of empathy for that here. But it sounds like time to take action yourself and take a hammer to some of your own denial. Strength to you...!

JP519

My apologies, I guess I was just looking for comfort in knowing that I am not alone in my actions. Thank-you for listening.

JP519

And btw I am not in denial I am just very scared

MissPerfumado

No need to apologise, JP. If you read here enough, you will know you are most certainly not alone in your actions! So what is the comfort you are seeking?

I'm aware this thread has been hijacked, but I do think this is important.

You've started a couple of threads seeking answers about symptoms you're experiencing following a binge, and have asked a couple of people about their own drinking history. I gather you have been trying to stop drinking for a while, too. Dee likes to say, often if you have to ask, then you already know the answer.

I'll say it again: if you are worried that health symptoms you are experiencing are a result of drinking too much for too long, then you should see your doctor.

And if you feel you need help to stop drinking, it would be a good idea to raise that with your doctor too.

MissPerfumado

Fear .... yes, definitely understand that.

But all the more reason to see your doctor!

JP519

Thanks, I appreciate your frankness.