vulturine

Hi guys,

I've already posted today, but this is unrelated. I was wondering if anyone has gone to the hospital for severe withdrawal symptoms, and what your experience was like?

I went to the hospital for severe symptoms last year, and all I got were IV fluids and an ativan tablet. I had to wait 10 hours in a waiting room for a stupid ativan tablet.

I was trying to taper off but my boyfriend thought it was a good idea to pour all my liquor out, and that going to the ER was the way to go. >:**

Water441

It depends on how severe your withdrawal symptoms are. If you are vomiting and tremulous, they get you in fast. If you are not, you'll wait. Also depends on how you answer the questions.

Anna

Vulturine, if you have any concerns, go to the ER to be safe.

vulturine

I'm good. Yeah, I went in for tremors and vomiting foamy blood. Waste of time. The healthcare system here is overloaded so the quality of care is low. Same crap when I broke my foot. I went to the ER, doctor said it was fine. So I was walking around on a broken foot for 3 days before I went back for x-rays. Yup, multiple fractures.

DesertDawg

Vulturine,

I went to the ER twice for withdrawal-induced seizures.

The first time I was actually admitted for a few days because my blood pressure was so high and wouldn't go down (can't imagine why!) It sucked because I was out of town, in Seattle, on a business trip. Worst business trip ever!

The second time, it was hydration with a "banana bag" and intravenous Ativan as well as thiamine. They got me hydrated and stabilized, and sent me home a few hours later with scripts for Ativan, a thiamine supplement, and an anti-convulsant. The attending ER doc was very nice; she told me, in a non-judgmental way, that having a seizure meant that I obviously had an alcohol problem, but that she wouldn't embarrass me by telling my family "the whole story" when they showed up. She discretely gave me some info on rehab/IOP options in the area, and told me this thing would only get worse if I didn't get it under control. It only took me three months to take her advice and go to rehab. All in all, I guess it was about as positive as a trip to the ER could be.

newman23

I had a similiar experience. After a week bender, I went in with a .36 bac. I laid down on a bed and was wheeled to a room and it's a blur for a bit after that. I also puked up blood which turned out to be gastritis

They kept me for 3 days. I was in a room where an alarm would go off if I stepped on the floor. I wasn't allowed to stand up or walk on my own due to seizure concerns. I got the Ativan taper too. I went from the 3 day stay to inpatient.

That puking up blood scared the crap out of me though! Hope yours heals ☹️️

vulturine

DesertDawg: That's what I would expect from healthcare professionals. They didn't even give me a bed I had to sit in a chair in the hallway. They probably didn't have any beds, but still. I felt as though the doctor didn't care if I died.

Delilah1

Are you there now Vulturine?

Forward12

The ER's job in really any situation is to just stabilize you, and send you on your way. For alcohol withdrawal they basically will just give you an IV, some benzos, and watch your vitals to make sure they are stabilized, then send you home with a script to self detox. They won't keep you unless you are at the moment going through DT's, seizures, or other severe problems.
If you schedule an actual detox, then they usually will keep you for about 4-5 days to monitor everything.

uncorked

I don't know if you're still drinking, but if you are I would look into a detox/rehab clinic. Not sure what the health care situation is in Canada but you would be in the care of professionals who only deal with withdrawal/addiction. I went to rehab last year and was in detox for a few days. It was not bad at all.

ardy

Hi kiddo .. Sept 2014 almost lost my Eddie Lee.. he had been behaving badly all week.. his angry got out of hand on Friday night.. Sat his pacing was just a terrible movie.. and Sunday his heart stopped just as the EMT's got to him at the house.... they got it started again .. and I followed to the hospital.. he was there for 11 days.. first 6 he had no idea where he was who he was or who I was.. the staff on the detox floor was great.. they had to arm the bed .. he would try to get up and wander.. one of the male nurses moved to fast in the first 48 hours... I stopped the punch that would have put him on the floor and Ed in a worse place.... have some photos of the time.. and a video of Ed trying to figure out what was happening.. on the 9th day.. he knew me.. by that night he could respond to his name and return information.. by the 10th day.. he was eating on his own ... still under carefull watch for movement.. and on the 11th day he knew why he was there.. morning of the 12th day.. he was released to my care... it was the end of the morphine that Doctor had given him.. and they had tried to whine him off of for a year.. a terrible Mistress.. just terrible.. as I speak he is still having problems .. New Years weekend was great.. not since Jan 4th 10pm cold sweats body out of sic and sick to his tummy... it is again a type of withdrawl... the Doctor is at least more honest with me... told him he better or I would pinch him so hard... this could go on for several years before Ed is back into a balance.. we just keep trying kiddo .. hang on to the go days and hold them tight... love wisconsin

ardy

prayers follow you Dear Heart .. and so many of us watch the circle of life that you have given us..

entropy1964

I think if you're looking for more than what you got, look into detox programs. They are usually 3-14 days and you'll get far more in depth care. ER's only do so much. If you're really in bad shape they will admit you or send you to a detox place. Kinda the deal, as I understand it. And I've been more times than I can count...unfortunately.

emjay2017

I think the ativan prevents fitting from alcohol withdrawal. So it may not seem much but it can save lives. I imagine they probably gave you a large dose of thiamin as well to prevent Wet Brain. And you were in the right place if things got real bad.

So all-in-all it may still have been the best place for you if you thought there might be a chance of severe physical symptoms of withdrawal.

DesertDawg

Yep, an ER's job is to get people out of immediate medical danger and stabilized. What happens after that is often up to the patient or their family, That level of acute care is very expensive to provide, and exposes the hospital to a lot of potential liability. Even in a publicly-funded healthcare system like Canada's, hospitals still have a finite amount of resources, and have to make ends meet.

A detox program sounds like what you are looking for, Vulturine. It is a level of care that is less acute than what you would get at a hospital, but more than what you would get in a residential rehab facility (although rehab facilities often have separate detox units that keep you for several days until you are detoxed, but do not require a stay in the residential unit - though they may encourage it)

The following is just my experience -- others' may differ:

When I was in rehab, they often had some of us who were doing well in the residential unit go to the detox wing and explain to the patients there what the residential program entailed, to help them decide if they wanted to admit themselves. My observation was that detox was similar to residential, but the patients were more closely monitored, and did not participate in the counseling programs and regimented activities of the residential unit. They basically watched TV and read all day, seemed like not a bad way to spend a few days, frankly. And they had all the Gatorade they could drink.

vulturine

The servers are constantly crashing for me. Bleh.

I didn't want to be admitted, I just expected a few clozos or something to make me feel better. It wasn't worth the wait for one ativan tablet. I didn't know detox places existed until the ER doctor asked me why I didn't go to one. I thought those were only for opiate patients. My boyfriend made me go with him. I don't even like that guy anymore, but he's the only person who could put up with my BPD BS.