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Day 5. Wish things were getting easier.

Posted , 9 users are following.

steverz
steverz

Hi all,

Been dry for five days.  I've taken Revia for a year now while I continued to drink (which turned out to be less and less without trying, until I plateaued and had trouble reducing my liquor intake much more) - TSM for a year.

My alcoholism, I've been told is a co-morbid condition that many bipolar sufferers find themselves struggling with.  For me it started out as self-medicating, I think.  Which eventually progressed into my full blown alcoholism.  I digress....

Days 1-3 were rough.  Shakes bigtime.  Tremors in my arms and legs.  Hot and cold sweats.  The feeling something horrible was going to happen any minute/anxiety, a strange over-sensitive skin feeling over my whole body.  Itchiness everywhere.  Stammering when I spoke.  Did I mention the sweats?  Inability to eat.  Any of this sound familiar to others here? :-O

===How I survived the first 3 days=== 

- Took 1,500 B12 per day

- Took 500 B1(thiamine) per day

- Took 1 Centrum multivitamin per day

- Under instruction "lode dosed" with 20mg diazepam

  twice a day for the first two days, now down to 10mg

  twice a day after day 2

- Drank 2 "high calorie" BOOST meal replacement shakes a day

  (I simply had zero appetite)

- As I do every day, I also take 50mg tab of Revia/naltrexone daily

  in an effort to keep my cravings at bay as best possible.

I'm told that while "drying out" that your nutrition is of paramount importance.  My doctor told me that as much as 80% of alcoholics who seek treatment are malnourished, and almost all have a Thiamine and B12 defficiency.  The idea of developing Werneke-Korsakoff scares the hell out of me, so I've been diligent with my B-vitamins and folate.

Last year, I was forced to go cold-turkey as a result of pancreatitis (brought on by my drinking).  If you've not had it before - trust me when I say I had NO idea that level of pain existed.  I hobbled to the hospital after throwing up blood.  After a couple days after no liquor (it burnt like liquid fire on my pancreas to even touch my tongue to liquor and swallow) - I started hallucinating. I didn't know what "DT" was at the time.  Now I do.  Nutrition focus could have saved me the worst of the grief.

Day 5:  Cravings here and there.  What is driving me nuts is the habbit of reaching over for my glass of liquor that isn't there.  Instead when I reach for that glass now, it's a glass of green tea.  Seems like breaking the actual action-habbit of drinking is almost as hard as the psych or physical addiction. Sweats continue.  Muscle and joint aches.  I am startled very easily. Doing all I can to distract myself.

Thanks for reading! wink  I'd be glad to hear from others who have gone through, are going through, or about to go through the "dry out".  

Off to make my umpteenth pot of green tea.  :-/

steve

1 like, 32 replies

32 Replies

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  • ADEfree
    ADEfree steverz

    Posted

    Steverz, just FYI it takes more than a few people over a year before they're cured via TSM, so if you have cause to try it again, don't let the plateau discourage you.

    That being said, if you're looking to be done with the drink completely, you might look to Campral. Naltrexone taken daily while abstinent doesn't have that great a track record. Sounds like you've done your dry time so if your doc agrees, you could start Campral. It can take a couple of weeks to kick in and it (from what I hear) pretty much nukes the cravings. RHGB is the house expert on Campral, that's what he uses.

    • steverz
      steverz ADEfree

      Posted

      Thanks ADE!

      I've never heard of Campral.  Will have to read about it.  Might be another name here in Canada.

      Did the Revia for a year while drinking, sometimes kinda heavily. It got to a point I wondered why I was still drinking - yet kept drinking.  I chalked a lot of it up to my physical dependence on the liquor by that point.  I'd feel shakes coming on within a couple hours of my last drink, wake at night by my addiction telling me I needed a 'shot'.  ugh.

      I tried inpatient rehab at the best hospital in Canada, but just couldn't handle the religious focus on recovery.  Then discovered SMART Recovery.  A secular self-managed recovery program. I download their worksheets and info booklets online.  Trying to keep my motivation up.

      Thanks again! I'm so glad you mentioned this other medication I'm now going to speak to my doctor about.

      steve

    • ADEfree
      ADEfree steverz

      Posted

      If you go to CThreeFoundation, on the Find a Physician list there's a Canada-wide resource available via the The Interior Chemical Dependency Office. It's a verified TSM resource, so I'd think they'd know about Campral too if your doc won't help. They operate via Tele-sessions too, so if you have any friends with an alch problem that can get to a PC but can't seem to find a doc to help, they've got an option there.
    • ADEfree
      ADEfree steverz

      Posted

      Steverz, were you taking the Revia every day, whether or not you drank? 
    • steverz
      steverz ADEfree

      Posted

      Yep. Every single day without fail.  It helps keeping me from giving alcohol as much thought as I do without it.  No question about it.
    • steverz
      steverz

      Posted

      Oh, PS.  There is an injectible 30-day form of naltrexone.  Just need to get a shot once a month from the doctor.  It's called Vivitrol.
  • RHGB
    RHGB steverz

    Posted

    Most of what you said/your doctor did is right, except the diazepam dose was too low, hence the withdrawal effects.

    There are two stages to dealing with alcohol dependency. One, the detox, physically coming off of it. Two, the dealing with the cravings, and you can allow a good year for life to go back to normal. 

    Campral (acamprosate) is the name used in Canada for it.

  • steverz
    steverz

    Posted

    You guys are awesome smile  Thanks all!
    • Paper_fairy
      Paper_fairy steverz

      Posted

      Hi. I've been where you are, plus still am really, though no way as bad as I was. I think advice given is sound. You have a few choices, thankfully. 

      1. Carry on drinking and die a premature death

      2. Get Drs help with meds that will help you live( re campral or naltrexone)

      3. AA

      That's it really. I hope you make the right choice x

       

    • steverz
      steverz Paper_fairy

      Posted

      Thank you Paper fairy!

      You're right.  I like the realism in your approach.  I'm not much one for platitudes or people sugar coating things for me - especially when it comes to my alcoholism (an aside: I try and always use "my alcoholism" instead of the "my drinking" even in my head.  I learned it helps me own the problem without softening how it sounds).

      What made me make my first attempt to quit was when I had to rush to the ER for pancreatitis - the wakeup call was when the ER doctor put his hand on my arm and said "you're going to die if you keep going down this road.  you need to turn around.  now while you can." - to hear a doctor say you will DIE if you don't take matters into your hands.....powerful motivation.

      I'm a strong believer in medicinal intervention to help alcoholics.  I for one, didn't have the willpower strong enough to break the cycle and start recovery.  

      I look forward to reading more of your posts!  Thanks again!

      steve

       

    • RHGB
      RHGB steverz

      Posted

      'ER doctor put his hand on my arm and said "you're going to die if you keep going down this road.'

      That's because you will. It's a disease that doctors can't treat, it relies solely on the patient taking control and overcoming it. There is medication to help, but everything relies on the patient stopping drinking.

      Most people never stop, they don't no where to get help and traditional methods of going to groups, whilst may be supportive, it doesn't actually stop them drinking. If you think about it, how many people want to say, 'I do have a problem with alcohol, it has gotten hold of me and I can't quit'

      Most people can quit, if they are realistic and want to - it is that last part that is crucial. There are medications that help, when the situation stops being a couple of beers after work on the way home.

      When most doctors talk to patients knowing it is almost always a lost cause, my own GP has said to my wife (because he knows us both really well) 'I really like RH, I really do, he's a nice guy, but I'm worried that he'll ever be able to give up drinking' And that is the view that doctors have.

      And I know from my time in hospital talking to the consultants, my gastro and the alcohol recovery centre, that they give it their best shot but they're not very hopefull.

  • Misssy2
    Misssy2 steverz

    Posted

    The best part of your whole post was....you are going to make GREEN TEA....imagine just days ago...you were suffering big time...days before that you were oblivious to the world or your own needs.

    Please fight for your life....as I am.....Campral is really helping me....I really think the only way to beat alcohol is not to have ANY.

    I went thru all you mentioned above...and I pray I don't have to EVER again....I was lucky enough to be hospitalized...I didn't have much energy left to put any thought into how I was going to recover from the horrible hold alcohol had on me.

    You have done well...hold on to it...and all your symptoms will subside...I promise.

    • steverz
      steverz Misssy2

      Posted

      Thanks so much Missy2 lol

      I'm starting to think as you do - abstinence (for me) might be the only choice.  I've tried (over, and over again) the "moderation is ok" approach. But that "moderate" one shot, turns into me going out and buy more.  I guess the more often we try and quit, the more we learn about ourselves and what will and what absolutely wont work for each of us, eh? smile

      I also believe the only choice for me is counseling with my doctor, and medicinal intervention to help bolster my willpower.

      Again, thanks for your encouraging words! smile

      steve

    • Misssy2
      Misssy2 steverz

      Posted

      smile...How was the tea?  I have now turned into a caffine junkie....because all the pills I am taking make me groggy...so I balance it off with drinking alot of coffee....alot for me is 4-5 cups a day.  I only ever drank 1 cup...and couldn't drink ANY when hungover.

      I literally get my coffee from the coffee shop drive up window and rush to park my car so I can open it and take a SIP....just like I used to do at the packy....rush to park my car to open the beer.....Its weird...but a much better habit I think.

       

    • steverz
      steverz Misssy2

      Posted

      haha the tea was....well as good as green tea can get ;-)  I too have rapidly turned into a caffeine junkie.  Because I used to start my days with a shot of hard liquor (sad and humiliating to admit) - I've tried replacing that destructive routine with getting that coffee machine pumpin out some life force as quickly as possible wink  I always have a pot of weak green tea in front of me - at all times.  When the liquor cravings kick in, it's good to have a big gulp of tea.  It somehow tricks my brain into thinking I've satiated my craving.  And because I've been on Revia for so long, it's not hard for my brain to be tricked into thinking it got what it wanted wink

      Like you - I'm also drinking loads of coffee.  I'm not sure anymore if my body is still withdrawing/detoxing, or if I'm just buzzing on coffee ;-) ha ha  I've made it to day 6 now! smile smile 

      Are you still drinking?  Or have you gone sober? Thanks for your great note! smile

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