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Excess in excess

Posted , 11 users are following.

gwen45436
gwen45436

Hi, I have been drinking 40 years, and for the last 30 it has been daily.  I want to stop or cut down but am scared of rebound effects.

My doc has referred me to alcohol clinic but have not been.  Scared to go.  I don't want to stop but know I have to as camera for stomach issue shows some evidence of fatty liver.  This is all consuming and I feel angry that I have got to this stage of coping with an unhappy life.

I wish I had a buddy in the same situ but I have not.  My hubby used to drink heavily but not any more.  He can't understand me when I say I have to drink every evening. If I have just a couple of glasses of wine to relax in the evening - then I only sleep for a couple of hours, so feel rough next day.  Enough Alcohol gives me 5 or 6 hours sleep.  The doctor offered me sleeping pills but you can't have any alcohol at all with them.  This scares me - how the hell do I come off it.  I have  two AA meeting places 5 mins walk from me but don't want to go alone.  I just wish I knew someone I could go with.

I am scared I can't do this alone and am going to die soon of liver failure.

Sorry for the long post but I have to be honest.

Thanx for reading.

0 likes, 13 replies

13 Replies

  • l71207
    l71207 gwen45436

    Posted

    I am so sorry you are going through this. I have detoxed and cut back many times and it is rough and dangerous. Your body and the gabba receptors in your brain get used to the sedative effects from alcohol and it makes your life hell. But you can beat this. You can taper slowly or get medication from your GP. It especially helps if your significant other is helping you. Stay on this forum. People will talk to you and help you. Make sure to take vitamins and keep hidrated. Please keep on.
  • h1954
    h1954 gwen45436

    Posted

    Well done for posting here and well done for being honest. You thanked us for reading your post. May I suggest that you too read the post, as thought you were a third person. And then make sure you are being honest with yourself. Then there is lots of info on this site about approaches to both controlled drinking and abstinence, see how they make you feel. Then please go and talk it over honestly with your doctor.

    Good luck in your journey.

    And , out if interest, how and why did your hubby stop drinking heavily?

    • gwen45436
      gwen45436 h1954

      Posted

      Thanx - as for hubby, he went to docs for a back problem and had his blood pressure taken - it was high so doc wanted to put him on tabs which he declined and said he thought it was the alcohol, the doc agreed that he would cut right back and come back in a month which he did.  His bp was then normal.  Got complacent and up went the booze and had to go again for another issue and had his bp taken - and it had gone right back up again.  So he decided, right it is obviouisly the alcohol so I am knocking it on the head permanently.  He still drinks every day, a pint of lager and two nights out with his mates it goes to more.  But his bp still remains normal.  Wish I could bloody well do it, as I too have high bp and on meds which would work much better off the damn booze.

      Thank you for your response.

  • eric89660
    eric89660 gwen45436

    Posted

    I didn't think I could stop but it was relatively easy.The first week was the hardest.Just focus on the fact that your liver will sustain further damage if you carry on drinking.Good luck.

  • tess33005
    tess33005 gwen45436

    Posted

    Dear Gwe, You have come to the right place to help you get off alcohol. We will be your friends and stay with you every step of the way. aplease post something regularly so that we know how youare doing. There are others on this site who can give you excellent advice - I'm ere because my husband is an alcoholic and I got advice for him and also for my reactions to him. It isn't an easy road ahead but you've been very honest and you have the desirre to stop, which is  very important. If your husband supports you it will help. I'll leave it to the people who know what they're talking about to give you the best advice, bu welcome you to the site and I hope things will go well with you. Love Tess

  • l71207
    l71207 gwen45436

    Posted

    I know you are scared but you can taper if you can't get meds. It is uncomfortable but you have to tough it out. I'm doing it now because I have to do a 16hr drive to Washington and can't drink. If each day you drop one drink you can keep going. A friend on here named Tess suggested it and it has helped me. Believe in the group. We have each other's back.

    • gwen45436
      gwen45436 l71207

      Posted

      Thank you all so much.  I am on Patient uk on other subjects but decided that I needed to come clean with my secret - I am successfully dropping one a day, alas the sleep is also dropping!!

      Another worry is - I very rarely have illness or have to take antibiotics but if one takes them you have to abstain from alcohol - yikes that means a seizure is on the cards, so this whole issue is so serious.

      I will stay on here for positive feed back and I thank you all for your concerns.  Really appreciated.  I will get there by hook or by crook.

      Hugs to all

      G.

    • nicole36330
      nicole36330 gwen45436

      Posted

      Hi gwen

      Not everyone suffers withdrawals.I was drinking up to 3 bottles a day and had one or 2 days off and didn't suffer withdrawals but obviously it's not something you want to risk.

      I got myself down to 1 to 1.5 a day sometimes 2 but am now taking Nalmefene as per TSM but don't feel it's having much effect.Ive been taking another drug that you titrating up on that cuts your desire to drink and I think it's finally kicked in

    • h1954
      h1954 nicole36330

      Posted

      Hi, Nicole. Like you I don't get withdrawal. I couldn't tolerate the side effects of nalmefenre. What is the other drug you're on? I'm pleased for you that it seems to have kicked in.

    • h1954
      h1954 gwen45436

      Posted

      There are antibiotics that you can drink with. If you had to have antibiotics you'd need to tell your doctor about your drinking.

    • nicole36330
      nicole36330 h1954

      Posted

      It's a controversial drug that isn't licensed for AUD but I know about it from 2 other websites,it's called Baclofen.I will email pm you the name of the other sites

    • tess33005
      tess33005 nicole36330

      Posted

      Baclofen's been around for years as a muscle relaxant, but only quite recently has someone figured out it can help with AUD.

      When I was nursing it was commonly given to patients who were paralysed (due to injury) to help them do the necessary exercises to regain some degree of control over their limbs. Having said that, I don't know what it's supposed to do in AUD> I'll look it up.

       

  • Paper_fairy
    Paper_fairy gwen45436

    Posted

    Hi gwen. I'm so glad you've joined our forum, it may save your life and you will get lots of support here which has helped so many of us on here, so stay with us.

    There are meds than can help you cut down to normal drinking and/ or abstinence. Please go on YouTube and watch Paul Turner alcohol ( he is on this site and in the medical profession. And then Google Campral. Hope that helps. Have faith and hope, sending you my blessings xx

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