I am trying to detox at home

Posted , 15 users are following.

few days ago I acknowledged to myself that I have a drinking problem. So, I joined an outpatient detox group. They prescribed me Librium and naltrexone. But initial doses of Librium made me sleep so much that I barely woke up to eat. So I spoke with my doctor and they reduced it to once every 10 hours for two days and then one every 12 hrs for two days and finally one every 24 hrs. That's sort of fine with me but my. Ravings have increased. I was not supposed to drink on Librium but I had three drinks today. I want to stop drinking and follow my medicine routine. Can someone advice me about how to do it. When should I take my next dose of Librium and naltrexone after I have had my last drink? How should I stop myself?

1 like, 36 replies

36 Replies

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  • Posted

    Totally agree with Paul and Joanna.

    I didn't reply earlier as not an expert. Advice from non professionals could be dangerous 

     

  • Posted

    From what I understand it should be one med or the other. For most people, naltrexone helps eliminate the desire, (over several months, usually), but only if taken one hour before the first drink of the day. I'm not sure there is a need for detox or withdrawal with the Sinclair Method. These two meds seem to be fighting each other. ??? I'm in week four of Sinclair Method with naltrexone and I do feel a difference.

    • Posted

      I think my doctor is trying to go with first detox and simultaneously start me on the Sinclair. We will see how it goes. I just need tone stronger Thani thought tomake it a success.
  • Posted

    Wel I am off of Librium. My doc said the detox part is over. Now it am on gabapentin twice a day and two tabs of naltrexone at night. It seems to be helping cut down on my cravings. I am still drinking some but no where as much as I used to. I am keeping my doc informed so she can accordingly adjust my treatment plan. So far it seems to be working although at a very slow pace.
    • Posted

      You are really lucky to have such a good doctor.  Mine had never heard of the meds and shook her head when I told her about them - she did not like what I was saying.  She just told me to go to Alcohol recovery.  No help at all.

      You are doing well - keep it up and you will have cracked it.

  • Posted

    Update: gabapentin stated giving me very vivid dreams to the point that I would imagine that the things were actually happening to me in reality. The good thing was it was it happened only if I was sleeping so ...no hallucinations. So I am off of gabapentin. The doctor finally agreed that my desire to drink stems from anxiety and without treating if we can't cure drinking. But she cannot give a medication to help me with sleep and nightmares as well as anxiety at the same time. So we are now working on first curing sleep and nightmare issues. However, I am allowed to take 0.1 clonidine if anxiety seems like it's getting out of hand. Still taking naltrexone. That is helping but is very slow in its pace so I still drink but m able to control it better. Being off of the anxiety medicine unless absolutely needed makes the control even more difficult. But the sleep and nightmare medication seem to be working well..just have to find the right dose and more importantly the right time at night to take it. I am not allowed to stay up reading or doing whatever once I take the sleep med. hopefully it will eventually work out.

    • Posted

      So glad  you are still going for it.  Your doc is really good in the help she is giving you.  You are not giving in and that is great - very very easy to say - oh this isn't working and relapse.  Good for you.

      Keep updating - it helps others and will help you.

      G.

    • Posted

      Update: things went wrong in the family and I had a relapse. But I quickly realized I needed to stop so I went into inpatient detox. Was in the hospital for about 72 hours. Now I am on the last phase of Librium. Will continue the outpatient program. Have had cravings but so far I have not had a drink since Sunday 4 am. Weekends are the most difficult for me. I hope I can continue to fight my cravings and stay clean.
    • Posted

      Great for being honest. Keep trying and you are on the right path. For certain. Super!
  • Posted

    Alcohol is no joke. I don't believe in naltrexone. A drug won't change a mindset. Taking Librium while drinking, I hear can actually make you stop breathing.

    I found this because I struggle too. Hospitals normally wait for your bac to be zero before any Ativan or Librium. Even detox.

    I'm quite sure before you got that script it said don't drink at all.

    I have had to Google, it all varies. My script was 25 mg twice a day.... Doesn't do a thing when the withdrawal is bad.

    If you got to the point of detox and getting scripts, hate to say it, you're an acholic.

    You can never drink normal again. Something happens to our brains. Once that line is crossed, no going back.

    Sure, one two drinks a night you can manage. Then every night, tolerance builds and each withdrawal is worse. They call it kindling. I have been through it more than I like.

    Naltrexone, I had the vivatrol shot and all. It comes down to you. Is your life worth that drink. Even took campral back in the day. Nothing , in my opinion stops the cravings. It is a mind set you have to change.

    Two months on vivatrol, at a rehab, I still wanted to drink. Vivatrol is naltrexone btw. It is for opiate addicts.

    Comes down to what is more important. That couple of drinks, or life.

    I won't even drink one, I don't see the point. Why drink.

    Clearly you have an issue. Believe me, a man who detoxed cold turkey, at a facility, at the hospital. If you got to that point, just never drink.

    PS Librium sucks by the way. I am detoxing now. They said 25mg twice a day, I read up to a 100 mg your first few days. 50 mg a day hasn't helped me. I still have that fire in the back of my head.

    Tappering is the best way, but an alcoholic can't. Plus you should never mix them. Why I googled.

    Just saying, just quit drinking.

    • Posted

      I’m extremely surprised any hospital would advocate cold turkey. It’s very dangerous.

      Campral worked for me and I now drink socially. I spent four years thinking about alcohol, and not being able to drink again. So much so I ended up giving in and eventually drinking more than before.

      Campral stopped all cravings and enabled me to drink sensibly again.

      I agree with you about kindling, withdrawals get worse and worse and take a lot longer after each relapse

  • Posted

     Hi,l see you posted this message 7 months ago. I hope you are doing well. I don't understand why the clinic put you in both medications. You should only take naltexone if you desire to drink.take it 1 hour before you you have a drink.I read a book about the Sinclair method,because l was trying to help my ex husband.Read the book.You will understand how to beat this adiction.DO NOT EVER TAKE Librium.Also go to YouTube and look for Claudia Crhristian video.She also wrote a book about the Sinclair method.She stopped the addiction 8 years ago with naltexone. Take care.

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