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Please help - really scared now...........

Posted , 5 users are following.

bardo
bardo

Hi

Just need some more advice please – My doctor sent me to an alcohol withdrawal centre last week and I was assessed. I urgently want to stop drinking and they told me to have 2 bottles of wine a day until I got to see a counsellor who could do me a safe plan to cut down. The withdrawal centre hasn’t even got back to me I keep ringing and they promise they would ring back on Friday and again yesterday and no contact at all.

I phoned my Doctor today and he has prescribed me Librium and said its not ideal but I can reduce my alcohol intake dramatically to half a bottle of wine whilst taking Librium and wean off very slowly. But when I was at the centre last week they told me you can’t drink at all whilst taking Librium?

I am so so confused now – I really want to stop drinking as it makes me suicidal but I am absolutely terrified of the convulsions – I live alone and am really really scared of something bad happening to me.

How likely is it to have convulsions on the Librium without any alcohol – I don’t want to drink again mentally – I have hated every drop and the way it makes me feel since I told my Doctor everything last week and am forcing it down – 2/3 bottles of wine a night because I am so scared of the DTs.

I have been drinking 2/3 bottles of 10% wine daily for about 6 months x

Please help me – I just don’t know what to do?

Sara x

0 likes, 21 replies

21 Replies

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  • tambdy
    tambdy bardo

    Posted

    I would go back to the Doctor, you can't drink whilst taking librium but you can take a high dose of librium with no drink depending on how dependant you are.

    Get an emergency appointment to get a 2nd opinion.

    • bardo
      bardo tambdy

      Posted

      Thanks Tambdy,

      The withdrawal place did ring me and said I should carry on drinking two bottles of wine till they can see me (which will be 2 weeks) and I shouldn't consider taking librium until I get counselling.

      I really dont want to drink at all and have been advised by family to take my doctors advice and cut the drinking out 100% and to take the librium - Will the librium be enough to stop the convulsions - this is what I am scared of - the dts.

      Does librium stop the dts without weaning off the evil booze slowly?

      xxxxxxxxx

    • tambdy
      tambdy bardo

      Posted

      I am not too sure mate, i have recently only stopped myself but not drinking as much as you. 

      One of my mates had librium and said it was rubbish compared to valium etc. i would not think stopping 100% would be a great idea mate. From what i have heard librium is not the best for heavy drinkers. 

    • bardo
      bardo tambdy

      Posted

      Thanks Tambdy - Having tablets delivered today will look at the strengh and re think - I have someone who can be with me over weekend so would be an ideal time to start xx

    • PaulJTurner1964
      PaulJTurner1964 tambdy

      Posted

      Librium is the drug of choice for alcohol detox. It is very effective in most cases. Valium is sometimes used if a person has a Librium tolerance or if there are other indications that Librium should not be used.

      You should not drink with Librium, but most people start detox with some alcohol in their body (or they would suffer withdrawal symptoms before they got any medication, which goes against the idea of detox which is supposed to PREVENT withdrawal symptoms, not wait for them and then treat them.) Librium is the drug of choice BECAUSE of it's relative safety with alcohol but it should ALWAYS be respected and high doses of alcohol and Librium can cause serious risks. Detox is always best under the guidance of an alcohol treatment specialist.

  • Richardt
    Richardt bardo

    Posted

    Hi your Doctor knows best he would not put u at risk, l am glad u are trying to stop alcohol, l am on my 5 the day clean was drinking 2 bottles of wine for 2 months, trust your Doctor if anything goes wrong just call a ambulance.
    • bardo
      bardo Richardt

      Posted

      Thats great Richard - did you have any medication or did you do cold turkey?
  • Richardt
    Richardt bardo

    Posted

    I first drank a reduced amount with tablets, before l went cold turkey, bcoz the tablets take time to work, do not be afraid, do u feel anxious and have a guilty feeling the morning after a drink.
    • bardo
      bardo Richardt

      Posted

      Hi Richard,

      Thanks so much for your advice on here and my other post.

      Well I woke up really positive and ready to not have a drink and start the librium today - I arranged someone to be with me for the first 3 days (just in case!!)

      And then I got a call from the project - told them I was really positive about taking the librium and spoken to my doctor. The guy at the project said my doctors advise is wrong and he shouldn't give me librium without weaning off alcohol first - he wants to speak to my doctor which Im happy about and he is supposed to be getting back to me today - Its taken him 6 days to ring me since my assessment so I hope he does. I feel like I am going crazy - I don't want to touch another drop and was so pleased that I was getting the librium and made the decision to stop. I have been in tears since - why cant I just get solid advice and a safe plan to help me stop. I have a bottle of wine here and I dont want it - mentally I am a 100% ready to stop I am just scared of the DTs - I just want the booze safely out of my body and start my life again- Any advice would be great x

    • Richardt
      Richardt bardo

      Posted

      Its better. U take it until u speak to your GP, bcoz u are taking a risk.
    • bardo
      bardo Richardt

      Posted

      Hi rang the chemist - cock up with librium wont be ready till tomorrow - Bloody withdrawal place has not even rang me back - promised they would today just rang them and he has gone home - Im so upset I am going to have to drink as i am scared of withdrawals I dont want to drink - I feel ill and totally alone in this mess.

      Thanks Richard anyway - just so upset trying to help myself so much and no proffessional will help! x

    • PaulJTurner1964
      PaulJTurner1964 Richardt

      Posted

      I would suggest that if you suffered withdrawal symptoms, Richard, that you were on too low a dose of Librium. As I said above, being supported by an alcohol detox specialist is the best way to do a detox as they are aware of the appropriate dosage to prevent any withdrawal symptoms. Waiting for the Librium to start working is quite dangerous for people who have been drinkig very large amounts.
    • PaulJTurner1964
      PaulJTurner1964 bardo

      Posted

      It is wrong how you are being given mixed messages Sara. It is perfectly fine to do a detox without weaning off alcohol, although it is helpful if you can reduce your intake leading up to the start date of the detox. I do understand the alcohol centre suggesting that you need support from specialists but, from what you have said, I am not sure that they have even assessed you to be able to give relevant advice in YOUR case.

      The centre IS right to tell you to carry on drinking until you get medication (Librium). The GP seems to be listening to you. It really depends on the dosage he has prescribed whether he has done the right thing.

  • liz05654
    liz05654 bardo

    Posted

    Hi. I've just joined. I gave up alcohol 2 years ago, but recently fell off the wagon. The last time I drank properly, 2 years ago, I went on a two week binge. I got through 72 bottles of wine in that time and that's just the bottles I could see. It was awful. I really thought I was going to die, and I didn't care if I did. It would have been an escape from the pain. Anyway, my doctor and parents turned up unexpectedly. Which was my saving. And I thank god for that day. Someone was watching over me. Don't get me wrong I'm not religious and even tho I go to aa I don't get all the religous sh*t. But they saved my life.

    i went cold turkey, on the advice of my doctor. You only need to wean yourself off alcohol very gradually if you are and have been very heavily dependent for 10 plus years. I was drinking 4-5 bottles of wine a day. And had been for about 5 years. And it had gradually got worse. One day I just woke up, didn't know where I was, or what time of day it was and cried for help. And it came. Out of the blue. 

    Don't get me wrong, the withdrawal was awful. I thought I was dying. I couldn't even walk. I was like a 99 year old with Parkinson's disease. I couldn't talk, couldn't drink, could go to the toilet. I wet myself. And worse. I wore nappies. It was terrible. But it only lasted 4 days. And then I gradually started to feel better. 

    my family were amazing. I couldn't have done it without them. They didn't judge, didn't shout, just gave me space and let me wallow in my own self pity. 

    And now I've gone and bloody done it again. Do t know why. Or how. I've got a brill life, brill job, fantastic fiancée family and friends and fell off the wagon.

    please help. I don't know what to do.

     

    • Richardt
      Richardt liz05654

      Posted

      Slip ups happen just try to stop again, its just a blip it happens to many people, that's we will always be alcoholics bcoz sometimes u slip up.
    • bardo
      bardo liz05654

      Posted

      Hi Liz

      I am really sorry but I can't offer you any advice as I am in hell myself at the moment. PLease re post this on the main forum and you will get answers from people who know a lot more than me - All I can say is Good Luck and be strong xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

    • PaulJTurner1964
      PaulJTurner1964 liz05654

      Posted

      Liz, how long have you been drinking again, this time and how much? I am absolutely HORRIFIED that your doctir advised you to go cold turkey. Please, NOBODY who suffers physical wthdrawal symptoms should EVER do this. The 10 year idea is completely wrong. You can get physically dependent on alcohol in weeks and going cold turkey can KILL a person. Your doctor ought to be struck off, seriously!!! You really could have died, no wonder you felt awful.

      DON'T do it that way again!!!

      Send me a private message if you want to talk more about it.

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