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Tapering off with beer?

Posted , 12 users are following.

Guest
Guest

Okay. I know that everyone on this forum has been in this situation.

It gets to the point where you know you need to stop, but the thought of stopping is a major step.

Two weeks ago, I decided that enough was enough. My three bottles a day habit was starting to get out of control. I would wake up in the morning and my husband would ask me if I was okay. "Yes of course I'm okay. Why?" "Because you fell over last night." The blackouts were starting to scare me.

Sunday I decided that I would start tapering off the following day. Luckily I have a supportive husband and admitted my problem. He bought me very small lagers and printed out the tapering off method from the internet.

Monday: I had the shakes in the morning after three bottles of wine the day before. Luckily I work from home. I had six beers and stopped myself from buying a bottle of wine in the evening. Really bad sleep, nightmares, palpatations and a constant craving for what I knew would help me.

Tuesday: Didn't really wake up okay as I hadn't slept much. Started work. Had four small beers and didn't crave for wine in the evening. I felt shaky and strange. Went to bed and slept for three hours which was unusual for me.

Wednesday: I woke up feeling different. Almost human. I got loads of work done and didn't want a drink. I had one small beer with my dinner and went to bed. I slept for about four hours, had some water and went back to sleep. Amazing.

Thursday: Well I've been a good girl this week. I'll treat myself to a glass of wine. Big mistake. Two bottles down.

Friday: We're going away this weekend. I could just not drink during the week surely? Another two bottles of wine. A few shots at the local........

A week later I'm back where I started.

My problem is that I am scared of stopping. I now know that I can get through the tapering off method without life threatening withdrawals but I contradict myself constantly. My mum has Alzheimer's. I'm helping her, so I need a drink. Oh, I've had a bad day so I deserve a glass of wine, or six. My child is disabled. I deserve a drink because I've had a bad day. The cycle is endless.

I went to the GP yesterday and cried. I told him (it was a locum) that I had a problem. I explained that I couldnt sleep without a drink. I have nightmares (because of my PTSD) and my stomach is playing havoc with my life. He said, "Obviously you have IBS." I said, "Obviously?" He said, "Well yes. you don't drink enough for it to affect your stomach." I walked out of the surgery saying, "Well thanks anyway."

Sorry for the long post but I am really trying and wanted some advice/encouragement to try this tapering off again next week. Does it work? Has anyome done it successfully?

I have already applied to be a patient for a different surgery and will be honest with them too. Hopefully they will point me in the right direction.

1 like, 51 replies

51 Replies

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  • Paper_fairy
    Paper_fairy Guest

    Posted

    Vickiilou, just curious, have you started the naltrexone yet?? X
  • Paper_fairy
    Paper_fairy Guest

    Posted

    Yes I know all about the bad publicity but to come off it after many years is as bad as aws. Incl brain shocks/zaps and vertigo plus more. Then the panic attacks when you think you're going to die. So to stop both drink and drug is impossible for me. Misssy knows all about that. But is the combination of seroxat and naltrexone a reason why I feel ill the next day? If I didn't I'd stop. Idk x
    • nicole36330
      nicole36330 Paper_fairy

      Posted

      I've been on naltrexone for 2 weeks now and I have no side effects.Ive drunk as much as 2 bottles of wine and had no hangover,maybe it's the combination making you have a hangover?
    • Paper_fairy
      Paper_fairy nicole36330

      Posted

      Thanks for that Nicole. I'm starting to think that there is something else giving me the symptoms the next day as no one else does on naltrexone, but do on nalmephene. I've always suffered with vertigo, when I'm ill. Had labrinthitis in past and my mum has meniers disease which is hereditary by 50 percent to daughters. My hangovers have always been bad, have yours?

      Joanna has kindly let me call her in 10 mins so I will see what she has to say. I'm not a wimp! Had 3 kids, 2 without any pain relief and broke pelvis, arm, ribs, vertebrae and had a complete knee ACL reconstruction in the past. I'd give anything to go through that than AWS. 

      Take care and thanks for being there xx

    • nicole36330
      nicole36330 Paper_fairy

      Posted

      I had bad hangovers in my youth where I would throw up in the morning and be ill all day but since my mid 30's (I'm 47 now) I very rarely get hangovers.I could drink 3 bottles of wine over a day and feel relatively ok the next day.
    • Paper_fairy
      Paper_fairy nicole36330

      Posted

      Hi. Come to think about I was the same. Like you. I can't believe you didn't have a bit of a headache tho! My theory is that if you drink a lot, without a hangover the next day then you're heading for trouble. Like my brother in law who was the life and soul of the party. Where as I was the drunk who couldn't function the next day. I was the embarrassing one in the family who couldn't hold the drink."The drunk". Now he has cyrosis of the liver and can't drink again. We are all very different. I've still got the option to drink if I follow the Sinclair method. He hasn't. Hope you understand what I'm saying nicole
    • Guest
      Guest nicole36330

      Posted

      I too don't get hangovers like I did in my youth. I never feel sick or have a headache. I do have the unknown bruises and blackouts though and a constant feeling of panic the next morning knowing that I've done it again.

       

    • colin30375
      colin30375 Paper_fairy

      Posted

      Hi P/f, would you mind telling me about seroxat and naltrexone please. I'm a sober alcoholic but you never know what will happen. Thanks.
  • Misssy2
    Misssy2 Guest

    Posted

    It seems that you tapered too quickly...when I read the tapering schedule...it wasn't just 6 beers for one night..and then down to 4....it was more like 6 for a week...and then down to 4.

    ​God bless and Good luck

    • Guest
      Guest Misssy2

      Posted

      Yes. The tapering schedule recommends 16 beers to start with. I couldnt drink that much beer. It would make me sick. I tried to only have a small beer every time I was feeling shaky. It does say that you can safely taper off over three days. I'm starting it again on Monday and will try to taper it more steadily over five days. Thanks for your reply x
    • ADEfree
      ADEfree Guest

      Posted

      jbgf -

      That sounds like a better plan. I started from 12 units per night and cut back 1 unit every other day. If you cut back too fast, you may get a sudden rebound, so take it slow. 

      It sounds like you're interested in using Naltrexone or Selincro, have you read much about The Sinclair Method? From what I've read of other people using it, one of the first things that happens is fewer blackouts, then no blackouts. Your tapering method would be a good skill to add to it. When you start out with it, you're supposed to stick with your normal starting time, then after a week or so, you can try pushing your start time back, so that's another way of approaching it. 

  • angela31941
    angela31941 Guest

    Posted

    One thing I haven't seen mentioned is what worked for me. When I quit drinking I had to add a lot more sugar at first to my diet. Alcohol has a lot of sugar, especially mixed drinks. I started drinking hot tea with honey and milk at night to help me relax. I ate a lot of Hershey chocolate kisses. It gives the extra sugar and a bit of energy during the day. I also grew to like caramels. It wasn't exactly healthy, but definitely healthier than drinking and it helped with the withdraw from alcohol. It took a good two months to establish new habits away fro, alcohol. I also became emotional. I had blocked out a lot of feelings when drinking. I had supportive friends that helped me through. Eventually I worked past a lot of things. Alcohol is a natural depressant. Its no surprise that it causes depression when taken in excess. It takes a little while to come out of that at first. I started taking walks in and around my neighborhood to help in times of anxiety. I slowly put together a life without alcohol. For me it was important to quit all of it completely at first. I amazingly kept sober for 10 years. Now I do drink occasionally socially. I am always responsible. I do not drink everyday, I do not drink to cope. I pray everyday for help, guidance and just about everything. I am of Christian faith. Quitting everything and learning to deal with life's ups and downs sober was absolutely necessary. To learn how to live life, deal with problems appropriately, help others, be happy, sane and useful is my life's greatest accomplishment. I wish it for everyone. I had help through God, AA and family. Now I have a normal life. It is still life, there are still problems, but more good days than bad. Many more sober days than drinking. And fun. There's more to life than drinking. I hope for everyone to find a path that works for them.
    • RHGB
      RHGB angela31941

      Posted

      I covered the sugar angle many times here. It is badly publicised that most alcohol contains a lot of sugar and it is quite often the case, that people who quit drinking, turn to sugar based food and feel that this is good, because it is keeping them off the alcohol.

      When in fact it is pushing them into pre-diabetic territory. It's also called addiction substitution.

    • angela31941
      angela31941 RHGB

      Posted

      Well, not everyone is diabetic or going to get diabetes. Maybe the real issue is I wasn't addicted to anything to begin with. I was only 19 when I quit drinking. I had only drank for four years in high school. I'm saying what I learned when I quit and what worked for me. I am not diabetic today. There are thousands of people that quit drinking and crave sugar. You learn to moderate. Not everything is an addiction.. and it's a tasty substitution
    • colin30375
      colin30375 angela31941

      Posted

      Drug addicts are the same........... chocolate, chocolate and more chocolate if they can't get a fix.

      Diabetes is easy to get these days, please be careful. Do you decide to moderate your sugar intake yourself or have you been given advice?

      I know for sure that diabetes is a scourge now in the U.K. I guess it's worse in the States; an alcoholic friend of mine there says it's rife.  

    • colin30375
      colin30375

      Posted

      Forgot to say well done for being sober and doing whatever works for you. 
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