for home-detoxers: How to Taper off Alcohol

[puddytat]

I've been so worried about withdrawal, knowing how much harder and constantly I've been drinking compared to the last sober time (had about 50 days in 5 yrs ago after hospital detox).

Hard to find info about safely self-detoxing, until I found this article from "Harm Reduction for Alcohol" Basically, it's how to use Beer instead of Benzos to titrate down and withdraw safely from heavy-drinking.

How To Taper Off Alcohol

Thanks to Cat42 for providing her real-life experience of tapering over a number of days, and others for acknowledging they've used this method. Anyone else I've talked to about this plan think I'm crazy! (especially expensive doctors)

[brittzak]

Puddytat....I am not passing judgement on anyone! AND I have detoxed at home, I want to add that...I just stopped cold turkey...I was drinking approximately 1-2 bottles of red wine a day dependant on day of the week. I do not know your history and yes medical care is expensive...I work in healthcare...actually do billing, so I know exactly how much it can cost. If your heart begins racing or you experience seizures....please seek attention. You could die.

[chrysa]

britt, are you talking about 1-2 regular bottles of wine or the 1.5 liter kind of bottle. Because coming off 1-2 regular bottles of wine does not seem to me woudl be a bad detox..just curious

[Gyco]

hi tat i tend to disagree,ive been thro a few detoxs my self,coming off AL quickly could cause many problems.doesnt take a genious to figure that out,go by a heart monitor,depending on how much you drink,your heart can xplode,or your blood vessels,can erupt. im not a doctor but i no the feeling,somtimes its best to sseek medical advice,nothing like getting up and you cant walk rt,or you seem to want to puke,if your in a hospital envirement ,yea they treat you like your crasy,lets face it you are,the brain is roasted for a while,i seen your post ,also i thot id be strate up,been where you are done it,go to the hospital, gyco

[Theme2be]

Greetings~

I have been following in the "General" catergory : "Day 4 of tapering" as well as yours.
I sent my present experience, puddy, there and wanted to share it with you.
I have some new things to share, but, I am in a linear mind set involving the job market.
A little shakey, but, the heart rate is doing fine. I can't put any alcohol in me and it is not as difficult to fight off at present which is unheard of in my personal experience.

I dont know if reading that Thread will be of any assist.
All of our experiences are different. I am fighting off starting my own Thread, because of the experience of failing many times.
I have detoxed almost every way imaginable. Once had great insurance and had the "silver lining" detoxed and drank soon there after.
Have suffered for days, in agony, in privacy going cold turkey.
I am attempting this one heart beat at a time with all its dangers and hopes.
Thanks Gyco, I do have a heart monitor and because of your post I spend last evening logging and monitoring. I have had the worse heart experiences while detoxing and I often wondered as it felt like it might explode.
That was of great assistance.
For it is at the 24 hour period and I have usually gone through hell and am at a shift in the withdrawl and I have minimal flutterings and discomfort.
I am somewhat at a loss for words, because I have never been able to "switch to beer" for it is 30 later and that is not enough, but, there never has been any pacing plan.
I don't wish to give any false ideas to another, for what is good for one goose is not good for the gander.
This is just my experience at present.
I have GOT to break free of this monsters hold on me or I will explode.
I am hopeful.

I just wish to encourage you . Be of good courage and take heart.

Someway, somehow in an instant we will know a new freedom.

Sending you good thoughts~

[42cat]

Thanks for sharing that article, Puddytat.... and I hope all is going well today.

My huge concern was the withdrawal ... keep a close watch on yourself and listen to your body ... I promised myself while I was doing this that if I thought I needed medical help, I'd ask for it right away. Promise yourself the same thing ... it's good to be prepared!

And let us know how you're doing! We're going to do this ... if we fall, we'll get up and try again .. No giving up!

[dgiggsy]

Hi all, just signed up. You know the story, woke up an hour ago, panicky, trembling, all sorts of physical and mental going's on happening. Fired up the pc and typed in ''Tapering of alcohol'', ended up here.
I don't want to bore you, i've done about 6 detoxes(librium) over last 3 years, as i'm sure some of you guys have too. This is my PROBLEM. I have moved to Malta 3 months ago from the UK. Whenever i got to the ''i really need to stop'' stage before, it was simple. Go see the GP, get my home detox, the librium, off the drink for 7 days then have 1 or 2 beers like normal guys. (No none in my local pub has a drink problem even if they drink 4 times what i do every day...amazing, huh?). My point is, i always had the GP and the detox pills as a cushion, thought i would here...WRONG. Went to the GP here 3 days ago and did my usual speach. They don't use chlordiazepoxide here(librium), so he gave me a 3 week(yep, 3 WEEK) detox course of diazepam. All i'll say is i took the first dose, 4mg, totally freaked, got the worst depressive feeling ever, got through the day then back to the drink.
Now i read there is the option of using alcohol to get OFF alcohol. I think this is my only hope.
I would really appreciate any guidance with this (plan etc). I am probably downing about 20-25 units a day, every day.
Heres hoping,
Gary

[JackieClaire]

Hi Gary,

3 weeks!

My GP gave a 7 day home de-tox with valium (diazapam) starting at 10 mg 4 x a day. Then tapering off gradually over the week.

You can taper off gradually but it takes an iron will. Cutting down each day by a little bit.

If you want I can PM you with the details.

Love Jackie xxx

[sainjohn]

HI,

Many ways are taper of alcohol,If when you stop drinking your hands are visibly shaky, you begin to sweat a lot, you have a rapid or irregular pulse, or your blood pressure is very high then it is advisable to taper off alcohol and not quit cold turkey. You can taper off by using alcohol or by getting prescription meds from your doctor.

alcohol to use when tapering off. If you attempt to taper off using wine or hard liquor you might just wind up getting drunk again because these have higher alcohol content than beer. Try to limit yourself to no more than one beer an hour when you start tapering. Drink just enough to keep the sweats and shakes at bay. Gradually reduce the consumption of beer to a half a beer per hour. If the withdrawal is not too extreme you should be tapered off in a day or so.

Thank you..

[Meech]

I guess because we are all different there's is not one solution that will work for everyone. If tapering works then great.

There is no way tapering would work for me. It's just a big tease. As soon as I have that first sip it's not over until I had 5 or 6. And I have tried personally to do the taper about 500 times, but who's counting. I guess I really gave it a good try. Unfortunately with me persistence didn't pay off.

That's why I searched for help and found MWO. Taper doesn't work for me. So AF free, one day at a time is my new method - it's very very hard but it seems to be working so far. I have a long way to go but I am hopeful this time, where hope felt like it was gone just a few weeks ago.

Like I said we are all different. Good luck and whatever method can really help use it. I wish the best. Just be really TRUE to yourself. I wasn't the 500 times I tried my taper. I really didn't want to think of never having a drink again.