for home-detoxers: How to Taper off Alcohol

[COSGringo]

for home-detoxers: How to Taper off Alcohol

I'd suggest librium. Sorry but I can't see using alcohol to detox on. It doesn't work. I had a seizure doing that.

The librium will lower your chances of that and keep you at ease. Other benzos will too but librium is not a "get high" med.

[MJamie]

for home-detoxers: How to Taper off Alcohol

COS,
I am interested in how you tapered that caused a seizure? What and how much were you drinking and what and how much did you taper to? Just asking because a I hear it can work and cannot work so I like to compare stories.

Also, for me, for the past year I have drank 1-2 bottles of wine a night for maybe 3-4 nights in a row. I would take nights off, but never more than 4 at a time, and 4 was rare. Occasionally I would just drink two "tall boy" beers instead.

I found the info on tapering off. I last drank my two bottles Thursday night, minus the large glass I finished last night. I rarely have felt "shakey" and today did not, but a little anxious. But I think I have a bit of anxiety anyway, I just really noticed it today, like everyone in the store was in my way, the traffic was too slow, etc. LOL
Anyway, I picked up B-Complex, Milk Thistle, Valerian Root, a BP monitor and a 24 of BudLite. I am having a LOT of trouble getting the beer down! I am on number 4 since 2pm, and honestly I just don't feel like drinking! But I am worried because I only had a glass yesterday that I need to drink it to keep my body ok with my decision to taper.

Any suggestions or advice from the group? Has anyone ever had this problem tapering? I am concerned if I just say ok, don't feel like it tonight it will catch up to me later in the week when I don't drink 2 bottles of wine!
Thanks in advance.

[COSGringo]

for home-detoxers: How to Taper off Alcohol

Hi MJamie,
I don't think you are at the level of drink I was.

I was drinking probably about 12 drinks per day. Maybe a little less some days and a little more some days.
I never took a day off. Never.

I was down to about 4 drinks per day in about 2-3 days when I had that episode. It was too fast apparently. I am not sure how I even did it. I guess I was motivated. I felt okay, I had just poured my first drink at 4 pm. I was making dinner and before I could have that drink, I dropped.

I think you have some good supplements. I think you will be fine. You sound motivated.
I don't think it will catch a week later. I was a heavy everyday drinker and started very early some days.

Good luck, you will do well!

[MJamie]

for home-detoxers: How to Taper off Alcohol

COS, thank you for the info. What a scary thing to go through! I have been reading more up on it today, it seems those with the greatest success, during and after, seem to taper slower than the website has broken down. Many feel it also helps with later cravings when they took a month or so to taper.
Honestly I am so sick of drinking I wish I could just be done. But I am also proud that for the last 3 days I have drank half, or less than what I was, and I have to say that's a great Start. A lot of comments I have read on tapering, that it took longer than a week or two to become an alcoholic, so you have to give your body and brain time to heal and re-program.
Tomorrow is a new day, let's see what it brings! (Hopefully not too much WD LOL)

[COSGringo]

for home-detoxers: How to Taper off Alcohol

Excellent job! Keep up the good work. What's scariest was all the drinking I did and how I still functioned.

I think you are on the right track.

[Doglover89]

for home-detoxers: How to Taper off Alcohol

Hi all. Just wanted to thank you for posting and being so open. It has been a huge support in my time of need. I recently graduated from college and have been in a weird "in-between" place where I have been drinking like crazy again. For me, the worst part is the fatigue, and chronic anxiety I experience the next day. Irritability is also awful, so I avoid people at all costs. The only time I feel better is when I have another drink. I have learned to taper, even after one night of binge drinking to avoid these symptoms. However, this time it seems to be worse than ever (age perhaps?) and I have been using my clonazepam to control the anxiety and get some sleep. Does anyone else have experience using this to help with the withdrawal. THANK YOU!

[SoberingUp]

for home-detoxers: How to Taper off Alcohol

my first taper

To start, I'm 33 and mostly healthy. After about 10 years of problem drinking, I tried a 4 week program. 20,000$ later, I learned a good deal, but don't really like the 12 step idea. And, honestly, I feel scammed by the high cost. AA isn't going to work for me as a long term solution and I'm trying to figure something out for myself. But, I just relapsed after 2 months sober and now need to detox. I'm trying the tapering option. It's scary to think about the DT's and seizures, but I think I understand how this works. FYI, I'm a biochemist and a functional drunk, so I did my research. Here is my plan:

This last round was pretty heavy drinking. Using the units method to track my booze (liters * alcohol %) I was drinking about 40-50 units a day. It was mostly hard liquor and mostly in the afternoons/evenings. To start the tapering yesterday, I stuck to wine and just kept drinking to the point where my symptoms were gone. So far, will power is working to keep me from just drinking like I did? and I honestly just don?t want to do anything but sober up. I wish I could go cold turkey, but there?s no easy way for me to get a benzo prescription.

Since I couldn't sleep last night, I basically had a gulp of wine every hour. I watched lame movies and the entire season 4 of The League. I could feel the anxiety and sweats starting and after the gulp it went away in a few minutes. In 24 hours, I went through 3 bottles. Now that I can eat again, I need more to get it into my system. Also, I got a late start yesterday because I was figuring out what to do. Since midnight, about 15 hours ago, I just cracked my 3rd bottle of wine (wine has about 9-10 units of alcohol) and I expect to go through about 40 units today. Not much of a drop, but it?s safer and my initial goal is to just to ease into not consuming that much booze in ~10 hours. I think that is a key first step to tempering: don?t worry about how much you are drinking, just take in enough to keep the withdrawl at bay. High intake in a short time set you up for a high fall. At first, just stabilize.

Once I stabilize like this, based on keeping symptoms at bay, I?ll start dropping my intake by ~2-4 units a day. This could be hard because I?m going to try and keep working through this. I mostly work from home, and obviously don?t want to carry wine with me all the time, but we will see what happens. It might seem bizarre, but I?m planning to set up a timer so I get a drink every 2 hours while I sleep. I don?t want to go 8 hours without and wake up in bad shape.

Basically, my approach is to try and keep my blood alcohol fairly constant through the day and night and just lower that level gradually. I think that?s the safest way to taper. So, here we go?

[COSGringo]

for home-detoxers: How to Taper off Alcohol

Welcome SoberingUp.
Interesting method. Sounds rather different.

Me, I would shoot for a date. Maybe drop a couple everyday for a week. Drop some more then just drop.

Probably quickly but I would want Librium in the mix. I would also want a loved one nearby and in the know.

I wish you luck but I would also suggest doing a on here and other sites on detoxing.

Be careful out there!

[betterdays]

for home-detoxers: How to Taper off Alcohol

Am I tapering too fast ?

Hi all ! I've been going through the threads here for weeks now, and I started tapering 13 days back. I've cut my daytime intake to 325ml beer 5% ABV, and I've reduced my nighttime intake by 20%. When I initially started tapering I had heart palpitations, and so I stayed on a taper level for 2-3 days, until I felt normal, then I reduced some more. The first 10 days I had foggy brain, but the last 3 days have been much better. I think I can be free this month itself. I am about to stop the daytime drink, and am worried if I'm tapering too fast and should slow down a bit ?

[COSGringo]

for home-detoxers: How to Taper off Alcohol

Hey betterdays
So daytime sounds great.
What is your nighttime intake? From what to current?

I am no doc. That daytime intake is nothing but are you taking it because of too much nighttime fun?

[betterdays]

for home-detoxers: How to Taper off Alcohol

Hi COS ! Thanks for answering. Here's the background - I've been drinking for 19 years, though mostly at night, it's the last three years I started going through 750 ml Scotch a day, with 180 ml during the day and the rest at night. Sometimes I'd have a few more drinks.

I was drinking for the hangover until last week, and now I take it only because I'm afraid of the palpitations coming back, they went away this week itself.

I don't have hangovers anymore, and I do feel tonnes better, but I read somewhere (not here) that alcohol withdrawal may seem easy, but it can hit you all of a sudden just when you're feeling better.

This is why I'm scared, and thinking of prolonging the taper beyond this month.

[betterdays]

for home-detoxers: How to Taper off Alcohol

Forgot to include the nighttime intake - it's a 650 ml beer 5% ABV, and 160 ml of Scotch now, down about 20% from what I was taking when I started. I was on Scotch then, and started on the beer for the taper.

[COSGringo]

for home-detoxers: How to Taper off Alcohol

Hey! Well you sound like you are still having about 7-9 drinks a night.
That's pretty strong intake.

So yes detoxing at home is still risky at 19 years. I guess it's just risky period but it's GREAT you are going to do this either way.

One must do this at home sometimes, right? So I would not go 50% right at the go. 20% is fine I guess. I think you could go a bit quicker.

It's also tough to say without knowing how quick you slam them and how long your "night" is.

I would say faster but I would also suggest again a med, librium. So if you had that and you take it while you detox, You should go faster, IMHO.

So lets say you had your librium from your doc (or what have you). You take it as prescribed and drop 50% for say 10 days. Then another 25% for a week. Then really cut it back to not everyday, and then some bigger drops.

The librium would help with a lot of issues including the seizure concerns. You have to stay on top and take it.

If not meds, you best do say 25%-35% each week. Don't wait too long for that first drink. I hate to say it but you don't want to be ill.

Tell me more and perhaps we can come up with something. Again, I am no doc. Just been through the the cycles. Good and very bad.

[betterdays]

for home-detoxers: How to Taper off Alcohol

Thanks again, that's the best advice I've had so far. Here offline I hear some guys cutting 50% for starters, but I had so bad sweats even when I tapered mildly I think I'll take your suggestion and stay a week on a taper level.

Going to a doctor is the last choice I have here, so I think I'll just continue to taper weekly and see how things are a week later. I had such a great response from my body when I started that I was sure I'll be out in less than a month, now I'll just reduce and see my body's reactions. Don't want the palps to start again.

I made a blooper. My night intake is 650 ml beer 5% ABV + 160 ml Scotch + 180 ml Scotch. I cut 20 ml last night, so had bad sweat again. I think I'll stay at this for a couple of days at least. Brain's a bit foggy again, though not as much as it was last week.

My target is 325 ml X 4 beers 5% ABV + 180 ml Scotch. I thought I'll be there this week, but I'll settle for getting there by the end of this month.

[COSGringo]

for home-detoxers: How to Taper off Alcohol

I would suggest a good sleep, too.

YOU NEED TO CHECK THIS FIRST, but doxylamine succinate is a good sleep antihistamine but if that's too strong perhaps some benadryl half dose. Atarax is a real hit or miss for me.

When I say to check it, that means alcohol interaction. I am sure there's some but you know your body better if you can take a bit of antihistamine with it.

The sleep will do you good if you can get it.

Good luck. Don't rush yourself. You've been drinking a long time so take your time and don't punish yourself to hard.