PCP dropped me cold and I'm afraid of detox

[Cornczech]

Hello again, (and again, and again, and again.....sigh)

I am back again, trying to get away and off this demon alcohol. It seems every time I stop, the symptoms of withdrawal get worse and worse. Last time, I had some Xanax left over from when my father died in 2012....it was a rough week, but I made it through.....then a month of daily telling myself NOT to get that beer I craved every day at around 5pm...then after a month or two of being AF, my grandfather died, work started to get bad and my father's estate gets in a nasty mess and fighting breaks out among my family.....so I started up again......I normally drink 4 to 6 a day...beers.....I know I had a fatty liver a year ago...now I have constant pain in the right side under my rib and into my back....I gasp for air when I do ANYTHING strenuous, I'm constantly sweating....I have constant acid reflux, my stomach is swollen and tender to the touch.....basically I know my drinking days are going to have to be over or I will be over.
SO I called my doctor 2 days ago...to ask for blood tests, to go on Anabuse, have my liver checked, find out why I constantly have a lump in my throat, food gets stuck, and I weight more than I have ever weighted in my life......and at first he tells me to make a long appointment...like for a yearly physical...then I get a call saying he didn't want to see me any more, that I needed to go to rehab and that he would NOT do anything for me.
I cannot get past a day AF without my head hurting, having that feeling I am going to jump out of my skin, crawling, itchy feelings on the skin.....heart palpitations, sweats and shakes....I tried some librium left over from a few years ago when I tried to stop...but they didn't work at ALL....I had to drink to get all those bad symptoms to stop. Sad thing....I have a history of grand mal seizures....when I get over heated, upset....sometimes they just happen...so I am TERRIFIED of the "big one".....but I also hate being treated like a piece of crap by hospital staff because I can't stop drinking and have drunk myself sick....but I want the old me back....my father's death has changed me and I realize that life is REALLY short and the only thing in the way of my happiness is ME...but knowing this stuff doesn't make it easier for me to get the ball rolling to changing my life for the better!

SO how do I get into a hospital to detox? I have gone to rehab twice and it didn't seem to do anything but suck my money...I also have a job where I only have the next two weeks off....so do I go to the ER? Call a rehab place, (I am not interested in inpatient care)....I desperately need something...I KNOW I drink as a result of my anxiety disorder and bipolar disorder....but I just cannot seem to stop!!! I have only drank since age 34...and i am gong to be 48 in a month....my insurance sucks with regard to mental health and I refuse to numb my brain with the drugs these shrinks think I need...Seroquel being the drug that triggered a two year stint of monthly seizures.....

So, do I just walk int a ER and say "HELLO! I'm an alcoholic and when I try to stop I get all funky"? Won't they just send me to the nearest nut house?

As well, every time I go to the ER and they discover I am an alcoholic...they treat me like crap....but how else to detox safely but in hospital.....how do I go about this?

Thanks again, Ya'll

Sigh...when will I stop this crazy behavior???!!!!!

[Guitarista]

PCP dropped me cold and I'm afraid of detox

G'day Corn,

I'm sorry to hear of your father's and grandfather's passing. Sounds like you're in a tough place friend.

Here in Australia, if concerned about seizures (or not) we would book into a 6/7 day inpatient de-tox preferably with the support of a doctor/G.P. Can you find a decent doc? Unfortunately, there's a waiting list here.

Ideally, you'd try to hook up with some sort of follow up rehab treatment immediately after an 6/7 day inpatient detox stay. A good doc should be able to help with this, but i acknowledge rehabs can be damn expensive. As you say, sounds like you need to stop drinking/de-tox under strict medical supervision to be safe.

Yes, many doc's med staff don't understand our health issue.

Is there a de-tox joint you can book into, and in the mean time if there's a waiting list, find a doc to put a plan together to keep you safe until you can de-tox safely?

Keep fighting friend. Keep us posted.

G

[Cornczech]

PCP dropped me cold and I'm afraid of detox

I'm in the US...and since my long term PCP dropped me, I would have to start over, thus why I considered going to the ER....at least to detox....my only other option is to go to a rehab that I went to about 5 years ago....which was a terrible place to go....but I have to do something before I manage to kill my liver (and/or other parts!)

Thanks for the reply.......

[paulywogg]

PCP dropped me cold and I'm afraid of detox

4 to 6 beers doesn't seem like you'd have serious withdrawal,unless it's 4 to 6 tall cans?

[Cornczech]

PCP dropped me cold and I'm afraid of detox

I have a seizure disorder that began in 2009....I think THAT is the reason it was so bad.....plus this is like the 15th time I've tried to stop....I TOO thought 4 to 6 wasn't that much....(after my father died in 2012...and my brother in 2008...I drank 8 or more a day for a few months....)

So, should I go to the ER....or try and go to a rehab facility for the detox and then go to an outpatient thing....(inpatient didn't work and AA makes me want to drink MORE!!!)

I'm not making excuses here...if I don't stop I will die....I KNOW my liver is swollen....I may have diabetes.....I have not gone to the MD in a while......even with the pain, vomiting and fatty liver.....

I just need advice as to how to go forward outside just walking into an ER and saying, "I'm an alcoholic with a seizure disorder...can ya help me?" (and then deal with the ER staff thinking me a GOMER (get out of my ER) and treating me like a scummy addict.....(it's happened in the past)

[paulywogg]

PCP dropped me cold and I'm afraid of detox

Maybe walk into er saying you have a seizure and feel one coming on?i dunno what they'd do but if you're that scared do something,it's better than seizing up at home or somewhere

[TooCurious]

PCP dropped me cold and I'm afraid of detox

Hey, really sorry to hear that you're struggling. I am very, very familiar with rehab, ER, alcohol detoxes etc, so I completely understand where you're coming from. I was drinking between 1 and 1.5 liters of hard liquor every day, until I reached what is known as "reverse tolerance." My liver was damaged and could no longer process and remove alcohol at the same rate, so it didn't take much for me to reach an incredibly high B.A.C. I get the feeling that this is what you are experiencing due to your symptoms and the fact that 4-6 beers normally wouldn't be enough for these kinds of physiological responses.

If you want to detox, you need simply go to the nearest E.R. and state that you are withdrawing from alcohol and you have a history of seizures and you are afraid. They will most definitely accept you. However, they will only keep you 24-48 hours or until your symptoms subside. I have done this several times in the past, and I usually didn't last long before deciding to drink again. Checking into an E.R. is expensive also, but believe me I have had two grand mal seizures and broke two ribs during my second one. Alcohol withdrawal is the most life-threatening of all drugs. Please get the proper medical help, because we both know "tapering" using alcohol just leads to another bender.

If you're having trouble with A.A., perhaps try Baclofen therapy (has worked for quite a few). If you don't want to do that, get into therapy and get 100% honest with your friends and family about EVERYTHING! I know that sounds bad too, but as the old saying goes, "we're only as sick as our secrets." I've noticed that a lot of my anxiety revolved around my secret world and all of the things I said I'd never tell anyone.

Hope this helps. One day, you will reflect on this time in your life and chuckle. Crazy as that sounds.

[Cherokeer]

PCP dropped me cold and I'm afraid of detox

Corn, I work at a hospital and you can certainly go to the emergency room. Tell them you are withdrawing from Al and have a history of Grand Mal seizures. In our facility we put all patient's who are going through withdrawals in the ICU so they can be closely monitored while the withdrawal symptoms are medically managed. You, most especially since you are at high risk for seizures. Please go before there is a chance of a seizure occurring and let the medical staff help you through this. Good Luck to you.

[Cornczech]

PCP dropped me cold and I'm afraid of detox

Thanks SO much, Ya'll....

My very own husband even said to me, "why would you have withdrawal....you don't even drink that much"....and the LAST time I stopped, I tapered...but I had Xanax and Phenobarbitol.....(I am allergic to Dilantin)....The Xanax was left over from my father when he died in 2012....and the Pheno came from the last time I had a grand mal.....in 2010...so it is expired. My primary just told me to go to rehab....I tried rehab twice....didn't seem to stick...but what IS sticking is that I think I have done some serious damage to my stomach, liver, pancreas and possibly my heart as a result of drinking daily since 2003!!!! I no longer have a memory, I'm sick all the time and I rarely leave the house but to work two days a week, (I used to have a great career!)
I am calling my insurance company right now.....I know the ER is expensive, so if my insurance can tell what my alternative is....I will do it...otherwise...it's to the ER today.
I just cannot do this anymore....and killing myself slowly just isn't looking too good to me.....

thanks again, ya'll

[Alky]

PCP dropped me cold and I'm afraid of detox

Be careful about going to an ER if you have a history of seizures. I allegedly had a seizure and although the doctor didn't witness it, I almost lost my driver license over it. Most states have a provision in place in which loss of consciousness due to a seizure results in a medical driver license suspension for 3-6 months. If I really did have a seizure and the doctor saw it, I probably would have lost my license for 6 months. And unlike a DUI, you can't get a provisional hardship license. You are simply SOL.

[spiritwolf333]

PCP dropped me cold and I'm afraid of detox

Hi Corn -wow, sounds like you are in a rock between several hard places. I attended a semi-outpatient detox place in Savannah GA called Assisted Recovery Center (Terry Bruce is the owner). (5- to 7 day) intensive detox center that also has the ability to prescribe Baclofen and/or other drugs. Certainly too much money but it was my only option at the time -and because of the Baclofen, I remain alcohol free for over a year and half now. Please go ahead and get help -wherever that may be.

[Rand all]

PCP dropped me cold and I'm afraid of detox

That's f**king shocking Cornczech. In the UK that's more or less illegal. I go to my GP and tell him I need a break and I'm immediately given a blood test and Librium and if I want I'm also referred to a drug and alcohol counselor. The US health care system sickens me at times.