Withdrawals worse asleep or awake?

[Accountable for Me]

Withdrawals worse asleep or awake?

National,

As Determinator mentioned, the magnesium & lots of fluids really help with the muscle cramping. Not only are we lacking in essential vitamins and minerals, we are also severely dehydrated.

Magnesium helped me tremendously through my roughest withdrawals. Don't forget to drink lots of water as well!

[tiptronic_ct]

Withdrawals worse asleep or awake?

Rejuve, I haven't seen any detailed mention of supplements on this thread?

Are you taking b-vits, L-glutamine etc, etc? It really helped while I was tapering down from a bottle of vodka + bottle of red a day (now down to 2 glasses of red). I was sceptical at first, but very surprised when I tried it out!

Good luck!

[National]

Withdrawals worse asleep or awake?

Thanks for the advice...the muscles seem better today, but they came on late in the day yesterday so I'll pick some up just in case.

[Kimberley]

Withdrawals worse asleep or awake?

Goodness, I haven't been through withdrawals in a while now - not the awful ones. The worst thing about trying to sleep through them is not being able to sleep much at all anyway and the hideous nightmares that always accompanied them. And I mean AWFUL nightmares that would keep me awake for hours afterwards as they were so disturbing. And then waking and not knowing if you're awake or asleep and if it's real or not.

When I had withdrawals there was no way I could even leave the house for 2-3 days as I felt like my face had been hit by a shovel. So dizzy I couldn't even shower the first 2 days. Couldn't even focus my eyes properly, so couldn't have come on here.

All I was able to do was lie down with the radio on and feel like sh*t, shaking, sweating, sometimes vomiting. As Beatle says, going to the loo was an awful ordeal. Hallucinations, visuals, thinking I would fall down the stairs if I tried to walk.

And the pain was like no ordinary pain - it was like a ripping inside of me, a tugging sensation inside my torso. Not the most painful feeling at all, but the most frustrating and feeling like I had someone touching me. I'm sure I don't even need to go into the anxiety!

I could never taper as I would end up drinking it all too quickly and finishing everything in the house until I was too sick to go out and get anything.

I am so glad that I went through it for the last time. If ever I want to try to drink ridiculously again, In hope I can remember how awful withdrawls were.

Good luck, sorry if that was a scary post. I think tapering is a much better idea than going through that, although it won't be easy. I really hope you can do it successfully. Keep posting!

[beatle]

Withdrawals worse asleep or awake?

Hardly any true alcoholics can taper. I've done it a few times, but not through willpower, that's for sure. (The rational part of my brain disappears with one glass of anything with alcohol in it.) It still can be done, but only if you have a flawless plan. I have developed two (although I hope to never need them again!).

Strategy #1 (I did this successfully 3 times):

1) Make sure there is no alcohol in the house (I know this is a difficult starting point, and until a couple years ago, when I confessed to my husband, we always had tons of it around -- although I did most the drinking, he did most the buying in Duty Free on his trips abroad). He agreed to an alcohol-free house since then... of course it always had my alcohol hidden in the closet or the basement.

2) Assuming your house really is alcohol-free (meaning you've used up your stash and are ready to go out for more), go buy exactly 3/4 of what you usually consume in a day. Bring it home, and allow yourself to drink at the normal pace, or draw it out if you can. By the time you -- or at least I -- have had a couple drinks, you cannot drive anymore. It is dangerous and you risk your life and reputation. No matter how drunk I am, I always remember that. I'll do almost anything for a drink, but I won't risk killing someone for it. (Of course, this step also assumes you live too far to walk to a liquor store... and in my case, all the liquor stores in my country close at 5:00, anyway, which is helpful.)

3) When you are done with the 3/4 of the usual, you will be pretty mellow, but pissed off because you really want a little more. But tough luck, you can't have it, so, seeing as you really are not suffering so much and there's no way to get any alcohol, you go to bed early and fall right to sleep anyway, because you are actually pretty drunk, just not quite a s drunk as usual.

4) You continue this routine, tapering slightly down at your own speed for as long as it takes. After a while you can get by with a drink or two. Then you decide whether you want to go AF or not. I have usually been satisfied with moderation, but that only lasts... well as long as it lasts.

****Every time you sober up, staying there is the biggest challenge. These strategies are just ways to do it by tapering down, and thus avoiding horrible withdrawals. The rest is a big puzzle, that everyone has to figure out themselves.

Strategy #2: (This depends on you having a willing partner to go along with the scheme)... You get drunk and feel awful, and in a moment of hazy, miserable weakness, or I prefer to call it strength, you give over all your hidden alcohol to your partner on the condition that he/she allow you to have, say, 3 drinks the first night, 2 the second and third, one the fourth and fifth (for example--- you make up your own schedule). In order to make this work, you can never be allowed to go out of the house/apartment on your own during the sobering up period. It's a tall order, I know, but if you are lying in bed in agony for 3 days, you can just as well be cooped up in the house looking forward to your next drink for 3 days, and at least avoid the physical pain and risks.

And, finally, if you are convinced that going cold turkey is the only option, then you should get lorazepam (ativan) from your doctor and take a lot and lay in bed for 2-3 days. If you don't want to admit to your doctor you have alcohol problems, tell him/her you have severe anxiety problems and you have researched it and believe lorazepam will help you. (This is what I did, and I got a 2-year's supply.) Lorazepam makes you very drowsy, but it takes away a lot of the worst discomfort, and, most importantly, it reduces the risk of seizures.

Good luck and PM me if you have any more questions. I believe I am the Queen of Withdrawal here (but I will willingly descend the throne and give it over to a more worthy drunk!).

[beatle]

Withdrawals worse asleep or awake?

p.s I forgot the part with the supplements. I think I am also the Supplement Queen here (and I won't willingly step down from that throne)... go check the Holistic Healing forum about that. There is an incredible amount of information there.

Heavy-duty supplementation before, during, and after withdrawal are essential. And if you prepare with a good diet and lots of relevant supplements, the withdrawal will be much easier. Believe me, I talk from experience.

[Boss.man]

Withdrawals worse asleep or awake?

I find for me, the anxiety of withdrawals are worst when I'm asleep or awake.

Haha! You asked.

Things actually have gone smoothly for me at work. It's more distracting. I've had enough bed-laying pity parties to suit me for the rest of my life. I still cycle sometimes and slip, and then have to detox. But my cycles are getting longer, and the detox is easier when I catch the slip quick and get back on the right road.

[beatle]

Withdrawals worse asleep or awake?

Thanks Sheri-- I also use "Seven Weeks to Sobriety" as my key reference when it comes to supplements.

I had never seen that article before-- very thorough and helpful.

[Guest]

Withdrawals worse asleep or awake?

I think trying to get your body back into a decent eating and sleeping routine is the most important. Today I've had the jitters so going out for a walk was not on the cards. What I have done is eaten 3 meals, drank lots of water and am off to bed shortly. I get muscular aches and pains too, you have to remember alcohol is an anaesthetic so taking away you painkiller means your nervous system is going to go crazy.

I don't advocate shovelling loads of pills and suppliments down one's neck - but do agree at first some people do require that extra help, whilst they eliminate the alcohol and get back into following a proper, healthy diet.

Regards withdrawl medications - librium/temazepam/valium is highly recommended but you must be clear you cannot drink on any of these sedatives. To do so can depress your breathing which is serious, or cause you to pass out dangerously. This happened to a guy living in a town nearby - he was prescribed sedatives and drank on them. Newspaper reported he'd a drink problem so don't know if the sedatives were to help him detox. Anyway, he fell down the stairs and broke his neck. That's aside from any risk of developing an addiction to the sedatives.

I'm putting up with my shakiness right now since I know if I drink even the bottle of wine I have remaining, then I may wipe out another 2 days, and that's if I'm lucky. Has to be all or nothing.