Detox in UK and Diazepam

[sofia]

Hi all. I wondered if there were any other people out there who have been advised to undertake a prolonged home detox?

My history: I'm 40ish, been drinking heavily for the past 6 years. Every day. At least a bottle of wine, sometimes 2, sometimes 3. Sometimes I would have a vodka binge although that was rare. Often starting drinking in the morning, sometimes holding off til dinner time.

I have sometimes not eaten for days, just drank.

I finally confessed all to my doctor about a month ago. He was very helpful and understanding and he advised that me to not drink til 7pm at night, and then drink half a bottle of wine. Plus take 5mg of Diazepam (Valium).

I stuck to this rigidly. Felt tons better. Went through a rough week the first week but I've slowly got my appetite back and am eating 3 meals a day, taking vits, milk thistle, etc.

I had a follow up visit to the doctor today and he is adamant that because of my drinking history, I HAVE to stay on the diazepam and slowly decrease my drinking over the next 6 months. He says we can aim for me to be AF from January (!) but by then I will be addicted to the Diazepam so we'll have to work a program out to detox from that.

Now, I know from being a lurker on these forums for years that it is best to follow the doctors advice, and I will do so. I just wondered if anyone else had been through this type of thing?

I obviously would prefer to stop drinking altogether but I've been told that will be extremely dangerous.

Any experiences or comments welcome.

Thanks for reading.

[JackieClaire]

Detox in UK and Diazepam

:welcome: Sofia,

I have done home detoxes and out patients detoxes since around about 2003 and I have to say I have never been advised to drink on top of diazepam.

All my detoxes were done over a 7/10 days. Not a single one lasting over 10 days.

They were all done by starting with a high dosage of diazepam for two days and tapering down a little each day to zero after a week or so. This will get the physical dependency of alcohol over and done with in a short while and then you can start the work of living AF.

You're right in thinking that to stop drinking cold turkey can be dangerous but with a proper short detox plan it can be done much quicker.

I'm not one for questioning the methods of GPs but it strikes me as very odd he/she wishes to keep you on diazepam for over 5 months.

My last detox started 7th July 2009 and with my GPs help, counselling, the support of the lovely peeps on MWO I've been AF ever since.

I really hope something can be sorted out much quicker for you, Hun. Fingers crossed.

J x
:l

[sofia]

Detox in UK and Diazepam

Thank you

for the quick reply JackieClaire.

I have read EXTENSIVELY about detoxing safely, getting GP's advice, etc. And I tend to agree with you. Higher doses of Diazepam over a short period with no alcohol intake is almost always recommended.

My Doctor is a fairly youngish one. Don't know if this is a new method but it certainly doesn't make sense to me to swap one addiction for another. I'm also not sure I can stick to the plan of drinking just half a bottle a night. I'm an alcoholic. I've moderated for 3 weeks but I'd prefer not to have any alcohol in the house at all tbh.

I think I'll go back and see a different Doctor in the same Practice and see what they say. I am just ready to detox as safely and quickly as I can and never pick up a bottle again.

[JackieClaire]

Detox in UK and Diazepam

Good idea about seeing another doctor. Funnily enough the young doctor who was supposed to see me called in one of the senior partners as she's never had to deal with one before.

If you can get someone to go with you that would be ideal or if not take a note book. Even now when I visit the GP most things go in one ear and out the other.

J x
:l

[Guest]

Detox in UK and Diazepam

I agree with Jackie, this doesn't sound right at all. Drinking on top of a sedative can be dangerous, especially since you have admitted to having a problem. Diazepam is in the addictive sedatives group, and you can build tolerance this way.

I always remember the first time I went to my then GP. He sent me home with a bottle of valium, told me to take one twice a day and never drink again. I took them for 3 or 4 days then drank, ended up completely zonked. Thank goodness he didn't give me any more than 7 days supply.

You can do without a sedative addiction on top of your drinking, and I hear it actually makes detox twice as bad if you have both dependencies to deal with. I'd try and taper off one, then the other, but you do definitely need the advice of another Dr. Someone who knows something about alcohol problems!

[sofia]

Detox in UK and Diazepam

Thank You UkBlonde.

I'll be sticking to my half a bottle per night (hopefully), but I'm not planning to take the Diazepam. I'll go back to another doctor on Monday and talk it through again.

I'm also on an anti-depressant (which is slightly sedative) and I don't think the Doctor I talked to took that into account either.

I think I know my way forward now. Thanks for your reply.

[red67]

Detox in UK and Diazepam

Hi Sofia and welcome! I was a daily drinker for 10 years. My drink was rumplemintz (I believe it was 100 proof...very strong stuff) I drank a pint every night and more on weekends. When I finally quit for good I drank a little bit less every night til I was completely done after one week on March 17 this year. I took no meds, lots of supplements though. I had no withdrawals during or after and now I have been AL free since then. If you can stick to a half a bottle a night and even less as each night passes I believe you can be AL free within 7 to 10 days. I am no doctor of course and I can't obviously tell you what to do, but drinking does so much damage to us and it is much healthier to quit than continue to drink. Maybe the new doctor will have a clearer choice for you. Keep posting here and let us know how you are doing.

[Guest]

Detox in UK and Diazepam

red67;1151422 wrote: Hi Sofia and welcome! I was a daily drinker for 10 years. My drink was rumplemintz (I believe it was 100 proof...very strong stuff) I drank a pint every night and more on weekends. When I finally quit for good I drank a little bit less every night til I was completely done after one week on March 17 this year. I took no meds, lots of supplements though. I had no withdrawals during or after and now I have been AL free since then. If you can stick to a half a bottle a night and even less as each night passes I believe you can be AL free within 7 to 10 days. I am no doctor of course and I can't obviously tell you what to do, but drinking does so much damage to us and it is much healthier to quit than continue to drink. Maybe the new doctor will have a clearer choice for you. Keep posting here and let us know how you are doing.

Hey Red

that's a great acheivement, good advice too.

[red67]

Detox in UK and Diazepam

Thanks UK! You are one of the members I have followed on here since I joined last year. I admire you for doing everything you can to fight this battle. It looks like NAL is working for you (I tried last year but gave up too soon). You really do inspire me and I am sure many other people here.

[sofia]

Detox in UK and Diazepam

Red67, thanks for your reply and well done on your progress.

I'm absolutely baffled as to why my Doctor recommended this particular way forward for me. He looked at my Liver Function results and told me "you're 8 years off from being George Best". (He didn't give me actual readings/levels. Just told me it was bad).

So part of me is thinking that maybe my Liver Function Results played a part in his decision to advise a lot less drinking and taking the Diazepam?

I'll go back on Monday and talk it through some more. Thanks for all your input so far. I'll try to keep you updated.

[JackieClaire]

Detox in UK and Diazepam

Hi sofia,

Glad you checked in again. Start taking your milk thistle now, it's amazing that when you get about 6 weeks off the booze your liver should be showing normal.

Dying to here what the Dr says on Monday. Mebbes write a list of questions.


Red, fantastic achievement on the tapering.

J x
:l

[sofia]

Detox in UK and Diazepam

Hi Jackie

Will update after Monday. I've already started taking vit B, Milk Thistle, Multi vits, vit C. Eating a lot better too. 3 meals a day, healthy food. Lots of water.

I feel like a different person already but I'm so scared of a seizure/fit. So I've had one glass of wine tonight.

Roll on Monday is all I can say........

Thanks for your support. x

[JackieClaire]

Detox in UK and Diazepam

You're doing really well, you'll be AF before you know it.

[ATLThrash]

Detox in UK and Diazepam

Sofia-- I cannot speak to tapering with alcohol and benzos (diazepam is a benzo) but I cna speak to benzos used for longer than a coupel of weeks or sporadically. First, I was always told by my doc never ever take benzos while drinking. Coming off booze-- that is different. I cna speak to taking benzos for a prolonged time. I took them at a low dose as the doctor advised and I was hooked. The withdrawal from them was horrid. I quit cold tukey and it was tough. But I have not touched them in years. Steven Tyler (from Aerosmith) said in his book that he was told after getting on them that it would have been better to be hooked on heroin because the wihdrawal is shorter and better than it is with benzos. Having not taken heroin I am not sure of that but it was a tough one to overcome. Now, with that said-- if your heart is racing and your bp is crazy-- please do take them. They can help you alot through the first days. But I would question the long use of them--you do not want to trade one addiction for another (or at least that was how I felt!). Good luck

[sofia]

Detox in UK and Diazepam

Hello again

I'm late in my promised update. Sorry.

What happened was there was no other Doctor available (or willing) to see me. So I ended up getting put on Diazepam on repeat prescription for the next 6 months (5mgs a day) with the advise to stay on half a bottle of wine a night and have monthly reviews with the doctor to discuss tapering down my al intake slowly and further. Initially the doctor had said there was no way Diazepam could be put on repreat prescription for more than a month but now I'm allowed to have it until January! I've stuck to the half bottle a night but I don't really feel I'm getting anywhere. I just want to be off it altogether.

I've made an appointment to see my usual doctor in 3 weeks (earliest time he could fit me in!).

I am drinking less than I used to, but I am still taking the diazepam.

The untimely demise of Amy Winehouse has scared me to death! (her family believe she died by coming off al too quickly). Maybe my GP does know what he's talking about. So I'll try to stick to the reduced AL intake and the Diaz for now. Not my ideal scenario but hopefully, I'll be ok.

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