New here, need help

[colbe]

New here, need help

Great! Please touch base with us when you get back from the Dr. and let us know how it went.

[cacky]

New here, need help

Whiterabbit, does your doc know how much you drink. that is a key component to help diagnosis. you really arent doing yourself any favors by not disclosing. by the way i am drinking already today to so join the club

[WhiteRabbit]

New here, need help

Well, went to the docs, and it turns out is IS indeed menopause. :upset: At least I know what it is at any rate. I did mention my poor appetite and my drinking. He said it had nothing to do with my problem, that it was strictly hormonal. But he did have that typical, condescending tone that people have when they know you're an alcoholic. But, whatever! He's just a gyn, so not really surprised.

When I go through the detox, that should hopefully get me on the right track to getting the rest of my health issues sorted out.

On a side note, by the time I got back from the docs I was feeling pretty hungry, and was able to get a handful of baby carrots and a yogurt down.

[colbe]

New here, need help

Are you going to try and detox yourself or get help?

[polaryzed]

New here, need help

Great Start . . .

Great start White Rabbit . . . so happy to hear you felt hungry and could eat something.

I think this good news is because of all the wonderful support from the good ppl. here at MWO and that You really want help Yourself.

Menopause hummmm, that's always interesting. Been there, does that mean you have to take estrogen?

I hope you will stay with us and read and thread to keep us updated on your progress. (I have learned an abundance of things about myself since coming here in January 2009.

Best of the best to you White Rabbit. :l

[Goodboy]

New here, need help

I am with you man...

Sounds like we are in the same boat. I drink a fifth of V every day as well. Don't get drunk, but keep a buzz. Sometimes the first guzzle makes me want to urp, but I get past it. I too have the withdrawals after a couple hours without the stuff. I am trying to decide how to moderate or quit, but not sure how I can do it. A counselor told me ther may be some genetic components ( both sides of my family have/had alcoholic tendencies ). I can't just quit cold turkey. I get the urge so bad after about 8 hours that my mouth waters just thinking about the next drink. You are not alone. Feel free to contact me since it sounds like our journey may be down the same path. I do know that the first step, we have already taken. We know we need help and we want to make a change. There are lots of good people and good advice here. I am going to try the L-Glut. I used to take lots of supplements as a weight lifter and I know lots of them work. Haven't tried the Kudzu. What I read tells me that it may help moderate the amounts. ( You get the same feeling with less AL.) That kinda scares me though. If I process the AL differently with the Kudzu, I may just get more smashed until I learn to deal with it? Anyone have comments?
Hang tough and don't get bummed when you stumble. We all fell down when we were crawling and first learned to walk.

[last call]

New here, need help

White Rabbit, I would ask my doctor for some librium. I was drinking like you and had seizures when I stopped on my own. Not to scare you, but they're no fun. It happened on the 3rd or 4th day after I quit. 20 seizures in a row and then a gran mal. I know you probably don't like hearing that, but I'm just looking out for you. Take care and tell your doctor what you're going thru. Please. And by the way welcome. Keep coming it really has helped me alot.

[Goodboy]

New here, need help

What?

That's scary for me too last call. I get the quakes and all after about 8 hours, and I feel the panic and tremors coming on, but I didn't count on seizures. Is this common?

[last call]

New here, need help

I really haven't heard of too many ppl having them on this site. I think alot of it was mental too. I was going thru a rough time. Had to go to court and it was freaking me out. I'll tell you I had been drinking alot for a long time. When I quit I didn't sleep or eat for 3 days then the seizures kicked in. I guess you never know, but better to be safe than sorry. They can kill you. Take care.

[Goodboy]

New here, need help

Well rabbit, I guess this too will come to pass if it must. A lot of things are easier to get into than get out of. Take marriage for instance. The fear of the unknown may be worse than the reality of it. I haven't been sober long enough to see the true effects of withdrawal, so this too is ja ourney that we must take. I will post often when I am on my way, and you do the same.
Live long and prosper.

[LilBit]

New here, need help

:goodjob:WhiteRabbit, YAY to the baby carrots and yogurt! Not only did you eat, you ate something really healthy! I can't stand condescending doctors (or anyone) :stomper: Sorry you had to endure that. As for the big "M" well, they say that we can have "peri-M" as early as age 35 these days. I thought I was going thru it, but the "peri-M night sweats" mysteriously disappeared completely after I cut out the AL. Hmmm....

Goodboy, please try to get your sleep and make sure you eat as well as you can when you withdraw. My son has seizures (not AL related) and I've seen many instances where the lack of sleep alone can induce them. Low blood sugar (from not eating) can bring them on too. I'm sure those things didn't help Last Call during that tough time.

And good for you, Last Call, for sticking it out through all that!! :goodjob:

[WhiteRabbit]

New here, need help

Wow! I'm just astounded by the support here! :thanks:

colbe wrote: Are you going to try and detox yourself or get help?
No way! I've tried before to quit on my own, before I got as bad as I am now, and the withdrawals were horrible. It's even worse now. I'm going for an evaluation at the county rehab tomorrow. I guess I'll find out if I need to detox in patient, or if I can do it at home. But I know for sure I'm gonna need some meds to help me through the first week or so.

polaryzed wrote: Great start White Rabbit . . . so happy to hear you felt hungry and could eat something.

I think this good news is because of all the wonderful support from the good ppl. here at MWO and that You really want help Yourself.

Menopause hummmm, that's always interesting. Been there, does that mean you have to take estrogen?

I hope you will stay with us and read and thread to keep us updated on your progress. (I have learned an abundance of things about myself since coming here in January 2009.

Best of the best to you White Rabbit.

Thanks polaryzed! Yes, it's the big M. He's got me on natural hormones, which are supposed to be safer with less risk than the synthetic ones. They have to be ordered directly from the manufacturer, so tha doc has ordered them and I should get them in about a week. It's a combo of progesterone, Triestrogen (3 types of estrogen), Testosterone, and DHEA.

And indeed the support of this great community will surely be a great help. I know I'm with ppl who understand what I'm going through, as they're going through it too.

Goodboy wrote: Sounds like we are in the same boat. I drink a fifth of V every day as well. Don't get drunk, but keep a buzz. Sometimes the first guzzle makes me want to urp, but I get past it. I too have the withdrawals after a couple hours without the stuff. I am trying to decide how to moderate or quit, but not sure how I can do it. A counselor told me ther may be some genetic components ( both sides of my family have/had alcoholic tendencies ). I can't just quit cold turkey. I get the urge so bad after about 8 hours that my mouth waters just thinking about the next drink. You are not alone. Feel free to contact me since it sounds like our journey may be down the same path. I do know that the first step, we have already taken. We know we need help and we want to make a change. There are lots of good people and good advice here. I am going to try the L-Glut. I used to take lots of supplements as a weight lifter and I know lots of them work. Haven't tried the Kudzu. What I read tells me that it may help moderate the amounts. ( You get the same feeling with less AL.) That kinda scares me though. If I process the AL differently with the Kudzu, I may just get more smashed until I learn to deal with it? Anyone have comments?
Hang tough and don't get bummed when you stumble. We all fell down when we were crawling and first learned to walk.

Wow! You sound like you're going through exactly the same stuff as me. Well, minus the menopause, lol! It really IS very difficult to go more than a few hours without the nasty withdrawals kicking in. :no:

I too am familiar with most of the supplements, as I used to work out a lot before I developed Frozen Shoulder. I have a closet full of supplements, lol! :H The Glutamine seems to help a little with the craving, but of course does nothing for the withdrawals. I've tried Kudzu before, and it didn't seem to do anything for me unfortunately.

Thanks for the encouragement, and you hang in there too! Would be cool if both of us pulled through this together and kept track of each others journey.

LOL! I love your comment: "A lot of things are easier to get into than get out of. Take marriage for instance." That is SO true! I've been separated from my husband for nearly 4 years, but I'll be damned if I can get this divorce finalized!

last call wrote: White Rabbit, I would ask my doctor for some librium. I was drinking like you and had seizures when I stopped on my own. Not to scare you, but they're no fun. It happened on the 3rd or 4th day after I quit. 20 seizures in a row and then a gran mal. I know you probably don't like hearing that, but I'm just looking out for you. Take care and tell your doctor what you're going thru. Please. And by the way welcome. Keep coming it really has helped me alot.
Last call, that's exactly why I know I can't do this alone. I've read about all the nasty stuff withdrawals can do, and the seizure part really did scare me. :eeks: That sounds really horrible what you went through. Kudos to you for sticking it out and coming through it ok. Indeed, those seizures can kill you!

From what I've read, Topamax, which a lot of the ppl here are using, is an anti-seizure drug that also has the side benefit of taming alcohol cravings, so I'm gonna see about getting a script for that.

LilBit wrote: WhiteRabbit, YAY to the baby carrots and yogurt! Not only did you eat, you ate something really healthy! I can't stand condescending doctors (or anyone) Sorry you had to endure that. As for the big "M" well, they say that we can have "peri-M" as early as age 35 these days. I thought I was going thru it, but the "peri-M night sweats" mysteriously disappeared completely after I cut out the AL. Hmmm....

Yeah, I hate condescending ppl too, which is why I was reluctant to mention it to him, but I figured I should in case it had something to do with my problem. Heck, for all I know, the alcohol may have gotten my hormones all outta whack. But yes, I've experienced peri-menopause symptoms since I was about 35 as well.

I'm pretty sure most of my health issues will resolve or improve once I get off the sauce and let my body start to heal. Not looking forward to going through the withdrawals, but I AM looking forward to feeling good again, being able to eat normally, and being healthier.

Thanks you ALL so much for your care and support. I really think it will help me get through this knowing there are others who have gone through or are going through the same struggle as me. You are a ll wonderful, caring people!

:thanks:

[startafresh]

New here, need help

Hello,
I'm too new to say much either, but wanted to say I am thinking of you. And if Baxter is close at hand, do tell him about your troubles. Does he sleep in a basket close by? Like some people have said, he probably misses you lots and wants you to be happy.
best
starta

[Luvwins]

New here, need help

WhiteRabbit, Detox/rehab is the best idea for possible serious withdrawal - good for you for going for it. Alcohol withdrawal seizures are relatively rare but very serious and need to be prevented with specific librium/valium type medications and not other anti-seizure medications. Many doctors, especially a gyn, wouldn't be that familiar with treating withdrawal out of a supervised setting like a hospital or detox center.