Quit drinking after hospitalization

[matti1024]

Hey all,

I'm a newbie here, and am still in a lot of mental pain after being hospitalized with pancreatitis a week ago. The Doc told me to stop drinking (easy? Hah!) after years of imbibing the wicked juices. I went cold turkey the past week, and couldn't sleep. It was pure hell. I finally slept last night for awhile.

My wife is an angel. She hates to see me like this. Thoughts?

Thanks in advance,

Matti1024

[aihflvt]

Quit drinking after hospitalization

Welcome Matti, I didn't sleep for almost 80 hours after a particularly bad detox. I have a prescription for trazodone, which had no effect while I was detoxing and it usually knocks me out and can keep me out for 9-10 hours. Has your doctor given you any prescriptions for sleep aids to try? The insomnia will be wicked for a while, at least in my experience.

You will find a very supportive community here and all of us are wrestling with similar demons.

[matti1024]

Quit drinking after hospitalization

Thanks for that, aihflvt. I have an appointment on Tuesday with a psychiatrist.

This whole latest alcoholic binge began when I moved back to SoCal and went off of three psychoactive medications (Lexapro, Abilify, and Klonopin) due to not being able to find a doctor because of change of insurance. I substituted alcohol for these meds, stupidly.

Hopefully my brain will get back to normal soon! I feel better than a couple of weeks ago, but still feel like utter crap. Wish me luck!

[Nelz]

Quit drinking after hospitalization

My only words of wisdom is to just stick it out. Your body is not "normal" at all right now. It has some regulating to do, and its probably going to take it out on YOU because YOU are the one that put it through its paces.......LOL

I only know that because I did the same thing to my poor skin and bones. You wont get better overnight...but you will get better. Every morning you wake up, and can say.....I didnt drink last night, will seem like a great battle won......and it is.

I cant help you much on the sleep because I have sleeping issues and NOTHING can get me down anymore....well, except ambiens....and those are just too strong.

Try and hang tough, fight the urge...surf the urge...redirect your thoughts do whatever it takes, and eventually, you can retrain your thinking

[matti1024]

Quit drinking after hospitalization

Zenstyle;1340388 wrote: Insomnia sucks. I started with it at 14... and it really is awful. Have you tried any sleep aids at all? Natural ones?

It's close to bedtime, and already I'm freaking out. Can I sleep tonight? I rotate from the bed to the couch and back again, over and over. It's pure torture.

No, natural sleep aids don't work in this situation for me. When I was in the hospital they had me on morphine, Ativan, and Ambien. That sure worked LOL! Ambien works, but is really addictive. I used to have a script for it, and it was hard to get off of.

Wish me luck!

Matti1024

[Kradle123]

Quit drinking after hospitalization

Matti Welcome

[Kradle123]

Quit drinking after hospitalization

Matti Welcome! :welcome: (sorry hit the wrong button )

2 things:

1. You arent stupid for substituting AL for the meds. That's what my brain told me to do all the time and many times it was to save $ ! Seemed very very logical at the time!!


2. This may sound weird but I listen every night to my Books on CD or now it's books on MPS player. I like James Harriot All Creaures Great and Small but I have lots of others...

I drink lots of Hot chocolate with whipped cream and snuggle with the dog...I open all the windows and pile on the blankets. I sometimes take the Tylonal PM which will knock me out but my girlfriend who is 2 years AL free says it does nothing for her..
Anyway, hope one of these helps..
If all else fails just come on to MWO and keep reading. There are SO many posts plus poeple are in all time zones so someone is usually up !:h

Hugs,

:l

[matti1024]

Quit drinking after hospitalization

:thanks: Kradle! Yea, I used to listen to AM talk radio to get to sleep at night when I was going through this before. Gonna pull it out of the drawer right now!

(I appreciate any and all ideas to get me through this living hell!).

[Destiniey]

Quit drinking after hospitalization

Welcome Matti......soooooo sorry to hear about your time in the hospital. I have heard that pancreatitis is very painful...sorry you had to go through that. When I am first off of AL....I am at day 8 now....I have a terrible time getting and staying alseep. I hate taking meds so I listen to meditation Cds or hypnosis Cds. I also have a radio with nature sounds on it....I listen to the ocean waves and I imagine myself floating in the water....i know it sounds corny...but whatever works right!? Good luck!!!

[matti1024]

Quit drinking after hospitalization

Well, it's 4:15 A.M. and no Mr. Sandman. This really sucks. (As some have said, every time you go through this it just gets worse and worse). And this is after nearly 9 days! Pretty astonishingly legal substance, this alcohol.

Matti1024

[Destiniey]

Quit drinking after hospitalization

Hi Matti...so sorry you had a rough night. Another thing that you can try is going to a helath food store and getting some all natural supplements. They also have some great homeopathic remedies for sleep and in combination with talk radio, hypnosis or meditation cds hopefully you can find Mr. Sandman! Congrats on day 9....I am on day 8.

[Cinders]

Quit drinking after hospitalization

Matt,

So sorry about the insomnia. Love the doc that said, "Quit drinking..." So few doctors out there know what this addiction is like.

I would go to a doctor about something to help you sleep. Trazadone was mentioned, I have used that and I now use Seroquel 25 mgs. 50 mgs just too strong. Seroquel is kind of scary because it is a antipsychotic but for sleep it works well except for the first hour of the morning is pretty fuzzy and foggy. A couple cups of coffee and I am finally back at it.

My doctor knows I am an alcoholic so absolutely will not prescribe Ambien or Lunesta.

My experience is that sleep gets normal about six weeks after the last drink. So patience is called for.

However, I have found that about two to three weeks after the last drink, I can switch to Melatonin and it works.

I am about 30 days out from my last drink and sleep is still an issue but I also have other physical things going on. I too, was in the hospital with a perforated stomach caused by drinking.

:welcome: to MWO and I hope this site is of some help to you.

Cindi

[Destiniey]

Quit drinking after hospitalization

Hey Cinders....I have been reading your posts....you are doing so well and are such a strong person! I was curious at to whether or not Melatonin makes you groggy in the morning and if you can take it right at bedtime or if it has to be in your system for a while.

[aihflvt]

Quit drinking after hospitalization

Matti, I don't mean to pry, and please don't feel like you have to answer if you don't, but I'm just curious if you're pancreatitis was alcohol-induced. I read a promotional feature in a mens' magazine about Duff McKagan's (bassist for the band GunsN'Roses) book, and he had alcohol-induced pancreatitis that caused them to swell to the size of a football and rupture. The digestive enzymes left third degree burns over many of his internal organs and he was told he'd be dead in a month if he didn't stop drinking.

Anyway, about the insomnia, it shouldn't be so extreme after serotonin levels in the brain return to normal and there are meds that can accelerate that. My doctor explained to me that since alcohol becomes a substitute for serotonin in your brain chemistry with prolonged drinking, it's difficult to relax and fall asleep immediately after starting alcohol abstinence since you have no alcohol in your brain and reduced levels of serotonin.

[Cinders]

Quit drinking after hospitalization

Destiniey;1340679 wrote: Hey Cinders....I have been reading your posts....you are doing so well and are such a strong person! I was curious at to whether or not Melatonin makes you groggy in the morning and if you can take it right at bedtime or if it has to be in your system for a while.

Hi, Destiniey,

I take it about 30 minutes before bedtime. It does not make me groggy in the morning.

HTH,
Cindi