A tough decision - please help!

[Lion]

hi all, i have been lurking and reading for some weeks now. my brother has a very serious problem. his doctor will not give him bac or nal and i cannot find any doctors in my area who even know TSM or baclofen at all. if i do nothing he will die...if i order it on line for him than if something bad happens i will be guilty all of my life....help!!!

he just got his 2nd DWI, endangering the welfare of a child, tried to get into a treatment program that will not call him back, i just dont know what to do but i see him dead or in jail very soon. he was over a 0.5 friday morning and that is not a typo! they sent him to the hospital cause he was close to coma state.

[gyco]

A tough decision - please help!

hi lion your question is interesting,i looked up the drugs you speak of ,again yesterday,there not a cure for alchoholism,theyre a bandaid,i being a drinker ,understand your pain,i was thro treatment,forced actually,some it helps,some it dont,most doctors no litle of addiction,nor do most want to,unless there addicted themselves,he has to want the help,i am sorry for your delema,gyco

[Guest]

A tough decision - please help!

Hi Lion,
I sent you a PM, take care

[eight days a week]

A tough decision - please help!

Hi Lion, welcome to the forum, though I'm very sorry indeed to hear about your brother.

How close to death do you worry he is? If it's from the physical effects of the alcohol, then he needs to get into a detox program asap in my humble opinion. If it's from his behaviour while drunk (the driving etc) then maybe that's the answer too.

Nal under the Sinclair Method can be a long and slow process (maybe longer than six months) to 'cure' him, and it's far from 100% successful.

Baclofen seems to promise quicker help from everything I've read, but some people (like myself) get strong side effects, so you'll need to go slowly with that at first and see how he goes.

Although you're right to do so, I wouldn't worry too much about ordering for him. He wants to try either himself, doesn't he, and has read both the books? But you are the only one with internet access who can find the places to order from? People here can tell you the reputable places to get the medicines.

My specialist works a lot with Baclofen, and thinks it more successful when started after a detox, but he works to an absolute limit of 200mg which is lower than the Ameisen model.

At the levels your brother's drinking he either needs an inpatient or home chemical detox, or to taper his drinking down (with the help of Baclofen?) Stopping cold turkey could be really very dangerous.

All the best to you both, please let us know how he's getting on, and keep on posting any questions you may have

[Lion]

A tough decision - please help!

thanks, gyco, hoping, 8. i think i am going to go ahea an order it. its not much money overall and i feel that i am taking over where my parents would, because they both passed in 2007. his problem began before then, that is when mine began. i became the person to go to i guess. i will try, its no worse that dumping the trememdous amount of vodka i guess, 1/2 gallon? wow. but its really really true. i can barely do 1/2 pint and even then have black outs.....i will order enough bac for him for 2 months. he is a big guy, 6 5 and easy 350 lbs...he does not have internet nor a job anymore, and prob no license soon as he got the dwi but it kills me to see him like this as he is so much like my dad yet so much not. my dad would NEVER allow this crap - he would get up off his ass and do something, anything, and he would not stop unitl he fixed it. that was my dad.

[Brave Hearted]

A tough decision - please help!

Hi Lion I have read your story with interest and just wanted to contribute my thoughts.

Firstly, I disagree with Gyco for me bac and nal have been a cure, although I have had to make life changes and change my mind set, but ultimatley they have saved my life and given me a quality of life I never dreamed possible and I know my experience is the same as a fair few other people on here.

Secondly, your brother is very fortunate to have you on his side, but ultimatley he has to want to stop drinking himself as taking any meds is not enough , like I just said you have to change yourself along with taking the meds.

Thirdly, reading your last post about your father , you said your father would NEVER allow this crap, unfortunatly nobody will stop a drinker drinking, you only have to read through the stories here of broken relationships, estranged children, lost jobs, homes, driving licences and a hundred other thing to apprecitate the strength of this illness. Its great that you want to support your borther and help in any way (he really does not know how lucky he is I, like many others have had to do this on my own) but ultimatly its his problem and not yours . Has your brother been on here and seen what is avaialbe ? as taking the meds would probably not be enough I know for me that on occassions when I have struggled and wanted to give up I have come on here, chatted with some lovely people who have become my friends, got support and got through it, that has been just as improtant in my recovery as the meds.

I wish you and your brother luck. Keep coming on as this truely is a wonderful place.

Regards BH x

[Lion]

A tough decision - please help!

Hi BH,
When i said that my father would of never allowed it, I meant he would have never given up, sorry for my bad choice of words! I too struggle with this same thing but i have researched every day - then i found this site! I just ordered him 1200 10 mg pills. We have an agreement right now that he will hit one AA meeting a day (at least to end the isolation) and i will buy him the med.
I believe he does want to stop, but feels hopeless so in every way that I can I just am looking to give him hope. I told him to go to urgent care and ask for it as mentione in another post to get the script started but they refused to give it to him - gave him Amrix instead and Loratabs. he will just throw those out but he did try! And he actually went to a meeting tonight!
I wish i could afford to gift him the internet and a computer too so he could be on here with all of us but that I cannot do being a single mom and a kid who needs braces to the tune of 5 grand!
Question: I know no ones knows what his does will get up to but do you think 1200 pills at 10 mg each is a good start for now??? I am worried its not enough, and they havent even arrived. lol. I feel much better, thanks all!

[Lion]

A tough decision - please help!

Also, it is very odd but he can go on these binges and never require detox....I do not know how he does it....Maybe cause he has been doing it for so long? Or he might be detoxing using beer......just does not say so?

[Guest]

A tough decision - please help!

Lion,
I want to commend you for what you are doing. Your brother is very lucky. Yes that many tablets should give him a great start. Please try to take care of yourself too. Keep us posted.