Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Time for another shot at the champ (with the help of Campral)

Collapse
X
Collapse
 
  • Page of 2
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts
Previous 1 2 template Next
    #1

    Time for another shot at the champ (with the help of Campral)

    I'm back again, thought I would submit a quick entry. Shitstorm of a weekend, on holiday in Amsterdam for a weekend. Started drinking at 8 am Thursday, didn't stop until Saturday night. Constant drinking, vomiting in public in a city I don't know on my own. Terrible, sweaty sleep on Saturday but it was only a warmup for the withdrawal on Sunday (yesterday) which was absolutely harrowing. Needed to take 1.25 mg alprazolam just to get on the flight which was, even at that, terrifying. Realised I have to do something about this again, went to the doctor this morning who at once gave me 500 microgram alprazolam four times a day, Campral and Nexium for the stomach problems. He's the best doctor in the world for me, and he didn't even charge a dime.

    Now, I'm back on Campral, which is bitter-sweet. Its very effective for me. Definitely the most effective solution I've found. It has a big downside though in that it obliterates my libido, and I suspect that it may have caused weight gain previously. Not certain about the latter because I was also on Sertraline that time so maybe it was that. Honestly, it was sounds like a it shouldn't be a tough decision to get the solution at the mere expense of libido but it was a tough decision. I'm committed now, so wish me luck.

    EoTL
    The most exhausting thing in life is being insincere.
    Tags: None
    #2
    Time for another shot at the champ (with the help of Campral)

    Hi EOTL, right now I'm on baclofen and Campral for anti-craving and Buspar for the anxiety/panic attacks that were a key factor in my drinking. I'm surprised your doctor had you start Campral right away. My psychiatrist told me to wait at least five days until I was detoxed before starting it. Are you also receiving therapy and/or any other kind of support? When I was taking Campral alone, my psychiatrist advised me Campral is most effective with some type of psychosocial support. Good luck making it stick this time.
    In the middle of my life's journey, I found myself in a dark wood, as I had lost the straight path. It is a difficult thing to speak about, how wild, harsh and impenetrable that wood is. Just thinking about it recreates the fear. It is scarcely less bitter than death, but in order to tell of the good that I found there, I must tell of the other things I saw there. --Dante, paraphrased

    Comment

      #3
      Time for another shot at the champ (with the help of Campral)

      Hey Alky, Its weird you said that because its the second time I've read that today. I would have thought that it would be helpful to start Campral during detox because it might negate some of the symptoms. My symptoms have been pretty bad today regarding withdrawal, worse I've had while being treated with xanax. I was feeling bugs crawl over my skin a while ago and was panicking, then I took an additional 500 micrograms of xanax and they went away. The bug hallucinations had never happened to me before.

      Yea you're supposed to have some social support, but I haven't quite figured out what that will be yet. Want to get my brain back on an even-keel first then figure out whats next. Did your psychiatrist prescribe the baclofen? I tried that before and almost lost my mind. I have to stick to it, I just hope I get through this stage without developing full blown DTs. I don't think that's possible though, I was only drinking for three days, albeit completely constantly. I didn't eat either, so maybe I'm magnesium deficient or something.

      Are you sober, or how long have you been?
      The most exhausting thing in life is being insincere.

      Comment

        #4
        Time for another shot at the champ (with the help of Campral)

        I'm sure you know all the tricks o' the trade, Vitamin B and potassium and maybe a nice epsom salt bath for a little magnesium. I drink pepto bismol like water usually when I'm drinking and after. Oh, speaking of, lots of water. And yeah, 3 days is long enough - but full blown DTs are more related to how bad your previous withdrawals/detoxes have been, not necessarily related to how much/how long you drank previous to stopping this time. It *is* progressive (kindling) I think (except for an article or 2 Ne posted somewhere, maybe debunking the kindling thing?), but if you haven't had DTs or seizures in the past, you *probably* are safe from that at least this time. Not a doctor - and my withdrawals have never been bad enough to feel bugs or hallucinate, so I don't know from personal experience either.

        Anyway, good luck my friend.

        Comment

          #5
          Time for another shot at the champ (with the help of Campral)

          Hi EOTL. I would echo what Stuck said - that 3 days of continuous drinking could be enough to bring about serious withdrawal, but it's a lot less likely if you haven't experienced this type of withdrawal in the past.

          I, too, have gotten the bug hallucinations, as well as DTs and seizures, in the past. And it has been my experience that kindling is a real phenomenon. However, having said that, the xanax should help to keep the withdrawal at bay.

          Xanax is not the go-to benzo of choice for alcohol withdrawal because of its short half-life, but this would likely only mean that you'll have more withdrawal symptoms in between doses than you would if you were on a longer-acting benzo.

          Of course, I am by no means a doctor, so trust your gut. If, at some point, you take a dose of the xanax and the withdrawal continues to worsen anyway, call your doctor for more and/or get yourself to an ER. Good luck to you.

          Comment

            #6
            Time for another shot at the champ (with the help of Campral)

            _EndOfTheLine_ wrote: I would have thought that it would be helpful to start Campral during detox because it might negate some of the symptoms.
            Yeah, unfortunately it doesn't. What Campral does do is restore the GABA-glutamate balance in the brain over time so that the cravings become less intense. But you can't really feel it "doing" anything.

            _EndOfTheLine_ wrote: Yea you're supposed to have some social support, but I haven't quite figured out what that will be yet. Want to get my brain back on an even-keel first then figure out whats next.
            The psychiatrist I see is part of a treatment center, so I get both individual and group therapy there. You might want to look into those options. I also attend AA/NA meetings regularly and have a sponsor, though I've been going more to NA meetings lately since NA deals with addiction itself and not necessarily the substance, whether it's booze, opiates, gambling or even sex.

            _EndOfTheLine_ wrote:             Did your psychiatrist prescribe the baclofen? I tried that before and almost lost my mind.
            Yes. I never got the worst of the side effects since I hit indifference pretty early on - around 120mg. I take 90mg for my "maintenance" dose.

            _EndOfTheLine_ wrote:             Are you sober, or how long have you been?
            Yes, I'm over five weeks now, but then again, I've made it to 60ish days only to relapse more times than I care to count. My motivation to make it stick this time was because I nearly lost my driver license due to an alcohol-related medical incident (a blackout, possibly a seizure). I was very lucky and did not lose my license, but my psychiatrist, who was going to help me fight the suspension told me that there was no chance at reinstatement without some proof of treatment for alcohol dependency. Having been on the treatment merry-go-round before made me cynical (group therapy in the past consisted of taking turns reading out of AA's Big Book and having the same lame rehashed, warmed-over discussions), but this particular therapist and group have helped immeasurably. Please either post here or send me a PM if there are any other questions I can help you with.
            In the middle of my life's journey, I found myself in a dark wood, as I had lost the straight path. It is a difficult thing to speak about, how wild, harsh and impenetrable that wood is. Just thinking about it recreates the fear. It is scarcely less bitter than death, but in order to tell of the good that I found there, I must tell of the other things I saw there. --Dante, paraphrased

            Comment

              #7
              Time for another shot at the champ (with the help of Campral)

              Thanks for the replies guys, this forum never disappoints. I made it through the night and I'm much better today. Slightly anxious, but I'm trying not to take any more xanax if possible. I get what you're saying about the kindling thing- this is definitely a progression in terms of symptoms; I've never hallucinated before, and I was sure those things were there and they disappeared as soon as I took xanax. Thank fuck I made it through with getting DTs.

              I'm not so sure about getting additional support. I'm more addicted now than I've ever been though now. I can tell that because these terrible things that keep happening seem run of the mill to me now. Nearly seizuring doesn't seem to phase me anymore. That would have had me depressed for days before, and these days, now that I feel a bit better I'm wondering do I even need to quit at all. Its such bullshit. Good you're sober 5 weeks Alky...how long is your drinking history?
              The most exhausting thing in life is being insincere.

              Comment

                #8
                Time for another shot at the champ (with the help of Campral)

                _EndOfTheLine_;1687615 wrote: Nearly seizuring doesn't seem to phase me anymore. That would have had me depressed for days before, and these days, now that I feel a bit better I'm wondering do I even need to quit at all. Its such bullshit.
                Someone at an AA meeting said it best when they said something to the effect of, "Feel better and the monster returns." About a week in I was stressed out about some things, and I started to get that nagging voice in my head that said, "just a shot to take the edge off won't do any harm." Anyway, if you drink while taking Campral you might as well be flushing those pills down the toilet. It does absolutely nothing if you're drinking regularly while taking it. And even if you have just an isolated slip, I can personally attest that you will get drunk faster and hangovers are worse.

                _EndOfTheLine wrote:                 Good you're sober 5 weeks Alky...how long is your drinking history?
                Started binging the night of my high school graduation when I was 17. I'm 41 now, so that gives me a good 24 years of drinking. Didn't love the taste of alcohol, but loooooooved the way it made me feel from the very beginning. Binge drank my way through college and graduate school. Around 2008 I started encountering some professional setbacks and started drinking daily. Knew I had a problem when my tolerance became such that I would wake up still very much drunk from the night before. I've been chasing recovery in some way for about three years now and would have periods of sobriety (up to two months) before the binging would kick back in. The detoxes got progressively worse and worse until the possible seizure that nearly caused me to lose my driving privileges. That gave me the "gift of desperation" as AA/NAers are fond of saying and forced me to make a commitment to do whatever it takes to recover. That, and being told by a doctor that I probably had about seven years left to live if my decline continued.
                In the middle of my life's journey, I found myself in a dark wood, as I had lost the straight path. It is a difficult thing to speak about, how wild, harsh and impenetrable that wood is. Just thinking about it recreates the fear. It is scarcely less bitter than death, but in order to tell of the good that I found there, I must tell of the other things I saw there. --Dante, paraphrased

                Comment

                  #9
                  Time for another shot at the champ (with the help of Campral)

                  Its a shame, but what they don't tell you about alcohol is that once you're on alcohol there's no way off alcohol.
                  The most exhausting thing in life is being insincere.

                  Comment

                    #10
                    Time for another shot at the champ (with the help of Campral)

                    Don't give up hope, this isn't really the end of the line. There are ways to quit, cut back, even if for short times. We are here to support you any way we can.

                    Comment

                      #11
                      Time for another shot at the champ (with the help of Campral)

                      Thanks Stuck, I think the Campral might be making me feel a bit depressed....but I have no craving on the plus side. Is feeling nothing/slightly depressed a good solution? Its possible I"m just feeling depressed because I have no craving though....which is a somewhat unintended consequence. No sex drive either, immediately wiped out by the drug.
                      The most exhausting thing in life is being insincere.

                      Comment

                        #12
                        Time for another shot at the champ (with the help of Campral)

                        Yeah, I get the "feeling nothing/slightly depressed" a lot whenever I go without booze, whether for an evening or a week, and sometimes longer too. It sucks, you feel empty, all you want is to want something, anything. For me, once I *know* alcohol isn't an answer, and not what I *really* want, then what is there? Yeah, a lot of emptiness.

                        Two things: first, many times I do think that's better than the alternative. Some depression and lack of motivation as opposed to crushing anxiety and fear of immanent death? Many days I'll take that, sure. And you know what? I can always (and have, believe me) drink again in a few days or a week or whatever. Sometimes I just need a break - I know the anxiety and withdrawal will come again, but even just a little break helps. And second, if you can stick out the abstinence, then the depression does start to lift eventually. You just gotta make yourself get out and do something, anything. I go for jogs, go to my favorite bar and drink non-alcoholic drinks if I can handle it, or play video games. Then I use the time that I'm getting in the mornings by waking up not hungover to get back into projects I'm working on for school, and in the evenings I try to read or whatever.

                        Hang in there, friend.

                        Comment

                          #13
                          Time for another shot at the champ (with the help of Campral)

                          _EndOfTheLine_;1688044 wrote: Its a shame, but what they don't tell you about alcohol is that once you're on alcohol there's no way off alcohol.
                          Millions in recovery would disagree

                          _EndOfTheLine_ wrote:                           I think the Campral might be making me feel a bit depressed
                          It ain't the Campral dude. Stuck is right. It's called withdrawal. It sucks. Do you want to keep going through that over, and over, and over, and over, and over???
                          In the middle of my life's journey, I found myself in a dark wood, as I had lost the straight path. It is a difficult thing to speak about, how wild, harsh and impenetrable that wood is. Just thinking about it recreates the fear. It is scarcely less bitter than death, but in order to tell of the good that I found there, I must tell of the other things I saw there. --Dante, paraphrased

                          Comment

                            #14
                            Time for another shot at the champ (with the help of Campral)

                            Alky;1688165 wrote: Do you want to keep going through that over, and over, and over, and over, and over???
                            I'm not a big fan of this kind of thinking. It is true that yes, drinking makes things worse, and drinking occasionally will ensure that the depressive fog will not lift when you're sober for short periods of time. But at the same time, I am not willing to say there aren't days when you just kind of need to get a few drinks in you. If the prospect of a night out or drinking on the weekends makes a week of abstinence bearable, then that's for sure better than being depressed every damned day or drunk every day. It's more about how you are able to manage things. If you can drink one or two nights then hop on the wagon for a bit then that's different than if you can't.

                            Comment

                              #15
                              Time for another shot at the champ (with the help of Campral)

                              Depression due to withdrawal and abstinence does go away if a person can stay sober long enough. I have become free of depression now that I have been away from alcohol for several months, and in fact my depression almost went away even with a few weeks of abstinence.

                              Comment

                              Previous 1 2 template Next
                              Working...
                              X