"Heavy Drinker" <drunk@ethanol.com> wrote in message
news:m472i1t9ctu37n6e7so6b2i2pl1r1uj2u2@4ax.com...
> I'm trying to kick alcohol without detox. Mostly because I can't
> take
> time off of work. Obviously, if my life is in danger, I have to
> suck
> it up. This is the last step before that one, though.
>
> I drink 12+ beers a night. This has gone on over a year - and when
> I've tried to go cold turkey I have pretty frightening symptoms.
> It's
> likely that the symptoms themselves (anxiety attacks, shakes,
> confusion) make the experience more frightening than it really is.
>
> I've seen some humorous and glib comments on the topic here like "I
> spilled more beer than you've ever drank". An awful lot of AA type
> reactions seem to be anchored to a sort of macho cynicism... Which
> I
> understand. This isn't what I'm after here though.
>
> It may be that this isn't understood atm - but I thought I'd shop
> to
> see if there were any MDs or other practitioners that might have
> some
> answers to the following questions:
>
> 1. What is the cause of anxiety attacks when stopping alcohol?
> 2. What neuro-chemical mechanism causes seizures?
> 3. What has anyone come up with vis-a-vis over the counter
> treatments
> for medicating withdrawal?
>
> I'm used to naturopathic treatments for common health problems. I'm
> also a computer programmer, which means I'm interested in
> troubleshooting. If the mechanism of AWS is understood, I have the
> chance to supplement to fend it off.
>
> I'm done with alcohol, but now I'm friggin stuck, worrying that
> I'll
> die if I just quit. Again, my withdrawal might be moderate, but
> part
> of the withdrawal includes major anxiety which amplifies my
> worries,
> and I've googled AWS endlessly, which turns up dozens of worst-case
> scenarios. Seizure. Heart Attack. blah
>
> Tonight I called Hazelden, and they told me I'll die if I don't
> check
> in. Well, they have a vested interest in my checking in. I'm
> looking
> for an objective opinion.
>
> God bless you all - congratulations on kicking this goddam toxic
> habit.
>

Although I may have spelt more spirits than you ever drank beer, I
de-toxed alone at home with negligable fuss. That was more than a
decade ago, it's possibly pertinent though that I had a lot of
practice detoxing in the decades prior to my final drink.

My predominent dread at the time was that I would be unable to cope
with the boredom of everyday life without drinking again.

For me, the 12 steps of AA gave me a positive alternative to focus
on, rather than the negatives to which I had accustomed myself. Given
my first attempt at "rigorous honesty" led to the conclusion I am an
agnostic, I certainly had a lot of focussing to do.

For the first time in many years, I was not bored at all.

(I have no idea today how long it took before I could stop rolling my
eyes in order to read the words floating all over each page of that
bloody AA Big Book http://tinyurl.com/adkj8 )

With benefit of hindsight, I should have been checked for chemical
deficiency a lot earlier than the year it took me to get around to
*demanding* the tests from our National Health System (Medibank.)
Even then, the tests still revealed a problematic thiamine
deficiency.

Bob

"In the US: Only 5% of patients with ethanol withdrawal progress to
DT. Mortality rate may be as high as 35% if untreated but is less
than 5% with early recognition and treatment. Patients at greatest
risk for death are those with extreme fever, fluid and electrolyte
imbalance, or intercurrent illness such as pneumonia, hepatitis, or
pancreatitis." http://www.emedicine.com/EMERG/topic123.htm



“Intravenous glucose tolerance tests were given to 31 nondiabetic
alcoholics and 11 healthy nonalcoholic controls. In almost half of
the alcoholics peak glucose concentration was higher and glucose
elimination from the plasma was slower than in the controls.”
http://tinyurl.com/cy6c7