Hi, not posted for a while but still been reading. Can I ask advice. I am still in the process of trying to wean off completely after years of 2 bottles of wine daily. I am down to under one but each time I drop in one go to a couple of glasses before going further down to avoid seizures, my high blood pressure seems to increase and my I can hear my faster heartbeat in my tinnitus ear (pulsatile I believe when you can hear your heartbeat). Sometimes I feel dizzy all day which I have got used to. However, I lost my dog 3 weeks ago and this threw me right back into 2 bottles but realise I have got to get a grip - so the last couple of nights went back to 6 units but now have the fast heartbeat in my ear; I am sure somewhere either on here or another forum that if you drink heavily and reduce too quickly instead of slow and steady it puts your blood pressure up - I am just in a hurry to get away from my 3 bad weeks. Hope I am in the right place here as not seeing any of the familiar names I have chatted with previously.
Thanks
Gwen
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sunnysmile
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Have you sought medical advice regarding weaning, it doesn't sound like your own weaning method is working particularly well and maybe you need to see a doctor for medical assistance in detoxing properly and safely.
With the diagnosis of fatty liver that you had previously you need to take this alcohol reduction or cessation much more seriously before you are in the unfortunate position of irreversible liver damage.
Sorry about the loss of your furry friend, bereavement of any kind is always tough but alcohol isn't he answer.
Hi Gwen, sorry to hear you’re having problems. I think you realise you need to stop completely. Your GP will understand and be able to help.
To give an example of where you’ll hopefully be soon, I was a heavy drinker up until last year. I recently lost a close family member (old age), and I’ve realised it didn’t occur to me to have any alcohol to help me feel or sleep better. Previously, I too would have had a few days of heavy drinking to “help me through”. It can be done so see your GP next week. Good luck.
Oh really? I had to see a counsellor too. I say had to as I’d accepted I was an alcoholic/alcohol dependent by then and had to stop completely, but I wanted to try a medication called Campral to reduce the urges, and the only way to get it was via a counsellor.
Anyway, whilst waiting for the counsellor, another visitor got talking to me. He was a drug addict but said he was on the mend thankfully.
My first thought was “addict”, but then I realised he was no doubt thinking the same about me 😀
It doesn’t matter if the centre helps drug addicts too. You’re not managing this tapering off yourself. Your GP has taken you seriously and referred you to a counsellor.
Yes I know of Campral - told my doc this after researching it - she had never heard of it. Counselling Group she referred me to when I checked - don't prescribe it - just great
Try another GP or another counselling group. Not many other options. Do you really want to give up the wine?
Edited to add: Maybe we’re talking different “counselling”. It sounds like you were sent to a group session as opposed to one-to-one?
I didn’t need counselling as I’d reached the conclusion I had to stop 100%. I’d effectively counselled myself. I didn’t really need the Campral in the end either and only took it for five weeks. Maybe it worked as more of a placebo, but willpower won in the end.
Hi Sunnysmile ( great name by the way)
I see you used to do yoga, exercise and eat healthy which is exactly what I do!
Are you still doing these activities?
Like Coco and Ayrshire have rightly said, you really need to give up alcohol totally as weaning is the hardest route to take and doesnt always work in most situations! I would personally seek advice from your GP. However well done on reducing from 2 bottles to 1 but hopefully you'll be sending us a message stating none if your serious enough about getting well again.
Take care and we all look forward to following your progress and hearing about your healthy new life style.
Hi there - I particularly love your posts - yes I still do all the yoga and health work outs - I am a health fanatic - weird in the circumstances. It really does not help when your hubs insists on optics full all the time in case of visitors. I have asked him many times not to buy in - but he does - coz he says he likes them there. He, lucky for him, can have a beer or two and that is it. I have told him how I am but he does not believe me. Just says - deal with it. Hard to deal with tho. So thank you for commenting and helping.
I would say that that is an exceptionally selfish attitude that your hubbie is taking. Does he not understand what you are going through? If he doesn’t maybe show him what you have written- please try and get him to read it if you can. Or get to a counsellor and see if you can get him to come with you.
It’s really not my place to say these things but if he won’t support you every single day who will?
Do please also listen to all the others on here who are really wanting and willing you to give up alcohol- completely- but of course with medical help as necessary....
Yes, I’m lucky in that my wife has never been interested in alcohol. So much so that she didn’t really appreciate how powerfully addictive it is. She did win some wine in a competition once and left it in the living room. I probably wouldn’t have been tempted to drink it as it wasn’t mine, but for safety’s sake, I asked her to give it away 🙂
Hello again Gwen from one fanatic exercise enthusiastic to another 😅😅😅.
I now understand why your struggling so much when your not getting the support you really need from your hubby which makes your battle to quit much harder. 😣
Can I ask, is your hubby the sort of man who would accompany you to the doctors if you asked him too ? I'm only asking the question because he might take on board your inner fight if he hears you explaining it all to your GP in front of him. If he's not one of those men, then I truely understand your battle as you need that support !
I know this is not much but I'm here if your having a shitty day !
Have you ever done any type of martial arts or kick boxing as it's a great way to focus your mind and it teaches you discipline! I took it up over 35 years ago when I was more of a gym nut than I am now 😅 ..... Age now has a bit to do with me not continuing with (oh poo no kicking boxing icon....) plus I'm not sure my dotty old back would stand up to the knocks anymore 😣😣 however I wouldn't mind having a wee go at it again to give my sort of new muscle's a further workout🤣🤣🤣...
Anyway before I loose this note into cyberspace which I'm really good at🤣🤣🤣🤣 I'm pressing send ! If you fancy chatting more feel free to PM, but in the meantime remember I'm batting for your corner! 😊
Thanks Trish. My hubs has just been to the supermarket this morning and stocked up his bar with lager - it is never ending. When I went to the doc last year and came clean and said I am drinking too much and am worried and she referred me and gave me a month supply of Diazepam for my weaning off - and I told my hubs and he was horrified I had told her and said it would be on my medical records. So if it is.
But I weaned slowly down to 2 units a night without Diazepam, then cocked it up with my best furry friend going - she was a very large German Shepherd (not for the faint hearted lol) and her non presence hurts.
I have just slowly started over again.
No not martial arts - I like clay pigeon shooting and game fishing and I love going off on my bike very early in the morning and I like using hand weights. Never say die. All these clear your mind.
Thank you for your support - I don't tell anyone about my problem so it is good to have this family group.
Sorry for late reply as I'm staying at my daughters this weekend with my family. Today we've been to a festival all afternoon and later off to Market Bosworth for dinner and guess what I'm the desinated taxi driver for two trips either way ! Hay ho........😂😂😂.
I know I shouldn't really be saying this but I'm totally shocked over your hubby stocking up on more alcohol when he's aware of your situation.
Based on what you've already told me about your self, you sound like to me a fairly strong and focused sort of person, a bit like myself ! 😆😆😆lol!
If I'm perfectly honest, I really think you can beat this addiction with help from me and others on this forum if you want to give it a go?
If you want someone to chat with let me know by PM
Re your shooting comment! The only times I've ever used our air rifle was to shoot large field rats at my previous home for 20 years! I only ever shot a few of the we buggers who moved into my flower bed boarders and I didnt want to get bitten!
On the fishing side of things which I too love, again this I've not done since my aunts fishing lodge situated alongside the River Lug in Herefordshire was demolished around 30 years ago! I liked to fish at midnight when its peaceful ! Now and then I keep thinking of applying for a fishing licence for the River Severn in Ironbridge! .....
It's so funny that we have similar interests! What part of the country are you in if you dont mind me asking?
Gwen, I'm here and so are others to help you , but if you want a general chit chat it might be best by private message!
Old TB Hip problem may require looking into but I'm to scared to bring it to the attention of GP incase I'm forced to give up the gym or get some crappy news if I'm asked to have spine x ray ! Working my spinal surrounding muscles keeps things in there place! .....
You did ask .......😁😁😁
DL is only suspended for 3 months 🤣🤣
• in reply to
PS
My friends at the gym give me a reason to be thankful or who Iam plus I now make them all laugh in the mornings😅
Other than jill and Kev plus John the rest are all seriously poorly and fighting there corner by going to the gym as much as possible.
I love them all to bits and miss each and everyone of them especially if I've not seen one of them for a few days! You and others must think I'm a silly old bat ...... 😁😁😁but I do care about them....
I agree with what everyone has put on here, and can't add much to it, Just wanted to say I know you can do it! We are all there for you..I do agree with Angus that your husband is being really selfish. Have you got a friend or relative who could have a quiet word with him? Please take care of yourself. Love and hugs Lynne xxxx
Just to clarify - you say tapering off didn’t work for you. So did you stop instantaneously but used librium as an aid?
I couldn’t taper off either but fortunately managed to do it without any help except from my wife who joined me in becoming teetotal! If I had known at that time the potential hazards of doing that I think I might well have, and should have, sought help!
Sorry, to hear about what you are going through. I don’t drink so won’t fully understand the impact but I was thinking perhaps not bringing alcohol in the house or just buying a little. Also, try training your brain and see the bottle as your worse enemy (because that’s what it is) and try to stay away from it.
My brother was a heavy smoker he was addicted to cigarettes and then cigars. It was almost impossible for him to stop but at the age of 35 he had a heart attack. However, he just stopped smoking one day and never looked back. He did it on his own without any help. Your health should be your everything and anything which is a threat to it, take it out of your life. Thinking of you.
Hi I know it’s very hard, my eventual solution was to buy zero alcohol wine(Iget mine from Waitrose) and 4 months on I’m addicted to it, it tastes lovely (my friends can’t tell lol) . Maybe give it a try and see how you get on, it’s like the best of both worlds lol. Good luck.
Thank you. One Christmas my Mum n Dad came over and I knew Mum would fall asleep if I gave her an alcoholic drink so she asked for a G n T and I gave her just the T and she asked for another and another - and when I was serving dinner she thought she was tidly lol - never told her she had only had tonic.
Are you reducing under medical instructions and care? If you are then you really need to see your GP. If you're not then please be so careful and definitely see your GP. As an alcoholic in recovery I know to well the diffulties that you're currently facing. It's not an easy road at first but with support, will power and determination you'll make it. I also know how small triggers can start the increase in alcohol again so dont yourself up. Youve done great until this hiccup and you'll do good again x
Hi and thank you - no doing it alone - GP not really interested. Funny coz when I came clean with my doc and I turned it round and said what would life be like for you without alcohol - she said very boring lol
You can do it! Don't be okay with slipping back into the grips of alcohol but, don't beat yourself up. The point is you want to get sober. It's not easy. If it was we'd all be in a much better place right now. But it can be done. Even cutting down drastically with improve your health but abstinence will get you the most bang for you buck.
I'm very sorry to hear about your German Shepherd. I have one too and she's my best friend.
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