Since speaking to his dr on Thursday and being told that cutting down was not going to help him now and that he has to stop drinking, hubby has been finishing the cider that he has in the fridge.
Hubby says he is going to stop drinking today???
However he has previously been told by his dr not to go cold turkey, as that could kill him too.
He has his appt with Hepatology 28th?
So my question is, should he give up on his own today or should he wait until he has seen Hepatology and get their help and support?
Written by
mumof3girls
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Hi !Great news he finally knows he has to quit. If the doctor is aware of the amount he was drinking , he is bound to advise tapering as the better, safer option. I don't want to say which way to go but if you go down the cold turkey route and there is no more alcohol in the house, keep a very close eye on any changes in hubbies behaviour and any new symptoms which may occur. Be prepared to call 999 if this happens and explain the situation. If he decides to cut down gradually, you will need professional advice on how to taper safely. Either way when hubby is this poorly it won't be easy for him, or you to go through. However the effects of continuing to drink as he has been is sadly only going to end one way. Well done, you are doing great.
I was told by my Heptologist that it looked like I would need a transplant and if I carried on drinking, I would have a very short life expectancy. It was definitely a difficult moment and I looked around the room to see who she was talking to. She then advised me to start with 3 pints a day and then reduce it bit by bit over 30 days with the goal of stopping completely. She also strongly advised me to call an ambulance, should I experience any physical problems.
She had my medical records in front of her and we are all different. I am not suggesting that you follow the same advice but just wanted to share my experience. I went on to be successfully transplanted, which requires a minimum of 6 months complete abstinence.
Thats wonderful news! .. so pleased for both of you and the family. As an alcohol dependant 13 yrs ago ,I was drinking 7 cans of cider a day,
This was too much to suddenly stop, even after being told I had cirrhosis by my GP ,this was pre hepatolagy days.
So I went under the wing of Aquarius, they are no longer working now due to funding etc..
I was told to cut back half a can every 4 days, and to try alcohol free in-between, it's the units that I counted each day. I was on around 15 units a day! I had a diary where I monitored each day how many units I had and gradually I got down to 6 units a day, that's when I was admitted to hospital as the ascites was really bad causing tachycardia and was in so much pain..
Being honest, I wouldn't risk going cold turkey, it can cause seizures and death, but it depends how much hubby was drinking unit wise each day,
Also the length of time he has been dependant.
I really wish him and you all the luck and best wishes that things turn around
Hubby has been drinking 7 days a week for over 30 years. He is currently drinking about 4-6 cans of Scrumpy Jack Cider a day, plus he tops up with white wine anything from a very large glass to a whole bottle per day.
I have to say today I have felt the pressure of ot all and have felt very low today, which is very unlike me. Having a day of doing nothing, watching tv and comfort eating. Guess things have caught up with me today. I am just going with it today and am planning to boot myself up the rear end tmrw and get back to my normal bubbly, busy self.
He has bought more cider and wine today. He says it is to get him through the next few days until he has his Hepatologists appt next week 28th. He has been pottering around today, walking very slowly and very lethargic. Sounds horrid but he looks like a dead man walking today 😔
I have been holding everything together for so long, but this is not easy. I am fearing the worst and am not sure how much longer he has left. I am not sure if he has left it too late to get help. Hopefully we will know more after his appt Thur.
Bless Lisa, Hubby needs to try to cut down, even if it's only half a can or a glass of top up wine, it's no good carrying on drinking the same amount until he sees the liver dr ,
Has a hospital detox been mentioned at all ? .sometimes this is needed if the drinker can't do it on their own .
Try not to worry, it's difficult I know ,but there's nothing you can do .
Hubby needs to want to want to stop by showing he can start reducing the daily intake .
Morning I was where you husband is now. With the support of my family and the realisation that if I did not stop drinking there was only one outcome I managed to stop. This allowed me to be put on the transplant list and I am now 7 months post transplant. I was first diagnosed in July 2019 and within a year I was given life saving surgery. My story is real life and hopefully this will give your husband hope that it is not to late. I hope your husband has the courage to do this and I can assure him there is life after alcohol.
Try and get him to come on this forum himself. Then he can make friends with people who have been through the same. The support from this site is crucial.
He needs help. AA, etc. It is pretty unlikely he can quit on his own. Could you play some podcasts for him? Recovery elevator is great. Start with the early episodes (original host). Maybe just okay through a speaker if he doesn’t do ear buds, etc
I quit colds turkey after about a decade of daily consumption. Most days pretty heavy. At least a six pack up to a 24 pack of light beer. When I quit, I ended up driving myself to the ER due to severe anxiety attacks and slight hallucination. This was day 2 of abstinence. They prescribed me a round of a benzopyrene I can't remember the name of. After that, the anxiety slowly diminished and disappeared in a matter of about a month. First day isn't bad, second was terrible, and the first week or so just slightly sucked. I thought you might want an insight from an ex-alcoholic. Hope that helps
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