How to DIY Detox Alc

[CircularInsanity]

At 23 I've hardly spent more than a rare week or two sober since 13, ended up shooting down and after kicking that demon I resorted to drinking and taking valium and amphetamine (both prescribed ). I've been to the emergency room twice for this shit, I can't imagine life sober and the dt's are so hellish. I'm at a point that quitting wouldn't be dangerous. Any recommendations on supplements methods and so on to kick this bullshit?

 

[Hexenstahl]

I know that some people might consider this to be stupid advice, but have you ever considered switching your incredibly toxic alcohol addiction for an opioid addiction? Since addiction is a chronic, lifelong illness and you can't imagine living life sober (me neither), you might as well switch the crappy alcohol/GABAergic drugs for opioids. Ever tried them?

As for kicking alcohol: follow HumanityIsTheDevil's advice.

 

[Pissed_and_messed]

It is questionable way but some people have concluded it works. Sometimes I wonder if I should just submit to buprenorphine also but I am not in the end of the rope so I am not going to do that yet.

You should not withdraw of gabaergics rapidly by opiates tho. At best they help you get sleep and gives some comfort but they lower the seizure threshold.

 

[Snafu in the Void]

At 23 I've hardly spent more than a rare week or two sober since 13, ended up shooting down and after kicking that demon I resorted to drinking and taking valium and amphetamine (both prescribed ). I've been to the emergency room twice for this shit, I can't imagine life sober and the dt's are so hellish. I'm at a point that quitting wouldn't be dangerous. Any recommendations on supplements methods and so on to kick this bullshit?

Are you actually experiencing DTs or just shakes/hallucinations? Important difference. DTs are fairly rare (only occur in <5% of alcoholics), and generally only occur in older alcoholics who have been drinking 20+ years. DTs are not the same as withdrawal and usually show up around day 7 of cold turkey, when most alcoholics begin to recover from wds.

How long and how much have you been drinking?

Anyways, alcohol withdrawal is really the only drug where it's not a good idea to kick at home, although because you are so young it is potentially less dangerous. Do you experience any shakes or irregular heart rate? Delusional hallucinations?

As for supplements thiamine (b1) is incredibly important. Other supplements are a good idea but not as vital as thiamine, unless you are a twig and malnourished.

If you "can't imagine life sober", and due to your young age, you are probably not truly ready to get sober. Sometimes it's better to be blunt than to sugar coat things. You might have quite a lot of hellish years ahead of you. The old timers will always tell you, until you truly hit rock bottom, you won't get sober.

Your best bet is to switch to a less physically destructive drug. I would suggest kratom, or just sticking to your valium and amphetamine scripts and picking up a weed habit.

 

[Snafu in the Void]

I know that some people might consider this to be stupid advice, but have you ever considered switching your incredibly toxic alcohol addiction for an opioid addiction?

It's not that stupid. I was a heroin addict for 10 years before becoming an alcoholic for 10+ years. Alcohol caused far more damage to me in the long run, both physically and mentally. If not for all opioids in my country being fentanyl, I would have switched back to opioids years ago. You can make it out of opioids relatively unscathed health wise, but alcohol will always cause long term permanent damage to your body. Plus, in retrospect, I find alcohol more difficult to quit due to social acceptance and the fact that it's fucking everywhere. Imagine if they sold heroin at every restaurant, grocery, petrol station, sports venues, etc etc.....

Switching one addiction for another is usually not considered progress, but when it comes to alcohol it can be in some situations.

I probably wouldn't suggest opioids other than kratom if OP is in the US, simply due to fentanyl, but any other country I would.

As for OP, I think it's a little less clear since we have limited information and he is still young.

 

[Hexenstahl]

It is questionable way but some people have concluded it works. Sometimes I wonder if I should just submit to buprenorphine also but I am not in the end of the rope so I am not going to do that yet.

You should not withdraw of gabaergics rapidly by opiates tho. At best they help you get sleep and gives some comfort but they lower the seizure threshold.

I advise against bupe because you don't get that typical full agonist feeling which is why so many people on shitboxone relapse. That rose-colored fog is simply missing. If possible get on levomethadone (misses the dextro-enantiomer which causes so many of the nasty side effects that methadone is known for and also lasts much longer - 36h instead of 24h) or some other full agonist opioid if available in your country. I'm currently on ER morphine tabs and honestly couldn't be happier. Such a wonderful substance class.

 

[Pissed_and_messed]

Nah, I consider buprenorphine to being about most medical-viable opioid for me. Analyzing my conditions and bupre studies too, it works best in paper too.

However, there is not study implicating by any certainty it would maintain its effectiveness over years and decades. Thought that I'd would be good idea to get on stuff daily is most likely just addiction talking-there are so many issues involved.

 

[Hexenstahl]

Opiates are generally not nearly as unhealthy as alcohol, but the addiction can fuck your life up in other ways

True but at least there is maintenance therapy for opioid addiction, which you don't have when it comes to alcohol or other drugs like cocaine. When you fuck up on opioids you can always go into the program, but alcohol? You're fucked for life, especially when you consider that this crappy substance of a drug is practically everywhere and triggers an alcoholic all the time. You can live and become old as a rock (William S. Burroughs became 83 despite being a dope fiend all his life) whereas alcoholics barely get old enough due to liver failure and all kinds of other ailments which alcohol causes.
Never understood why society made alcohol their drug of choice. Worst, most crappy high of all time and the most neurotoxic, cytotoxic and genotoxic substance in the world...

 

[MedicinalUser247]

I take Naltrexone for my alcohol use disorder. It seems to be working because I'm drinking way less than I used to.

 

[cdin]

Are you actually experiencing DTs or just shakes/hallucinations? Important difference. DTs are fairly rare (only occur in <5% of alcoholics), and generally only occur in older alcoholics who have been drinking 20+ years. DTs are not the same as withdrawal and usually show up around day 7 of cold turkey, when most alcoholics begin to recover from wds.

How long and how much have you been drinking?

Anyways, alcohol withdrawal is really the only drug where it's not a good idea to kick at home, although because you are so young it is potentially less dangerous. Do you experience any shakes or irregular heart rate? Delusional hallucinations?

As for supplements thiamine (b1) is incredibly important. Other supplements are a good idea but not as vital as thiamine, unless you are a twig and malnourished.

If you "can't imagine life sober", and due to your young age, you are probably not truly ready to get sober. Sometimes it's better to be blunt than to sugar coat things. You might have quite a lot of hellish years ahead of you. The old timers will always tell you, until you truly hit rock bottom, you won't get sober.

Your best bet is to switch to a less physically destructive drug. I would suggest kratom, or just sticking to your valium and amphetamine scripts and picking up a weed habit.

my info has always been DTs first present around 72 hours - also it's important to note - "shaking and hallucinations" are very much the beginning of the DT cycle. I used to only get that when younger, that has ofc, increased over time to where now I do indeed
get the full on DTs.

 

[CircularInsanity]

I know that some people might consider this to be stupid advice, but have you ever considered switching your incredibly toxic alcohol addiction for an opioid addiction? Since addiction is a chronic, lifelong illness and you can't imagine living life sober (me neither), you might as well switch the crappy alcohol/GABAergic drugs for opioids. Ever tried them?

As for kicking alcohol: follow HumanityIsTheDevil's advice.

I started drinking heavy when I quit IV heroin 14 months ago, not doing that shit again but yeah I've heard many say that's the way to go.

Are you actually experiencing DTs or just shakes/hallucinations? Important difference. DTs are fairly rare (only occur in <5% of alcoholics), and generally only occur in older alcoholics who have been drinking 20+ years. DTs are not the same as withdrawal and usually show up around day 7 of cold turkey, when most alcoholics begin to recover from wds.

How long and how much have you been drinking?

Anyways, alcohol withdrawal is really the only drug where it's not a good idea to kick at home, although because you are so young it is potentially less dangerous. Do you experience any shakes or irregular heart rate? Delusional hallucinations?

As for supplements thiamine (b1) is incredibly important. Other supplements are a good idea but not as vital as thiamine, unless you are a twig and malnourished.

If you "can't imagine life sober", and due to your young age, you are probably not truly ready to get sober. Sometimes it's better to be blunt than to sugar coat things. You might have quite a lot of hellish years ahead of you. The old timers will always tell you, until you truly hit rock bottom, you won't get sober.

Your best bet is to switch to a less physically destructive drug. I would suggest kratom, or just sticking to your valium and amphetamine scripts and picking up a weed habit.

shakes muscle spasms then usually involuntary movements, hallucinations, night terrors, etc etc. usually by day three, That's often when I give up. I've noticed weed does make me drink much much less, used to be a pot head. The only affordable means to get it for me are people who sell other things that I had to cut off.

I only dabble in opiates, but buprenorphine is utter dogshit compared to morphine, heroin or even oxycodone or codeine.

Not advising anyone to start taking any of them. Opiates are generally not nearly as unhealthy as alcohol, but the addiction can fuck your life up in other ways, depending on the cost, availability and legal status of opiates where you live.

I've been smoking weed as long as i've been drinking so i just smoke more weed now and try to deal with leaving early from (or avoiding) social gatherings. I did every drug i could get my hands on in my 20s, but luckily never got too deep into anything in particular, so i may take whatever drugs i fancy once or twice a year, but i'm trying to kick alcohol for good. The way it clouds my judgement and changes my personality is truly horrible. My mental health is shaky at best and i'm already suffering from slight heart problems too, and i'm not even 40.

The hard part about kicking alcohol isn't the detox (if done properly), it's the utter headfuck that comes afterwards. Also it is fucking everywhere as Snafu in the Void said. Relapsing is no harder than walking to the closest shop, and if you do manage to stay sober, social life becomes very different which eventually freaks many people out to the point of relapsing.

Hardest drug in the world for me personally.

Couldn't agree more, I can cut most narcotics out of my life but alc is always quite literally thrown in my face.

Benzos to avoid cramping and proper nutrition supplemented by vitamin B is what they give you in hospital detox over here. Taper down the benzos for a few days and you should be over acute WDs. More is more when it comes to the vitamins.

Any particular reason you want to detox at home? I went through home detox (with nurses visiting my place in the morning) two weeks ago because the detox ward at the hospital was full.

Good luck.

Horrible experiences with doctors, and just hospitals overall.

It is questionable way but some people have concluded it works. Sometimes I wonder if I should just submit to buprenorphine also but I am not in the end of the rope so I am not going to do that yet.

You should not withdraw of gabaergics rapidly by opiates tho. At best they help you get sleep and gives some comfort but they lower the seizure threshold.

I've considered this as well, mixed feelings on it and I'd need to use again and piss dirty to get prescibed it.


I thank you all for your help, it genuinely scares me how powerless I feel to this garbage. Time to ponder on the advice, thinkng a lower grade opiate temporarily and what HumanityIsTheDevil said. Much love to yall

 

[Hexenstahl]

I started drinking heavy when I quit IV heroin 14 months ago, not doing that shit again but yeah I've heard many say that's the way to go.

That's exactly the problem. Most opioid addicts start drinking heavily when they stop or have to stop taking opioids, which is such a fatal mistake. It might feel like a better decision initially, but in the long run it's much worse. I'd rather keep doing opioids than slowly killing myself with the liquid devil. I really hope you can cut out this poison from your life, lest it cuts YOU out from your own life.

 

[PriestTheyCalledHim]

I doubt you will agree but DO NOT do DIY alcohol withdrawal/detox yourself. Many people have died from this, such as Amy Winehouse and others.

Talk to your doctor or a medical professional, go to a detox/rehab center, hospital, etc. do not attempt it on your own with benzos, slowly cutting back, etc. Using opiates instead of alcohol, or in combination with any alcohol or benzos is super dangerous as well especially with all of the fentanyl. Stay safe.

 

[paranoid android]

It's not that stupid. I was a heroin addict for 10 years before becoming an alcoholic for 10+ years. Alcohol caused far more damage to me in the long run, both physically and mentally. If not for all opioids in my country being fentanyl, I would have switched back to opioids years ago. You can make it out of opioids relatively unscathed health wise, but alcohol will always cause long term permanent damage to your body. Plus, in retrospect, I find alcohol more difficult to quit due to social acceptance and the fact that it's fucking everywhere. Imagine if they sold heroin at every restaurant, grocery, petrol station, sports venues, etc etc.....

Switching one addiction for another is usually not considered progress, but when it comes to alcohol it can be in some situations.

I probably wouldn't suggest opioids other than kratom if OP is in the US, simply due to fentanyl, but any other country I would.

As for OP, I think it's a little less clear since we have limited information and he is still young.

I was never a alcohiolic but i was a heavy binge drinker and most of the reason i stopped was because of opiates. Why get drunk and feel like shit when you can just take morphine and feel better then alcohol will ever make you feel.

As for detoxing off alcohol you need benzos or in some cases phenobarbital for that. Even high dose benzos wont help some cases of the dt's. Really alcohol wd is best done in a hospital setting as it is quite dangerous. I saw my uncle havbe them and some mornings he would have vivid hallucinations before he got drunk. It was not a pretty sight

 

[Snafu in the Void]

Really alcohol wd is best done in a hospital setting as it is quite dangerous.

Indeed. While benzo wd can be lethal due to seizure, alcohol withdrawals can kill you in several ways. Cardiovascular system collapse, heart failure, seizures, organ failure, etc.

Shit is scary man, once you get the real bad withdrawals and kindling. The last few times I've gone through withdrawals I get heart arrythmias and skipped beats, I can't catch my breath when laying down feels like I'm drowning (cardiomyopathy and edema around heart/other organs), fevers and shit.... it does not help your anxiety levels when you're experiencing symptoms of heart failure, plus hallucinating voices of your family scolding you for being a piece of shit. When I checked into detox last november my blood pressure was like 185/119, basically hypertensive crisis, and I'm only in my mid 30s.

Alcohol is such toxic bullshit. Late stage alcoholism you can literally feel yourself dying every time you drink. It's really dark shit. It is not an easy way to go, either. Slow and painful.

 

[paranoid android]

Indeed. While benzo wd can be lethal due to seizure, alcohol withdrawals can kill you in several ways. Cardiovascular system collapse, heart failure, seizures, organ failure, etc.

Shit is scary man, once you get the real bad withdrawals and kindling. The last few times I've gone through withdrawals I get heart arrythmias and skipped beats, I can't catch my breath when laying down feels like I'm drowning (cardiomyopathy and edema around heart/other organs), fevers and shit.... it does not help your anxiety levels when you're experiencing symptoms of heart failure, plus hallucinating voices of your family scolding you for being a piece of shit. When I checked into detox last november my blood pressure was like 185/119, basically hypertensive crisis, and I'm only in my mid 30s.

Alcohol is such toxic bullshit. Late stage alcoholism you can literally feel yourself dying every time you drink. It's really dark shit. It is not an easy way to go, either. Slow and painful.

Ya im glad i never had any real problem with it. For me alcohol was something i binged on when i didnt have something better like opiates, coke, weed or even benzos. So i guess for awile it was my default drug.

I honestly dont know how my alcoholic uncle is still alive because he has to go through the dt's whenever he goes to work on a oil rig so like once every 2 months. Fuck that shit.

I think alot of people have a harder time then nessasry with alcohol wd because the first thing that happens if you check into a public rehab aka psych ward here is they make you feel like your doing something wrong. Alot of moralizing and withholding meds goes on. They could just dope you to the gills with phenobarbital in hospital for as long as you have dt's if they wanted to get you off booze easy

 

[shadowblue]

I think alot of people have a harder time then nessasry with alcohol wd because the first thing that happens if you check into a public rehab aka psych ward here is they make you feel like your doing something wrong.

This was my experience. They told a lady there whose husband had beat her that it was her fault because she was an alcoholic.

Rehab did get me sober for a few years, probably because Rehab was so unpleasant I never wanted to repeat it. After relapsing and drinking for another year, I did a home detox with Etizolam. I only drink in the evening and apart from sober periods have drunk 7 days a week every evening 365 days a year since the year 2000. I took 1mg of Etizolam each evening for 5 days, then 0.5mg for 4 days. I managed about 9 months sober after that. Since that relapse I've been drinking each night for the last ~3 years. I tried to do a home rehab with valium this time as I had them at hand, turned out to be a mistake, they're too boozy and euphoric for me and just make me want to drink on top of them. I will be trying again with Nitrazepam soon (not buying anymore Valium, way too moreish) since the worst part of withdrawals for me is lying awake all night feeling really bad. So for me sleep is the most important, and I can't be drinking when I'm asleep whereas with Valium I could easily stay up drinking till 3-4AM feeling like I was on a sleigh ride.

So CircularInsanity - have you had any luck?

 

[CircularInsanity]

This was my experience. They told a lady there whose husband had beat her that it was her fault because she was an alcoholic.

Rehab did get me sober for a few years, probably because Rehab was so unpleasant I never wanted to repeat it. After relapsing and drinking for another year, I did a home detox with Etizolam. I only drink in the evening and apart from sober periods have drunk 7 days a week every evening 365 days a year since the year 2000. I took 1mg of Etizolam each evening for 5 days, then 0.5mg for 4 days. I managed about 9 months sober after that. Since that relapse I've been drinking each night for the last ~3 years. I tried to do a home rehab with valium this time as I had them at hand, turned out to be a mistake, they're too boozy and euphoric for me and just make me want to drink on top of them. I will be trying again with Nitrazepam soon (not buying anymore Valium, way too moreish) since the worst part of withdrawals for me is lying awake all night feeling really bad. So for me sleep is the most important, and I can't be drinking when I'm asleep whereas with Valium I could easily stay up drinking till 3-4AM feeling like I was on a sleigh ride.

So CircularInsanity - have you had any luck?

not really, it's a cycle of withdrawals for a few days until I feel relatively normal but never gets further than that long without drinking again. Tolerance and dependence cycles. I was sober all day but decided to drink tonight just so I don't miss thanksgiving. The hilarity is more than half of both sides of the family is full of drinkers and I'll have a good choice of alc. Been joking about passing out face first into my plate so I can tolerate em to some of the younger like-minded fam. I have def noticed heavy cognitive decline and worsening of bipolar symptoms. I am so so very scatter brained constantly it feels like I am an old man at times. I've been thinking about this treatment that treats Alcoholism by basically drink induced torture. Free in Russia but idk if my insurance covers it in the states. Bless you all for your responses, it gives me hope in humanity.

 

[shadowblue]

I can see how Thanksgiving would feel like a "free pass". I remember with shame that on the night my brother died, despite the intense suffering of grief, there was a tiny part of me that was happy that I was able to get completely blind drunk in front of the family without any shame, since it was forgivable to drink at such a time, and everyone in the house was drinking and popping pills to deal with the shock. I have heard other Alcoholics share similar stories in AA.

Can I offer you a positive? The physical withdrawals of Alcohol aren't that long. If you're managing a few days off, those are easily he hardest. Say if you get 3 days in, if you get another 3 days it will get a lot easier, and by week 2 you'll be well on your way, especially if you have some peer support around you. After those first couple of weeks (if not less) the physical withdrawals are gone. The rest is psychological. You'll need a support group, and you'll need distractions, be it food, working out, going for a run, whatever. When I was nearly 3 years into being sober I didn't used to think about drinking AT ALL anymore. The Booze part of a store was like what an auto mechanics shop must look like to someone who doesn't own a car. I had no desire to drink. I used to adore the feeling of having a natural sleep, that feeling of falling asleep out of natural tiredness rather than being bludgeoned on the head. Then my job and 11 year relationship ended and I had a complete mental breakdown (all while sober), at that point I was so low I thought fuck it and picked up a drink again. Its tough man, but I think its possible, I'm waiting on my Nitrazepam arriving then tying another detox.

 

[CircularInsanity]

In the last five days I’ve used marijuana and chain smoking basically to detox to less than 1/3rd of my daily . I plan to get totally sober eventually but yk day at a time and such