A drug to help with alcoholism?

[blackstorm]

Hey,

I know some people will be against this thread, but I am hoping to get off alcohol and use something else, something that will work on the same receptors.

VERY short history:

I started drinking around 16 - got heavy at 18 (70cl+ vodka) daily
Started to take ex, coke and speed until 2-3 years ago
Haven't been taking drugs, stopped vodka (Maybe once a month) but drinking 3 litres+ of 7.5 vol cider daily.

My problem is drinking, daily.

I would like something to take once in a while instead of drinking daily.

Believe me, I know this is not a question I should be asking, but who else do I ask? My doctor? Last time I went off alcohol and asked for help they took me off all meds and won't prescribe anything (I was on anti-depressants - But that was 8+ months ago at least) - Then I started to self medicate with alcohol again.

My best time was when I took ecstasy, I didn't drink while on it, most of the time I was on a cocktail of everything.
With just ex, I was great and didn't want to drink, even for quite a while after.

I have been given campral for GABA..not sure if that helps.

I think a lot of people here know a lot more about about neurology that my doctor so hopefully someone can help.

thanks for reading and any help you can provide

 

[YellowNikes]

Baclofen! Look it up. Seriously supposedly its kinda like a miracle drug for alcoholism. Plus I don't think it's schedule so it may be possible to obtain without a prescription, of not a doctor shouldn't have any reason to not prescribe it since it is considered not addictive and pretty safe.
Seriously look up baclofen. I believe their are a couple studies on its use for alcoholism

 

[B1tO'RoughJack]

Iboga, benzos for a short time, maybe kratom, AYAHUASCA, and psychedelics in general - providing insight into what the cause is, would most likely help with working out how to break the trigger/behavioural cycle too.

I wouldn't ask your doctor - they will probably just make you wait and wait and wait until you are really back off the wagon, then send you to a benzo detox. This happened to my mate. Look into Iboga - seriously this is a natural plant drug that has somthing like a 90% success rate, and used for anything from alcoholism to heroin/opiate addiction, to meth or coke addictions.

If you to do this quickly, Ayahuasca I put second simply because DMT really turns your head inside out and helped me a great deal find my inner confidence to really sort out a lot of shit.

 

[Ryan D.]

These sound like excellent suggestions - this forum continues to impress!
I think NMDA antagonists can help play a big role in treating dependency/tolerance and therefore addiction. You may wish to look into that

 

[THC_LSD_OC]

I agree with psychedelics, lucy helped me get out of a serious benzo addiction.
I know suboxone is supposed to be for opiate cravings but I have friends that have used suboxone to help with their alcoholism

 

[blackstorm]

Look into Iboga - seriously this is a natural plant drug that has somthing like a 90% success rate, and used for anything from alcoholism to heroin/opiate addiction, to meth or coke addictions.

I will have a look at this.

Doctors are very reluctant to prescribe anything that isn't "usual" here, bad enough with normal tablets..I have a problem even trying to get Campral.
You would think they would be happy to prescribe something that would cost less in the long term.

I am happy to buy drugs if needed to help.

Ayahuasca

Another I haven't heard of. I have never done any type of DMT..I'm not sure if that is what I need..Also something I can't get anywhere in Northern Ireland..hard to get most drugs here now.

I did get short term benzos before (Lithium) but they won't give it again.

It is EXTREMELY annoying, it takes 2+ weeks (2 is great here) to even get an appointment and it is always a different doctor, if I ask for a specific doctor it could be even 4+ weeks.

When you get an overloaded doctor, who I might not have even seen before, they have no idea of my past or what will help me, they just have to speed me up and get me out the door for the next person to come in.

I actually sent an email this week to their reception and asked if I can have a doctor look at a few alternatives before I come in because they are too busy to have the time to research while I am there, simple answer was no. Self medication it is.

 

[T. Calderone]

How far are you in your withdrawal? Or have you tapered off the drinks a bit? I'm going through the same with no meds, no doctor either. I didn't want to abruptly stop for fear of seizures so I'm slowly weaning myself down.

 

[blackstorm]

Unfortunately, not in withdrawal at all...I am drinking right now.

I woke up because I didn't have drink..

I have gone down a very little - I still have the drink, but maybe 250ml less - This is tiny and not even worth mentioning to be honest.

I have been trying so much to stop but it is mainly a mental addiction I have, sometimes I did try to stop dry, I gave myself 4 days on my own and stopped all work (I work for myself online, so I can do that when I want) - But that didn't work, I had to go to the local off license looking like shit from being sick just to get a drink to stop being sick.

I did give up a few times, sometimes I went through that, sometimes I cut down quickly and woke up and felt great and amazed at how good I felt without a drink, but then I went and bought more drink that day or a few days later, excuses are too easy to find.

When I do want to stop, I normally buy some drink just to come off it, but I drink that and want more..very stupid..

 

[T. Calderone]

It's not stupid because you're doing what you would normally do. I tried to pm you but your in-box is full. It's not a simple thing to stop drinking. People like my dad can binge and then go a week or so with nothing. But I don't really drink a whole lot, (enough every day that I feel jumpy without any) but due to health problems I must quit. This much I know but I am struggling too because I'm afraid to get sick or have seizures. If I had access to medications or a doctor I would do this, but in the meantime I'm weaning myself off the best I can.

 

[grumpygrouse]

Simple truth is (I think you know that already) - there's no "moderate" for you anymore. It's sober or not. So the drug you should be taking is Esperal to stop drinking. And only then you can see what state you are in - which parts are the problem, which are symptoms etc.

I was just prescribed Esperal on Friday. And then I bought wine.

Point: switch your doctor to someone more competent on dealing with addiction. Don't do this on your own. Well, you can try but I will guarantee you it won't work. Believe me, I have tried. And yet ended up here.

Good luck!

 

[blackstorm]

I tried to pm you but your in-box is full

Tried to send you a PM after I cleared out my PMs (The whole 5 of them...that's my limit) but then it said I can only send 1 every 180 minutes..

If I had access to medications or a doctor I would do this, but in the meantime I'm weaning myself off the best I can.

I do have access to a doctor, even if it can take up to 4 weeks for an appointment, but even when I do, they don't seem to have any idea about addiction, either they don't know or don't care. 1 doctor has been great but I haven't seen her in over a year, the others just don't really care simply because they think it is my own fault (Which it is anyway..).

Going to read up on Esperal now, thanks for the reply

 

[Mysterie]

its not a drug (although taking a pill that will make you not want to drink, would concern me, in terms of there is no magic pill)

but i have read hot sauce, helps alleviate alcohol cravings

you get the hottest hot sauce you can find and put a little bit under your tongue and leave it there until your mouth is on fire

and something about capascin (sp?), releases endorphins and will take your mind off the drink

and you cant start using lots of chilli in foods you eat etc, which will have more benefits than taking your mind of alcohol as well

 

[B1tO'RoughJack]

OP ^ google that...that's interesting though.

Bombard your system with SWEET - sweet music, sweet smells (like oil burners, scented candles, incense), sweet foods including carrot juice, fruits, oats, licorice, demerara sugar and OCCASIONALLY white, sweet colours you wear, films you watch (feel good thingz, disney films?), exercise sweetly, sweet company, etc you get teh picture I hope - alcohol is a super-sweet substance so to get off it successfully your body needs substitutes while it's balancing out.

Good luck.

PS you would think that the docs would wanna help - but a lot of them are trained in rockefeller owned hospitals - and therefore their hands, and minds and therefore knowledge are tied in bondage, because they're essentially there to push you whatever pharmaceuticals will make them money, not deal with your holistic health - just symptoms, and it it doesn't work, fling something else, etc until it sticks.

Again, good luck and report back,.

 

[Serotonin101]

bill Wilson, one of the founders of AA mentioned the use of LSD helped him have a spiritual awakening and reinforce his recovery. could be worth checking in to. dmt helped me quit heroin the first time around. was incredibly mind opening and changed my thinking quite a bit.

 

[blackstorm]

I hit another road block today.

Stopped yesterday but had some really bad withdrawal today, tried to stick it out for as long as possible but at 11pm i had to go buy some drink to simply stop the withdrawal, better that than end up in hospital.

I can't get lithimum, which I got once before.

Right now, I am just taking propranolol.

2 weeks is a good time to get an apointment with a doctor here. I don't drink to get drunk, I drink to maintain normal daily function.

I got LSD once, but it did nothing, maybe someone printed a smiley face on a piece of paper, never tried it again

I look and feel like shit right now, my eyes are beyond bloodshot and I feel like total crap. I had 2 choices, take another drink or call a doctor in the case of a seizure from withdrawal. Considering the doctor not helping, I'd go for a slower tapering down, hopefully there are some drugs that can help with that.
I have campral, but that says it shouldn't be taken with alcohol, both working on GABA.

 

[blackstorm]

but i have read hot sauce, helps alleviate alcohol cravings

Forgot to say, I cooked some very hot food after reading that, didn't help me anyway

and something about capascin (sp?), releases endorphins and will take your mind off the drink

I will have a look at that. But take my mind off it..not sure what could do that, maybe help with the chemicals, not sure so I have to look it up.
Campral is meant to help in that regard by increasing GABA, I have tried it twice now and hasn't done anything at all.

 

[Overcoming]

Naltrexone.

 

[aihfl]

Stopped yesterday but had some really bad withdrawal today, tried to stick it out for as long as possible but at 11pm i had to go buy some drink to simply stop the withdrawal, better that than end up in hospital.

If it's that bad, you really need a medical detox with benzodiazepines. Alcohol withdrawal is unique (also benzos) in that it doesn't just suck, it can kill you.

I know some people will be against this thread, but I am hoping to get off alcohol and use something else, something that will work on the same receptors.

The medications that have been named thus far: Campral, naltrexone, baclofen etc. are useful tools in quitting alcohol. They will not, however, give you anything resembling a pleasant buzz. I tried to abuse baclofen and the confusion and dizziness that result make it among my worst drug abuse recollections. I found Campral extremely helpful, but it requires psychosocial support and is not intended to be a "magic pill." But I did find that Campral not only cut down on alcohol thoughts but a whole host of obsessive behaviors such as impulse buying and obsessing over sex. It has zero abuse potential. All you'll get is nasty ass diarrhea and gas from taking too much. Naltrexone and Vivitrol also failed to live up to expectations as well. It's probably better for opiate addiction, but I still managed to get drunk as shit on both and it didn't really feel any different from any other drunk.

But...your original statement makes me think you're looking for a substitute buzz for alcohol rather than a medication to help you stop. The closest thing you can get to an alcohol buzz is on benzodiazepines. But let me warn you, as bad as alcohol withdrawals are, benzo withdrawals are bar none the worst drug withdrawals I have ever experienced and it can take a long, long time to get off them. I still have memory issues probably from benzo abuse even though the acute withdrawals are long over.

Though my career as a sober person is still relatively short, I did have a long career as an addict and alcoholic and I can say with certainty that for anything that gives you a pleasant buzz now, there will be a price to pay later. When I think of how many thousands of dollars I've wasted on emergency room visits over the years, I just got sick of paying that price.

 

[truenamebrand]

OP,

I don't know that it sounds appropriate for your situation, but it's worth making note of...

I used to drink heavily myself. Pretty much every night, enough to go to sleep drunk. Even with benzos, my drinking was pretty consistent. However, I developed a phenibut (GABA-b agonist) habit last year and the only good thing that came of it was I stopped drinking completely. Alcohol became wholly unappealing to me. Even after I kicked the phenibut, now several months ago, my desire to drink never returned. It's not as distasteful now as it was when I was using phenibut, but I have no cravings for alcohol whatsoever.

Again, I wasn't ever to the point of going into withdrawal from alcohol, but I definitely drank way too much; to the detriment of my physical and mental health. I'm totally alcohol-free now.

Phenibut, of course, comes with its own risks. It can be extremely addictive in itself, and the withdrawal is no joke. Still, it's worth mentioning...

Best of luck.