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Some Benzo advise please for a recovering alcoholic

Good Afternoon Clutchingatstraws! That's great that you saw your GP! I really hope he Prozac helps get you feeling better. It may be all the boost you need to get in a better headspace so you can continue to focus on getting healthy. When you begin taking the Prozac - DO NOT take the 5-htp. That could cause a potentially life threatening interaction, so only take the Prozac. I strongly recommend you do your best to refrain from drinking on the Prozac, as that combination may have negative consequences as well. When you start Prozac I would try to hve that be the ONLY substance you are consuming, at least until you get adjusted to it. If you ever want to take something else while you are on the Prozac, Google the possible interactions first, or ask on this site. Keep in mind it will most likely take around three weeks for you to begin to feel the effects of the Prozac - be patient and give it a chance to work ;)

I think it's good that you stopped playing the game for the time being. I had to stop all activities that I frequently did while drinking. Overtime you can slowly pick them back up while sober, but I recommending changing it some to change associations (i.e. Move the computer into a different room, listen to different music while you play, etc).

If you find you are having obsessive thoughts regarding drinking try to have your wife distract you. If you notice that your in a pattern of not drinking for a few days and then breaking down and having a drink see the alcohol specialist. That pattern can go on indefinately, at least it could for me. The longer you stay focused on sobriety and he more sober days you get the closer you are to recovery, even if you relapse and drink. It's all part of the process. Stay strong - you're doing great!
 
Yeah seratonin syndrome is no fun at all! I am glad to hear that you seem to be really taking control of your life and being really, I don't know, like really honest with yourself, fearlessly honest it sounds like. That is so necessary for recovery to take root and happen. Keep the great work CAS, you are well on your way!
 
Hi,

Not drinking today, so yippy.

Yeah I also found about the seratonin syndrome, so have chucked out the idea of 5-htp. Only other meds I am on are GP prescribed Amitriptyline and vitamins.

I see some interaction with the Amitriptyline but am on a low dose (10-20mg daily as required) and other than being sleepy when I shouldn't and wide bloody awake when I should be sleepy all seems fine so far.

I don't see any interaction with the Krat and to be honest it will probably only last me 10 days or so. Made some tea with it yesterday and it was horrible, but worked ok. Made tea again today and put some honey in it to sweeten it and fuck me it tasted worse, all I could do to finish it!! But the effects with the tea are better.

One thing I'm getting though since using krat is I keep dreaming about an ex of mine who I haven't seen for some 20-25 years. Don't get me wrong, the dreams are nice at the time, but always bother me when I wake up (which I guess they should being married 12 years with 2 kids...).

Stocked up on more sweets and chocolate today, I'm pear shaped anyway due to the booze so will look like a balloon soon enough. Worth it I know, but not something I want to last.

That's all for today.

Thank you all again for being here.

R.
 
Kudos - everything sounds great! Be careful heating kratom as if it gets here's too much it can lose effectiveness. If the fast bothers you, you can take an empty water bottle (16oz) and fill it 1/4 the way with water and add some water flavoring and shake it well, then add your kratom and shake it again. I suspect being a heavy drinker you can make short work of four ounces of water ;)

Toothpastedog is correct - amitriptyline does have a lot of interactions. The next time you see your physicians ask him about switching over to Trazodone which has far fewer interactions and is an effective sleep aid. It's also an antidepressant and is used to treat major major depression. I've taken both and preferred the Trazodone. I used to take 25 or 50 mg of trazodone and 2 mg melatonin - that combination would knock me out and would keep me asleep all night with no grogginess is the morning. It was some of the best sleep I've ever had.

Don't worry about gaining weight from the sweets - though it probably won't happen because you're no longer drinking, so you're not getting the calories from the booze. The first month I quick drink I ate a six pack of snickers candy bar just about every night and still lost weight. A candy bar has roughly 250 calories, 6 would have approximately 1500 calories, which was still less than what I was drinking. If you do gain weight, you'll lose it when you no longer need the candy. My desire for sweets quickly tapered down after the first month, and I would have one or two candy bars a night for a few more months, and then transitioned to fruit. It took a little while for my body to adjust to the lower sugar. Within a year I had lost all my drinking weight and maintained my healthy eating. I've been in a healthy weight range since.

You may want to start exercising some. Maybe you and your family can go for a walk after dinner. It's exercise so it will help you mentally, and you be spending quality family time together interacting without any electronic distractions. It will also involve them in your recovery, and will be a great way to reconnect.

Keep going strong!

Forgot to mention you guys have phenomenal candy bars! I am so jealous, I wish I would have had access to the sweets you guys have when I got sober. Don't take it for granted. So many of our sweets are made by one or two vendors that have horrible chocolate - like dry brown wax. Snickers technically falls into that category, but it has caramel, peanuts, and nouget (sp ?) so you're not focused on how lacking the chocolate is lol.
 
Well, it depends what he is using it for. Amitriptyline is also used for IBS, and is very effective for that treatment. Talking to your doctor is your best bet, as we are not MDs on here, though some of us pretty much are de facto pharmacists ;)
 
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toothpastedog said:
Well, it depends what he is using it for. Amitriptyline is also used for IBS, and is very effective for that treatment. Talking to your doctor is your best bet, as we are now MDs on here, though some of us pretty much are de facto pharmacists ;)
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He referenced it in this sentence: I see some interaction with the Amitriptyline but am on a low dose (10-20mg daily as required) and other than being sleepy when I shouldn't and wide bloody awake when I should be sleepy all seems fine so far.

I just assumed it was for sleep. However, there is a strong association between anxiety and IBS, and many physicians script meds that lower anxiety such as lyrica and buspar for IBS, I'm sure there's an alternative that is not nearly as risky, especially since there is an addiction issue at play. Sleep had been a part of this discussion as well, and getting sober usually involves sleep as the quality of sleep tends to decrease as people quit their DOC.

Though, I'm not certain Amytripiline would be given to someone with a known alcohol problem. When I got a script of it to transition off of trazodone I also got a 10 minute lecture on the importance of not mixing this medication with suppliments, and too not drink. He wouldn't give it to me until after I had a few months sober.

Personally, I think recommending medication to discuss with their physicians to other Bluelighters helpful as so many physicians are set in their ways, and it gives people a chance to various methods of treatment that may work better for them than their current regime.

I hope you don't think I'm snapping back at you Toothpastdog as you mention a very valid point that many of use frequently do make medication recommendations, particularly in the Recovery forums. I wanted to take a moment to explain my rationale for doing so, as treating mental health isn't an exact science yet, and what works for one may not work for another person presenting with the same symptoms. It's important to know all the options for a particular diagnosis, so the person can explore other treatments should the need arise. However, it should always be done under the care of a physician regardless of how knowledgable the community is, most of us are not healthcare professionals and we also don't get the full health story as someone's physician would. It was actually word of mouth on this site that turned me on to Vivitrol and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy which afforded me the opportunity to get sober ;) Again, very valid point Toothpastdog. I think it would make an interesting dissection topic.
 
Just re-read Clutchingatstraws response and see that I misread the amytriptilyne section both last night and this morning.

"I see some interaction with the Amitriptyline but am on a low dose (10-20mg daily as required) and other than being sleepy when I shouldn't and wide bloody awake when I should be sleepy all seems fine so far."

Clutchingatstraws - disregard what I wrote. I thought that you were taking it for sleep. If it's making you drowsy consider taking it at night before bed, as amitriptyline is often prescribed for sleep issues. I give you props for being able to stay a awake through it - I wouldn't be able to do so and still function lol.
 
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I think you will be glad to know I get very little enjoyment out of sweets and chocolate, it's a needs must thing and has started to help. These last two days I have got a little nauseous at times, could be the Prozac I guess, and a mint helps my stomach calm down. Mint's are also handy after a cup of that awful tea (I'll check out I'm making it right as I think I might be over boiling it). The chocolate is a snack thing, but all these can only be used in the evening as my wife and kids would scoff the lot otherwise.

My GP put me on the Amitriptylin when I first stopped drinking around Christmas and I was not taking it during my relapse (for no other reason than I didn't need it, I was drinking!!). I was put on it for the sleep and the depression, which I should have made clear, and as it does have some interactions I will mention that and suggest Trazodone as an alternative. I can talk to him quite openly.

Really enjoyed reading the last few posts, I know you are looking out for and guiding me with only the best of intentions and your advise is invaluable.

I must remember to call the shrinks, I've still not done that, would like their input as well.

Anyway, no drinking today, had a slight urge about 4 hours ago but reached for the mints and lollipops, got online, and it just disappeared, so great advise there also.

Almost midnight here so going to watch the end of Preacher, get some snap and go to bed.

R.
 
No news today, all looking good.

Kids have a week off school so I have that to look forward to, time at the park, walks, swimming, games and get the tent out in the garden for them.

Take care all.
 
That sounds great CAS! Btw I've found a really neat trick to take away my nicotine cravings that I want to share with you, in case it can help w/ your alc cravings as well. The idea comes from lucid dreaming, which I loved to do a few years ago before getting into opiates. So to start lucid dreaming, you have to remind yourself during the day that 'i'm awake', and if you do it often enough you'll do it during dreams too, and wake up.

So whenever I want a vape I rub my hands together (another trick) and picture myself awakening within a dream. It works gangbusters against cravings, plus Lucid Dreams have given me some of the most intense emotions / euphoria of my entire existence. They are AWESOME!! So try it out:)
 
Another day nearly complete.

SunSpot, I will look into that, nothing ventured etc.

Really not much to add for today again. The sick feeling I've been getting has not been so bad today, hoping it's just me getting used to the Prozac.

One thing that has made me unhappy is we had one of my daughters friends here for a few hours on Thu, as we always do, and they returned the invite for her to go to theirs on Friday, as we arranged some time ago, we do it every week.
But I text them Friday before taking her around and ''Oh, we are just going out, we'll do it tomorrow'' (today). So I hear nothing till 2pm today, so I text again ''Oh, we're out, we'll see her Sunday''.

Now I know people make last minute plans but they have phones, why not tell us of the change? It's always me that has to call them, it's always them that let her down, and I end up with an unhappy 7 year old. Again.

People really piss me off, and my kids wonder why I have no close friends!! It's cos they invariably let you down.

Not sure why I shared that other than to say it's been happening for months and starting to get me down, for my daughter.

Thanks again SunSpot, I'll do some Googling.

Laters.

R.
 
That's horrible. If it's ways you initiating contact, and then they cancel the plans and don't let you know I think you should drop them for a while. Your daughter definately deserves better. Start making other plans, they'll either get the hint or not, but at least she won't have to deal with disappointment. I hate unreliable people. Sorry you had to deal with that.
 
Moreaux said:
If it's ways you initiating contact, and then they cancel the plans and don't let you know I think you should drop them for a while. Your daughter definately deserves better. Start making other plans, they'll either get the hint or not, but at least she won't have to deal with disappointment. I hate unreliable people. Sorry you had to deal with that.
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There's the rub though, the son, being only 7, is also an innocent party, and I can't quite bring myself to stop the play dates as it is neither child's fault, it's his parents. But yes, it is getting close to that stage.

On a separate note, hello again.

Been a few days since I last posted and all is well, thought I would give people a break from my ramblings. The hard work starts tomorrow as I will run out of Krat today (knew I would not make it last longer, it's all or nothing with me).
I'm mentally well prepared, have had just the one slip in the 3 weeks since I stopped, and feel confident. I have been on the prozac for 8 days now, so hoping the low feelings I get start to pass and I have a lot of sweets etc to keep the sugar coming.

I'll be ok.

R.
 
Glad to hear you're doing well Clutchingatstraws! Good luck tomorrow - I'll be thinking about you!
 
Hi Straws,

I'm rooting for you! We are alike with needing somewhat of a CT break; a taper to nothing never worked for me either. Sadly I'm back on the kratom after developing a neuritis in my right arm. Turned down the hinted-at opiates from the urgent care though, to be honest I felt deeply disgusted to even be thinking of sullying my body with those things anymore. Kratom however has really shown that it can be a very useful medicinal: Couldn't dress myself or drive yesterday from pain. Perhaps it was the Ibuprofen, but more likely the Kratom, which allowed me to relax my tensed muscles, thus helping nerve healing. A spasming shoulder that triggers shooting nerve pain in the sensitive period after opiate WD is an undesirable state of affairs, to state it in british nonchalance.

What I'm saying is if you have a slip don't beat yourself up over it. Mental 'reasons' can be much harder to resist than physical symptoms. Sounds like you got that mastered though.

PS: My oldest traveled through your sunny England (London) a few days ago, this summer is the first time we allowed her to travel without us to Europe. I mean she's flying with her grandma there (chaperone back), but doing travel in our native country by herself with older cousins etc she barely knows. She's 9. This kind of also marks the point where she gets her own phone etc. Not that she'll have to do any less chores, I'll have no spoiled kids. Still, it's a weird feeling when they grow up!
 
Hi SunSpot, I hope your daughter had a good time, I was born just outside of London but live further north now, not sure I would ever go back, it has changed so much. Will you be knocking the Krat on the head when your arm is better? I was surprised that after more or less a month of quite heavy Kratom use I have had no withdrawals at all, miss it a bit but only in the context it stopped me wanting to drink.

Anyway, thank you both, I'm 2 days into it now and yeah, feel ok. No major urge to drink, no mind worms, but feeling a bit edgy.

Just taking it one day at a time.
My appetite is back, eating the sweets and eating healthy other than that. Taking my vits and my Prozac and sleeping ok so can't really ask for much more at this stage.

I'll visit again in a day or two.

R.
 
YES i will stop krat when the pain is gone. I feel like I'm enjoying it too much already, mild though it is. And the negative effects are there too (cant achieve O, etc). I did take rather a lot for the pain, meaning a full ounce of encapsulated maeng da from a local head shop that first day and a bit less than an ounce of crushed bali since then. Some years ago i would've probably been puking; now what happens is i get a bit of energy and pain relief.

Btw i got lucky with nicotine today, i rationalized vapinf just 'one more time', but the battery didn't work with the RDA that i found in the couch. So, day 8 no vaping it is!

Hope your alright, hang in there don't drink! Btw how would you vote, Brexit or Bremain?
 
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