Recently completed an inpatient medically assisted detox

[Chip (OP)]

Hi,

I recently completed a voluntary inpatient medically assisted alcohol detox at my local hospital. I had been taking Thiamine^Wiki / Vitamin B1 doses up to 300 mg daily whilst I was drinking, just to minimalise the impact on my brain.

There were also people there on involuntary detoxes and that was a surprise to me as I didn't know that such programs exist. I suspect that if the police are involved in an incident that is a result of your heavy drug use or drinking then that is one avenue into it.

My drinking became very heavy over the last few months (at least 3 months) where i was drinking 2 bottles of sherry a day (or 22 std. drinks) and I had experienced blackouts, no appetite, severe insomnia, hangovers, a fall and as it wore off around the 12 hour mark, I developed tremors in my hands - it had to be dealt with as I only want to be a moderate drinker and drink no more than 1 or 2 drinks a day ... so far, so good. This is called moderate drinking and it does not make me want to drink to oblivion again. I do not believe that I was the typical alcoholic but ultimately just a heavy drinker.

I was at a free (government funded / the Australian Medicare Scheme) for 5 days starting on Dec 16 2020. No visitors (due to COVID-19) or electronic devices permitted and I was in a locked unit so no going off premises. They tested my vital signs 3 times a day until my blood pressure sat on 116/76 for a couple of days.

On day one they gave me 40 mg Diazepam, then 30 mg, then 10 mg, then 2 days of 5 mg. then none. They also gave me a couple of 300 mg Thiamine (Vitamin B1) shots IM. No negative symptoms (such a Delerium Tremens^Wiki) during detox and i slept well.

They also prescribed me Campral^Wiki but i developed some unpleasant side effects such as diarrhea so i stopped taking it.

I have a small benzo tolerance as I take 2 mg. of Clonazepam^Wiki occasionally for insomnia too and this admission to the detox  required a doctors referral. I also take 75 mg. Pregabalin^Wiki (Lyrica) occasionally.

I am sleeping about 3-4 hours only but i expect this to improve and my psych. just wrote me a Melatonin^Wiki script.

I do not crave alcohol and plan to never return to such regular and heavy drinking. I only drank to kill time and I never liked it that much anyway. The good feeling you get as a novice drinker is also caused by GABA and Dopamine stimulation but that goes away and it ultimately results in GABA only blackouts as tolerance develops over the months you increase the amount drunk. I only started drinking in the last 5 years mainly and had been consuming about a bottle a wine a day for a few of those years but I now only drink beer.

I have not used Clonazepam for 5 days now and i want to completely detox from that too eventually. Clonazepam withdrawals can start on day 7, I suspect. EDIT: correct, see here

It can be done and wish me luck 

[MoeMentim]

best luck to you man.  i'm now 17 months clean from everything except kratom.  i sure miss when this place was active.  thanks for all you did to make du cool, i'm sad it didn't take off. 

[Chip (OP)]

After messing up again, I completed my 3rd (and final, hopefully) alcohol detox. I couldn't handle being a controlled drinker.

It's free and took seven days. It was at a new 15 bed facility at a local hospital and was no problem whatsoever. The staff were great and the food was good also. We watched Netflix and attended some AA and NA meetings. Lots of educational groups too.

I had been drinking mainly 20-22 standard drinks of sherry a day (sometimes 30) since my last detox in October 2021 so I was in deep.

They also gave us Thiamine (some IV), me IM and then after a few days, oral.

This is the Valium dosing regimen for me after i was admitted at 10 AM:

Day 1: 10 mg at lunch, 10 mg in the afternoon and 10 mg at night

Day 2: 10 mg for breakfast, 10 mg for lunch and 10 mg at night

Day 3: 10 mg for breakfast, 5 mg at night

Day 4: 5 mg for breakfast, 5 mg at night

Day 5: 5 mg for breakfast, 5 mg at night

Days 6-7: None


I'm too worried about my organs (like my liver) and my brain to continue drinking. If i fail for some reason then I will get on Antabuse^Wiki

I met some great people there but one had terminal liver disease and looked yellowish - that was enough to really commit to abstinence.

Many others drank over 50 std drinks a day so I was by no means the heaviest drinker but i was the heaviest (fattest) though. All that sherry made me gain weight and now my mission is to lose 25 kilos.

Others were in there for ice, pot etc. and it seemed like no matter why you were there, Diazepam was prescribed for anxiety.

Wish me luck - I am also going to see a counselor and look into attending AA and even NA meetings.