# Help to stop drinking... any ideas?



## Ark (Oct 5, 2004)

I am looking for some info to help a loved one stop drinking. 

This person drinks a 6 pack of 16 oz. beer or more per day and wants to cut back to no more than 2, then stop totally ASAP. The problem is that last time they tried it, they couldnt do it. Got VERY sick and had to run get some. 

Sweating, shaky, SICK. 

I recommended a doctor's help, but they want to try it alone first. 

Are there any natural type things they can do to help the withdrawal period not be so painful? 

And if they did go to a doctor, what the heck would he do anyway? I have no idea what a doctor could actually do to help, but I thought *surely * there must be _something_! 

PLEASE HELP!!! 

Thanks!


----------



## culpeper (Nov 1, 2002)

Sadly, Cold Turkey is the only way to do it. Your friend is suffering from Delirium tremens, and needs professional help. In fact s/he/ needs all the help s/he can get. That may include sedation in a hospital. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delirium_tremens

The following remedies are not cures (there is no cure for alcoholism), but they will help get the body functioning better, and some will help with the cravings:

Include the following vegetables in the diet: Carrots, Tomatoes and Beetroot. Take medicinal doses of the following herbs: Dandelion root, Goldenseal root, Ginkgo biloba, Milk Thistle, Turmeric. All of these help restore normal function to the liver, pancreas and heart muscle, and help reduce the effects of dementia.

Slowly sip some Boysenberry juice through a straw, swishing it around the mouth before swallowing. It will temporarily alleviate the craving for alcohol.

Drink some fresh Cabbage juice every day to treat liver and stomach problems due to alcoholism. This is also good for a hangover! 

Drink Chamomile Tea, made from 30g of the flowers and 600ml boiling water poured over and infused (while covered) for about 10 minutes. This is also good for treating cases of Delerium Tremens. 

When the craving for alcohol hits, place 2 whole Cloves into the mouth and suck on them slowly without chewing or swallowing them.

To treat alcoholic poisoning, administer a tea made from Feverfew leaves.

Eat plenty of Apples to reduce the craving for alcohol.

Twice daily for a month, drink half a glass of water in which 4-5 Dates have been rubbed together. 

A tea made from the aerial parts of Scullcap taken daily may help allay the effects of alcoholism.


----------



## Ark (Oct 5, 2004)

oh WOW! 

I'm really shocked - shows how very little I knew about it!! 

Thanks so much for the info. 

Why do you say cold turkey is the only way to do it? Why not drink one less each day? Is it because the self control part would be nearly impossible? Or the body would STILL have awful cravings? 

Thank you so much.


----------



## Milkwitch (Nov 11, 2006)

alcoholism is a disease, mental and physical, 'will power' does not factor into it at all! 
It can be treated and people CAN recover, but there is not cure. Recovery from alcoholism requires long term treatment. The first step is consuming NO alcohol at all! 
Number one: GET HELP! long term recovery requires help! People can 'cork the bottle", but they are still sick! 
Culpeper's information is great, I will add high protein diet has been proven to help restore physical damage. Carbohidrates(sp?) and sugar are craved by alcoholics because alcohol is very high in concentrated calories. 
Good luck with your friend.


----------



## chris30523 (Jun 11, 2005)

Kudzu is supposed to help with alcohol consumption.It is supposed to curb cravings for alcohol to make it easier to quit.


----------



## Ark (Oct 5, 2004)

Thank you all! 
I am learning a lot that I never realized. Thanks for helping me understand how big of a problem this really is. 

I'll mention the kudzu, high protein diet, and other things mentioned as well.
THANKS!


----------



## ET1 SS (Oct 22, 2005)

I have known a number of men who were treated using 'Antabuse', it helped them.

The drug in it is called disulfiram it is manufactured by Odyssey Pharmaceuticals.

Anabuse is a man-made chemical developed to mimic the natural effects of a natural treatment; Coprine.

Anabuse is closely-related to, and has the same metabolic effects as found in Coprine, which occurs naturally in several edible mushroom species, such as the Common Ink Cap.

Coprine is found in some strains of mushrooms.

Also 'Temposil' or citrated calcium carbamide, has the same function as disulfiram, but is weaker and safer.


----------



## MELOC (Sep 26, 2005)

that deters drinking by force...so to speak. if you drink on that stuff, you will get sick as a dog. i was researching the edibility of ink caps and found out that drinking alcohol after eating ink caps, even days after consuming ink caps, can make a person very ill.

i wasn't going to chime in on this one as my advice will probably be scoffed at. i think that slowly backing off is probably a better choice. 6 16 oz. beers per day is more than one should drink, but it is not the worst drinking i have seen. i have known several 1/5 + per day whiskey drinkers. i know one guy who died from the long term affects of drinking very heavily. going cold turkey from consuming massive amounts of alcohol can be very dangerous. the body needs to adjust to the changes. without being hospitalized, i would not consider quiting cold turkey.

i think the person should cut way back and stop slowly. personally, i would try to wait until the evening to drink and have maybe 2 beers and try to go to sleep. the biggest fight will be having the will power to hold off from drinking until the evening. the person will just have to tough it out. the amount being consumed is the same as 8 regular sized drinks. that is alot to drink daily, but it is not a massive amount...unless the person weighs 100 lbs. or something like that. i think the person should cut back to 4 drinks for a few days and then down to 2 in the evening.


----------



## chicky momma (Jul 25, 2006)

Ark,
the above advise about getting professional help is correct. If this person is a heavy drinker, kind of sounds like. Its better to be in a medical facility who knows how to help them should they need medical help. They will also give them ammo for after they are detoxed. Even after the alcohol is out of their system the mental cravings continue. 12 step programs (AA/NA etc..) are highly recommended. 
As stated above tapering off doesn't work for alcoholics. One will set off the cravings worse and then they can't stop. Good luck to them/you. Lisa


----------



## Ark (Oct 5, 2004)

MELOC said:


> i wasn't going to chime in on this one as my advice will probably be scoffed at. i think that slowly backing off is probably a better choice. 6 16 oz. beers per day is more than one should drink, but it is not the worst drinking i have seen. i have known several 1/5 + per day whiskey drinkers. i know one guy who died from the long term affects of drinking very heavily. going cold turkey from consuming massive amounts of alcohol can be very dangerous. the body needs to adjust to the changes. without being hospitalized, i would not consider quiting cold turkey.
> .


Thanks Meloc for chiming in! I honestly dont understand why he couldnt cut back slowly, because the body would slowly get used to it. Some of those links said quitting cold turkey can kill you! 

Last night he drank a 40 ounce, and tonight a 32 ounce (I think that is what he said) and doing well so far. That is considerably less than before, so he is having trouble sleeping, but can deal with that. 

He absolutely will NOT consider going to a doctor unless this turns out to be a complete failure. And even then.... :shrug:


----------



## ET1 SS (Oct 22, 2005)

I have known a few heavy drinkers. If he is only drinking 40 oz of beer, then I doubt that he will honestly have that much problem.

If he were drinking 40oz of whiskey twice a day, then he might have issues. But lets be serious we are just talking about beer here. He recognized that at this point he has developed a very minor addiction, he sees this behavior could lead 'TOWARD' a serious addiction and he wants to take positive control of his life.

He should be praised! 

Another thought, is shift to 'light' beers. That cuts the alcohol consumed by half.

Many states even market 3.2 beer. A guy would have to drink the better part of a case of that just to get enough alcohol to fail a breathalyser test.


----------



## Ark (Oct 5, 2004)

ET1 SS said:


> I have known a few heavy drinkers. If he is only drinking 40 oz of beer, then I doubt that he will honestly have that much problem.
> 
> If he were drinking 40oz of whiskey twice a day, then he might have issues. But lets be serious we are just talking about beer here. He recognized that at this point he has developed a very minor addiction, he sees this behavior could lead 'TOWARD' a serious addiction and he wants to take positive control of his life.
> 
> ...


He was drinking anywhere from 96 ounces to 144 ounces per day. (6 to 9 sixteen ouncers). 
He *cut back* to the 40 ounces, and it already was light beer. 
_That has got to be enough to do damage to the body_ and he got very sick when he tried to quit cold turkey last year, so he is addicted. Yes, I am glad it is not worse, but it could be a lot better too! He has some health problems which will probably do better if he is not drinking. 

Thanks for the encouragement! 
He never drank in the morning - just after work, BTW. His brother drinks vodka and starts first thing in the morning.... YIKESSSSSSSSSS! :nono:


----------



## ET1 SS (Oct 22, 2005)

Ark said:


> He was drinking anywhere from 96 ounces to 144 ounces per day. (6 to 9 sixteen ouncers). He *cut back* to the 40 ounces, and it already was light beer. _That has got to be enough to do damage to the body_ and he got very sick when he tried to quit cold turkey last year, so he is addicted. Yes, I am glad it is not worse, but it could be a lot better too! He has some health problems which will probably do better if he is not drinking.
> 
> Thanks for the encouragement!


One six-pack of light beers, is equal to three regular American style beers [meaning low alcohol content beers].

If he quit before in the summer, his body may have needed the water intake, and that may have been what his body was lacking.

Three American beers a day will not do damage to your liver.

I agree that addiction to anything is bad, and that everyone should free themselves of most addictions as soon as they notice that said addiction exists. [with the obvious exception of Oxygen and perhaps love]

Heart patients are commonly prescribed two beers a day. [my mother has such a prescription] In our culture it is the only mode of consuming barley. Barley and oats are both very good for the heart. and since American beer is so terribly low in alcohol content, most doctors consider the health benefits of that small amount of alcohol to be an added plus to the barley consumption.

Everyone is different. I have known serious heavy drinkers, who did have problems with their alcohol consumption, it does not sound to me like such is the case with your friend.

We lived in Scotland for eight years, and while there we knew many friends who drank four to six pints of heavy beer [12% to 14%] every day. They have done so for centuries, and their culture sees very little health problems from it. They also a lot of local whiskeys and they do see some health problems from those who consume too much whiskey. However a couple drams a day, is considered very healthy in that culture.

We lived in Italy for three years, and I know folks who drink a liter of [14%] wine each day, have for years and live in a culture where such is the norm. They would never consider such to be harmful. Though I am sure that if they stopped cold-turkey they would go into withdrawal symptoms.

Everyone is different.


----------



## Ark (Oct 5, 2004)

ET1 SS said:


> One six-pack of light beers, is equal to three regular American style beers [meaning low alcohol content beers].
> 
> If he quit before in the summer, his body may have needed the water intake, and that may have been what his body was lacking.
> 
> ...



Wow!!!!!!!!!!


Talk about a different perspective......... lol  

Seriously, I cant believe that 100 or so ounces of light beer a day is not harmful. ( Ok, so maybe it's just me... and the way I was raised. Shoulda been raised in Scotland!) 

However, there are some health problems, and the obvious fact that it is an addiction. Like you said, an addiction is best avoided. 

Thanks for your post! It was very interesting and informative. 

ARK


----------



## ricky (Jul 31, 2006)

being an ex drinker i can say no one can stop any one from drinking unless he or she chooses to quit on there own. i quit on day and have not back slid in over 10 years. brother was 34 years old is now dead from drinking he didnt want to quit. i quit first and live, he kept drinking and is gone. got to more brother drinking there self to death they dont see it but i do. ---- drink na beer it tastes like beer and has about as much alcohol as an apple. :shrug: when i drank i couldn't see how life would be any fun if i quit, now i wonder how i ever had fun drinking? you know what i dont think i did. some of us quit some dont that simple.


----------



## suburbanite (Jul 27, 2006)

You say last time he tried to stop he had physical symptoms. This suggests that he is one of those people who will get delerium tremens ("DT's") upon suddenly stopping alcohol consumption.

Do NOT stop cold turkey without medical help.

DT's happen because alcohol is a neural depressant. The alcohol is acting sort of like a lid on a pressure cooker of neural activity. If you break the pressure seal before turning the heat off, you could wind up with an explosion. In the case of a person with physiological alcohol dependence, if they stop cold turkey, their nervous system, which got used to working with the 'lid' on, will suddenly explode into activity including dysfunction of autonomic nervous system that controles heart rate, blood pressure, etc. For this reason DT's are not only uncomfortable (and can include chilling hallucinations), but can actually kill a person. Their whole body goes haywire.

A doctor will give an alternative mild neurodepressant for a couple of days while the person goes cold turkey, so that their nervous system can re-calibrate to how it has to work when alcohol isn't around. At the end of that time the person goes off the medication and so long as they don't drink again they should be okay.

There is also a new medication out (and I can't find the name...I think it is a new use of an old medication...) from last year that reduces the *desire* for alcohol among alcoholics. You'll have to ask your doc about this and your doc may not know if they haven't been to a general medicine continuing education update within the past year. Note that this is a *different* medicine than antibuse, which makes you sick if you drink but otherwise does nothing to diminish the desire to drink.


----------



## suburbanite (Jul 27, 2006)

PS: you *can* try to taper down without medical supervision. Simply take one beer out of the pack each day and space the remaining 5 beers out to accomodate for one being missing. A week later, take 2 beers out of the pack. Cut down to a beer a day over a period of weeks, then go cold turkey from that level, where you're not likely to get DT's.

But if he gets tremors or any symptom more serious than moderate irritability, then you're looking at possible DT's and should either see a doc or have a few ounces of beer (as little as possible). This would be a sign that you're really going to have to rely on a doc's help.


----------



## suburbanite (Jul 27, 2006)

Oh, the other thing--since he's drinking enough to have symptoms on withdrawal, he probably also has lost a lot of vitamins that alcohol interferes with. He should start taking thiamine, folate, and b-complex vitamins daily according to the labels on the bottles.

Add: in longstanding cases even when the alcohol dependence isn't severe, the vitamin deficiencies can result in anything from anemia to permanent brain damage (Wernike-Korsakov syndrome) requiring institutionalization.

So get him to take the vitamins even if--especially if--he has no intention of quitting.


----------



## Quiet Guy (Oct 29, 2006)

It is possible to quit drinking on your own. It depends whether he is an actual alcoholic(medical condition) or just a habit that got out of control. 

It can also be done by substituting nonalcoholic beer for what he is drinking now.


----------



## Dahc (Feb 14, 2006)

Ark said:


> I am looking for some info to help a loved one stop drinking.
> 
> This person drinks a 6 pack of 16 oz. beer or more per day and wants to cut back to no more than 2, then stop totally ASAP. The problem is that last time they tried it, they couldnt do it. Got VERY sick and had to run get some.
> 
> ...


 If your friend is serious about quiting and can't do it alone, get in touch with these folks. I guarantee that if he meets their requirements, they will help:

Bethel Colony of Mercy


----------



## mtn_gin (Jun 17, 2006)

My husband was diagnosed with pserosis of the liver about a month ago. He still has not quit drinking, and the doctor told him that he had to quit. The doc. said that it wasn't if but when he will die because it is very serious. My husband is just 39, and we have 2 girls, no insurance of any kind. He is so addicted to the alcohol that it is terrible. He has cut down but not much. He doesn't drink the hard stuff everyday like before, but he is still drinking quite abit of beer and vodka a couple times a week. But it does make him sick when he does that. So I do not know what the future holds, but I sure wish I knew what could help anyone to quit.


----------



## LamiPub (Nov 10, 2006)

Vitamin b 12? I think...should be able to check it out. The b vitamin helps with the withdrawals and also makes the alcohol less appetizing. Thiamin could be taken because severe alcoholics usually have a deficiency in that...that is what causes the alcohol induced dementia...thiamin deficiency.


----------



## Dahc (Feb 14, 2006)

mtn_gin said:


> My husband was diagnosed with pserosis of the liver about a month ago. He still has not quit drinking, and the doctor told him that he had to quit. The doc. said that it wasn't if but when he will die because it is very serious. My husband is just 39, and we have 2 girls, no insurance of any kind. He is so addicted to the alcohol that it is terrible. He has cut down but not much. He doesn't drink the hard stuff everyday like before, but he is still drinking quite abit of beer and vodka a couple times a week. But it does make him sick when he does that. So I do not know what the future holds, but I sure wish I knew what could help anyone to quit.


I drank a fifth of rum or vodka every day for thirteen years. I was labeled a chronic alcoholic and couldn't quit myself. Please see post #20 in this thread. I haven't had any alcohol in 7 years and don't miss it a bit. Even if you have no money, at least call the people. Your husbands life is worth it.


----------



## ET1 SS (Oct 22, 2005)

I have known men who have gone 'cold turkey' and went through DTs, at sea.

I have also known men who were confined in the brig and put on anabuse.

However until reading these posts, I did not know that some folks get a doctor's treatment for their DTs. I had only seen and heard of folks going through it; either on their own, or in the brig. In either case, without the benefit of a doctor's treatment.


----------



## Ark (Oct 5, 2004)

mtn_gin said:


> My husband was diagnosed with pserosis of the liver about a month ago. He still has not quit drinking, and the doctor told him that he had to quit. The doc. said that it wasn't if but when he will die because it is very serious. My husband is just 39, and we have 2 girls, no insurance of any kind. He is so addicted to the alcohol that it is terrible. He has cut down but not much. He doesn't drink the hard stuff everyday like before, but he is still drinking quite abit of beer and vodka a couple times a week. But it does make him sick when he does that. So I do not know what the future holds, but I sure wish I knew what could help anyone to quit.


I am so sorry for what you are going through! Did the doctor say anything about something he could take to help him stop drinking? If not, can you ask the doctor about it? 
What are the symptoms of liver problems? 

*****************************************************


And thanks to everyone else who responded! 
There is a lot of good info there and I really appreciate it. 
He has started a good mulit-vitamin with plenty of the B's in it, plus he is now taking an extra B as well. 

He has stuck to what he said he would do.  He has cut back to 40 ounces a day. I'm not sure what he is planning to do as far as drinking less than that... if and when... wait and see, I guess. :shrug:


----------



## Kee Wan (Sep 20, 2005)

First - I'm NOT a scientologist, and I'm not a big fan of theirs...

That said, 

They have a program for helping people quit drinking that uses sweating out toxins from the body as a way to help the bopdy clear out and lessen the withdrawl. L Ron Hubbard has some books out that explain it rather well. I"m not a fan of theirs, like I said - but he did his homework, and does appear to have a clue. 

Working with Native Americans and "read road sobreity", I can say that there is definatly something to sweating. Either in a traditional sweat lodge or in an IR sauna. THe IR sauna's have a wonderful reputation, we have one in the house, and they are really great. Using them is sometimes a challange - but I can attest that doing this GREATLY lessens the severity of the yearning for alcohol, and it also helps with the withdrawls.


----------



## skinner (Dec 2, 2002)

Ok, not real eager to admit this, but part of my recovery is to help other alcoholics.

Cold turkey can kill . I have ended up in the hospital twice, after trying to go cold turkey. Last time ,I was in I.C.U. for three days. Blood sugar went over 400 , don't remember what blood preasure was, but Dr. was afraid I might have a heart attack or stroke. Told me he didn't think I would live through another detox. I was detoxed on Oxazepam. That stuff is a crappy buzz.

I was already in a 16 week out patient program. Half way thru , I relapsed.

While in the hospital last time, my children begged me to go to inpatient. I submitted. I went 28 days to New Life Lodge in Burns Tn. They changed my life. They showed me how to live sober, after 20 years.They educated me on all aspects of addiction. They taught me how to deal with relationships.

I am on my way to a 12 step A.A. , followed by an open topic meeting tonight. It is the way to sobriety.

If I can be of any help , please feel free.

I met people who detoxed by tapering, WITH SUPERVISION.

skinner
142 days Sober By The Grace Of God.


----------



## dashley (Jan 23, 2005)

I don't drink and never really have, I went on an antidepressant almost a year ago. I just got off of it with some help with a drug that is for alcoholics, it is called "TRANXENE-T" 

I was trying to get off of "Effexor" which is highly addictive. I missed one dose and almost had a mental break down. Before I found out about this drug I was counting beads out of my Effexor capsule every 10 days to try to wean myself off, it was a slow go and I was sick for about 3 days till I would level out. I needed something that would help, I did lots of research and this drug came up time and time again. You can do a search and see if it might be something that could help some of you folks that need some real help. It is not a costly drug and it is for the use of alcohol addiction but it has also helped me greatly with Effexor withdrawals. I am now free from my addiction!!
My addiction was given to me by my doctor, I changed Doctor's and discussed this treatment, it was not something she knew very much about, but researched it and did give it to me. All I can say is it worked for me and others because it was from my own research that I found it.

It has been 9 days since I started taking it, and I am finished. It worked fast for me. It may take a little longer for alcohol addiction though, but maybe not!

Â· Tranxene T-Tab is used to relieve anxiety, nervousness, and tension associated with anxiety disorders. Tranxene T-Tab is also used to reduce symptoms associated with alcohol withdrawal, and to treat certain types of seizures.


----------



## chickenpie (Jun 1, 2007)

ET1 SS said:


> I have known men who have gone 'cold turkey' and went through DTs, at sea.
> 
> I have also known men who were confined in the brig and put on anabuse.
> 
> However until reading these posts, I did not know that some folks get a doctor's treatment for their DTs. I had only seen and heard of folks going through it; either on their own, or in the brig. In either case, without the benefit of a doctor's treatment.



Untreated DT's have up to a 30% mortality rate.


----------



## Ark (Oct 5, 2004)

Thanks again to _each of you _ for the info. 

I never thought to add that he is weaning himself off of his depression meds at the same time. He is taking Citalopram, and is down to 1/4 of a pill every other day. He did it very slowly - been taking the 1/4 every other day for nearly 3 weeks now! 

You wouldnt think that tiny fourth would be too strong??? *WRONG. * If he doesnt take that tiny piece every other day he gets "messed up in the head". Dizzy, weird feeling, cant drive, etc.


----------



## dashley (Jan 23, 2005)

Ark said:


> Thanks again to _each of you _ for the info.
> 
> I never thought to add that he is weaning himself off of his depression meds at the same time. He is taking Citalopram, and is down to 1/4 of a pill every other day. He did it very slowly - been taking the 1/4 every other day for nearly 3 weeks now!
> 
> You wouldnt think that tiny fourth would be too strong??? *WRONG. * If he doesnt take that tiny piece every other day he gets "messed up in the head". Dizzy, weird feeling, cant drive, etc.



This person really wants to be himself again, he get's an "At A Boy" from me. I pray he get's through it and can live again, as normal. 
What he is doing is a BIG DEAL!! Tell him to take it real slow if he doesn't get help from a Doc!!


----------



## Ark (Oct 5, 2004)

dashley said:


> This person really wants to be himself again, he get's an "At A Boy" from me. I pray he get's through it and can live again, as normal.
> What he is doing is a BIG DEAL!! Tell him to take it real slow if he doesn't get help from a Doc!!


That is so nice of you!  

And congrats to you for being able to get off the pills. :hobbyhors


----------



## ET1 SS (Oct 22, 2005)

chickenpie said:


> Untreated DT's have up to a 30% mortality rate.


WOW I would have never thought such a thing.

After having seen guys go through it.


----------



## sisterpine (May 9, 2004)

i wasnt going to throw my towel in either but.....i am an addictions counselor and am married to an alcoholic. what the loved one needs to remember and what we all need to remember is that the disease is not beer, it is addiction. different amounts of different substances can jump start the addiction process in people. some folks have their switch flipped from social user to addict much easier than others. withdrawal from alcohol is one of two withdrawal episodes that can kill. I would encourage your loved one to put on a sweater , hitch a ride to the nearest chemical dependency facility and after gathering up all his nerve walk in the door and ask for some help. there are new medications today that can help ease the cravings and withdrawal symptoms that many people find helpful.s sis


----------



## dashley (Jan 23, 2005)

I'd like to know how he is doing, please let us know from time to time. And let him know he has people praying for his success!!


----------

