PLEASE DON'T DRINK ALCOHOL WHEN YOU FEEL RECOVERED

[[Ch...]]

I've never heard of protracted depersonalisation, memory loss, weird sensations, auditory and visual problems, muscle tightness and erratic aches and pains, breathing problems, tachycardia, etc, etc in former alcoholics without a concurrent benzo habit who have become dry.

 

You are incorrect. Alcohol has been around for thousands of years and we understand its pathways of action and affects. We're still in the dark ages when it comes to understanding benzo's and particulary the wd syndrome associated with it. There are superficial similarities between them but most people would agree that benzo's are far more damaging and their effects far more prolonged.

 

Look at all the heavy drinkers who remain function for life. They never reach 'tolerance'. Not condoning such use but its clearly far more benign than benzo's.

 

That's not quite correct actually, some chronic alcoholics go on to develop Korsakoff's Syndrome and Wernicke's Encephalopathy.

My mother is one of them and she never touched a benzo.

 

As for heavy drinkers who remain functional for life, did they start off as heavy drinkers or could it be they started off drinking light amounts then as things progressed required more alcohol to get the same effects?

[[Bo...]]

Exactly. There are some on this forum who are paranoid about taking anything and everything .

 

IMO this is ridiculous; as long as you avoid Benzodiazepines you should be fine.

 

Hey going through benzo w/d is bad enough and to avoid other alternative pleasures is IMO just outrageous.

 

We must be allowed all the other alternative pleasures out there.

 

I would tell your doctor to go to hell.

 

Thank. You

 

If you're trying to quit cigarets I hear cigars are a great alternative.

[[Bo...]]

I would love to have a beer but not until I am completely symptom free

 

I'm in the same boat. I'm going to wait to be symptom free for awhile tho. While I have far many more days where I feel 100% healed, I still get the odd day where somethings not quite right. My sleep has finally returned to normal and until I can resume a heavy weightlifting schedule w/o anxiety following I'm going to continue to abstain.

 

My family, friends and work have been great thru all of this. They've been very supportive. I can honestly say that they would be pretty pissed if I prolonged this because of drinking. This benzo WD has affected everything and everyone in my life. I personally feel it would be selfish of me to jeopardize my progress over a night of drinking.

 

A common theme here is we're the minority in benzo WD. Why do some of us think they'd be in the majority of people who can drink during or soon after WD?

 

I also read that people would love to have a drink. I don't really read I'd love to get drunk. I feel this is what people really want to say. I WANT TO GET DRUNK. That's what I want to do someday.

[[Bo...]]

up

[[Bi...]]

I can drink wine. It has no effect on me. I also cook with it.

 

 

[[eg...]]

I drink a couple of whiskeys and it has no effect on me.  Don't think I'd want to drink every night but once or twice a week seems fine.  As always, everyone is different.

[[pa...]]

I sadly seem to need to be added to the list of alcohol induced setback and want to warn others. I was feeling symptom free and normal for about 5 months. I got married, finished building a house and changed jobs. I was also traveling again and was not thinking about benzo withdrawal anymore. I was feeling healed at about 16 months post benzo. Then I had my 5 months of no symptoms. I would have half a drink occasionally throughout those 5 months. Then in August I went on a 5 day vacation to the Keys with a group of friends. I felt it was finally my time to enjoy life and celebrate healing. While I never drank to the point of feeling buzzed, I indulged in a piña colada by the pool everyday and a glass of wine or mixed drink at night. About 4-5 days after getting back from the Keys I was back in a more acute withdrawal state for about a week with high anxiety and little to no sleep. It has been about 3 months now and while I am no longer in an acute state and am sleeping fine again, I am still struggling with less severe windows and waves of anxiety, some depression and just feeling off again. I think it may be a combination of the alcohol and high stress. The week before the Keys trip I moved into our house and started a new job. However, I am pretty confident with the timing of symptoms, that alcohol has played a big role in this setback. I will never be drinking again, it is just not worth it to me. While I don't think an occasional half drink of alcohol is very harmful, drinking multiple drinks or for multiple days in a row can be very dangerous to our recovery. I just hope this setback won't last too much longer. It was a huge reminder to me that even when we feel well, our systems are still in a compromised state and we need to be gentle with them.

[[Re...]]

I foolishly had a gin and vodka cocktail at lunch a fortnight ago and knew almost immediately that is was a mistake. It really ratcheted up my symptoms and made for a miserable couple of days. I love booze and can't wait to be able to drink again but sadly it'll be a while.

[[Fl...]]

I think it may be a combination of the alcohol and high stress. The week before the Keys trip I moved into our house and started a new job. However, I am pretty confident with the timing of symptoms, that alcohol has played a big role in this setback.

 

Ever since Whoopsie posted this I have wondered what if any role her vacation played in her setback. I haven't had any alcohol for months now but after the 2 year mark when I did have a drink it caused a very similar reaction to when I missed sleep or went through a stressful situation. Both would give me a hangover type wave that lasted a few days.

 

Earlier this year I went on a ski vacation with my family. In retrospect I shouldn't have even attempted it, but at the time it just didn't register that missing a night's sleep on the way there and then all of the activities that followed were going to be too much for my fragile CNS to handle. I was sick pretty much the entire week.

 

In my case none of these things seem to cause long term setbacks but I can absolutely count on a few days of feeling miserable if I were to attempt them. And I know vacation is supposed to be a time to relax and DEstress, but is that ever really the case? Most people can handle missing sleep and catching planes and trains and running here and there for a couple of weeks and it's an enjoyable experience for them so they just don't think about it but I know that most of the time when I am on vacation I am actually pushing myself harder than I would have had I been sitting at home.

 

Maybe the alcohol was just the icing on the cake? I know alcohol is an easy target and very likely to be at least partially responsible, it just seems like there is usually a vacation or a big party or something else involved when people report these reactions and I don't think we should ignore these other factors.

 

I am all about figuring out and avoiding ANYTHING that makes this awful situation worse.

[[JC...]]

 

I'm gonna become a friend of Bill W.  I come from a long line of alcoholics, anyway. 

[[Wh...]]

I sadly seem to need to be added to the list of alcohol induced setback and want to warn others. I was feeling symptom free and normal for about 5 months. I got married, finished building a house and changed jobs. I was also traveling again and was not thinking about benzo withdrawal anymore. I was feeling healed at about 16 months post benzo. Then I had my 5 months of no symptoms. I would have half a drink occasionally throughout those 5 months. Then in August I went on a 5 day vacation to the Keys with a group of friends. I felt it was finally my time to enjoy life and celebrate healing. While I never drank to the point of feeling buzzed, I indulged in a piña colada by the pool everyday and a glass of wine or mixed drink at night. About 4-5 days after getting back from the Keys I was back in a more acute withdrawal state for about a week with high anxiety and little to no sleep. It has been about 3 months now and while I am no longer in an acute state and am sleeping fine again, I am still struggling with less severe windows and waves of anxiety, some depression and just feeling off again. I think it may be a combination of the alcohol and high stress. The week before the Keys trip I moved into our house and started a new job. However, I am pretty confident with the timing of symptoms, that alcohol has played a big role in this setback. I will never be drinking again, it is just not worth it to me. While I don't think an occasional half drink of alcohol is very harmful, drinking multiple drinks or for multiple days in a row can be very dangerous to our recovery. I just hope this setback won't last too much longer. It was a huge reminder to me that even when we feel well, our systems are still in a compromised state and we need to be gentle with them.

 

Thanks for sharing your experience.  I really want the word out there that we have to be so cautious even after we recover.  I had a short discussion recently with another member about possibly being prone to a setback from alcohol because of heavy drinking in my late teens and early adulthood.  May I ask if this is the case for you as well?  A previous history of drinking too much?

 

I had a little laugh at your mention of Pina Colada's ... that was my downfall also.  Dammit Pina Colada's.  Maybe I should retitle the thread PLEASE DON'T DRINK PINA COLADA'S WHEN YOU FEEL RECOVERED. 

 

I really hope that your setback doesn't last too much longer.  Hard to believe isn't it?  You feel normal, you do normal and this is what happens --> 

 

P.S.  That is interesting that it took 4-5 days for your symptoms to resurface, exact same for me.  Followed by "Oh sh*t, what did I do?"

[[JC...]]

 

I drank a couple of Zombies at a Chinese restaurant about a month ago to take the edge off.

 

I got really drunk, had to be driven home and hit a pretty good depression for a couple of days after.

 

I did have a good time until everything kinda blacked out.

 

 

[[Ro...]]

Good advice Whoopsie=) One way I could tell if I was doing better in a previous wd is if I could smoke a little pot and feel like I used to. Pot will rev most people up but not likely to prolong healing. I am not endorsing pot but it's far better than alcohol. It's best to refrain from both unless you are looking to use it (pot not alcohol) as a prescribed medicine from a legit doctor.

 

Thanks for telling us about your experience Whoopsie =)

 

Robb

[[JC...]]

Good advice Whoopsie=) One way I could tell if I was doing better in a previous wd is if I could smoke a little pot and feel like I used to. Pot will rev most people up but not likely to prolong healing. I am not endorsing pot but it's far better than alcohol. It's best to refrain from both unless you are looking to use it (pot not alcohol) as a prescribed medicine from a legit doctor.

 

Thanks for telling us about your experience Whoopsie =)

 

Robb

 

Hey, Chat Admiral, why do you think they call it "dope", anyway? 

[[Wh...]]

 

I drank a couple of Zombies at a Chinese restaurant about a month ago to take the edge off.

 

I got really drunk, had to be driven home and hit a pretty good depression for a couple of days after.

 

I did have a good time until everything kinda blacked out.

 

Hey JCurley ... I'm thinking if you're a blackout drinker that your idea of going to AA is a darn good one.  Best wishes to you.

[[JC...]]

 

I drank a couple of Zombies at a Chinese restaurant about a month ago to take the edge off.

 

I got really drunk, had to be driven home and hit a pretty good depression for a couple of days after.

 

I did have a good time until everything kinda blacked out.

 

Hey JCurley ... I'm thinking if you're a blackout drinker that your idea of going to AA is a darn good one.  Best wishes to you.

 

I was kinda half-joking about the blackout, but I did get pretty drunk.

 

I think it was a combo of deceptively strong Chinese restaurant fruit-alcohol drinks and the benzos in my system.

[[Ro...]]

Good advice Whoopsie=) One way I could tell if I was doing better in a previous wd is if I could smoke a little pot and feel like I used to. Pot will rev most people up but not likely to prolong healing. I am not endorsing pot but it's far better than alcohol. It's best to refrain from both unless you are looking to use it (pot not alcohol) as a prescribed medicine from a legit doctor.

 

Thanks for telling us about your experience Whoopsie =)

 

Robb

 

Hey, Chat Admiral, why do you think they call it "dope", anyway? 

LOL JC, good to see you still kicking!

 

CA

[[Bo...]]

I sadly seem to need to be added to the list of alcohol induced setback and want to warn others. I was feeling symptom free and normal for about 5 months. I got married, finished building a house and changed jobs. I was also traveling again and was not thinking about benzo withdrawal anymore. I was feeling healed at about 16 months post benzo. Then I had my 5 months of no symptoms. I would have half a drink occasionally throughout those 5 months. Then in August I went on a 5 day vacation to the Keys with a group of friends. I felt it was finally my time to enjoy life and celebrate healing. While I never drank to the point of feeling buzzed, I indulged in a piña colada by the pool everyday and a glass of wine or mixed drink at night. About 4-5 days after getting back from the Keys I was back in a more acute withdrawal state for about a week with high anxiety and little to no sleep. It has been about 3 months now and while I am no longer in an acute state and am sleeping fine again, I am still struggling with less severe windows and waves of anxiety, some depression and just feeling off again. I think it may be a combination of the alcohol and high stress. The week before the Keys trip I moved into our house and started a new job. However, I am pretty confident with the timing of symptoms, that alcohol has played a big role in this setback. I will never be drinking again, it is just not worth it to me. While I don't think an occasional half drink of alcohol is very harmful, drinking multiple drinks or for multiple days in a row can be very dangerous to our recovery. I just hope this setback won't last too much longer. It was a huge reminder to me that even when we feel well, our systems are still in a compromised state and we need to be gentle with them.

 

Pretty scary stuff

[[be...]]

I wonder if we ever get to a point where we CAN Do these things? Will we forever have a sensitive cns?

 

Yes, you will always have a sensitive CNS. What she said makes perfect biological sense. Alcohol and benzos do indeed affect the same receptors in the same way: they depress the system. In AA, they tell you you can never drink again. In NA, they tell you the same thing about drugs. Taking one drink, even after years of benzo freedom,  is like taking another benzo. Once I am tapered off the drug, I won't touch either for as long as I live. Benzogirl.

[[Ro...]]

...burp

I don't know what you are going through and I feel for that but keep the comments like "burp" to yourself please. I don't need ALERTS to things like that. What purpose does something like that serve exactly? <- retorical, no need to respond.

 

All due respect, Robb

[[Wh...]]

I wonder if we ever get to a point where we CAN Do these things? Will we forever have a sensitive cns?

 

Yes, you will always have a sensitive CNS. What she said makes perfect biological sense. Alcohol and benzos do indeed affect the same receptors in the same way: they depress the system. In AA, they tell you you can never drink again. In NA, they tell you the same thing about drugs. Taking one drink, even after years of benzo freedom,  is like taking another benzo. Once I am tapered off the drug, I won't touch either for as long as I live. Benzogirl.

 

[[Ro...]]

just be glad I just drank a beer then, and haven't gotten into this pot of beans Robby

Making a fool of yourself buddy. I am not the only one looking at this thread.

[[Ro...]]

Yup.

[[JC...]]

just be glad I just drank a beer then, and haven't gotten into this pot of beans Robby

 

hey Ben Z, when we get this chat thing up and running, you me and the chat Admiral are gonna have one heluva party. 

[[Ro...]]

just be glad I just drank a beer then, and haven't gotten into this pot of beans Robby

 

hey Ben Z, when we get this chat thing up and running, you me and the chat Admiral are gonna have one heluva party. 

LMAO JC. I'll straighten out the little one. Keep on keeping on and quit listening to Macho Man! lol