Alcohol Withdrawal And Depression Posted: 02-07-05 17:04pm
Hi i'm brand new here. I've been drinking
about 2-4 drinks almost daily for the last
few years. My marriage is doing well, I
don't get trashed, am doing well at my
job, my friends and family are not having
any issues but I quit drinking in
mid-december on advice of a counselor, as
I am going to court next weeking for a
"pui": a cop caught me urinating in the
woods but arrested me for dui because I
was going to drive home (the car's engine
was stopped and keys out of it). My bac
was only 0.61, well under the 0.8 limit
for dui.
However, I am going through terrible
depression since stopping drinking. I was
on antidepressants before that worked very
well, now it's as though they've been
"switched off". Has anyone else had this?
It hasn't been hard to quit drinking, but
this depression is very bad, i'm far more
worried about it.
|
shadowalker164
Experienced User , Rather EHEALTHy
Joined: 14 Jan 2005 Posts: 175 Location: Tampa, FL
Posted: 02-08-05 09:56am
Steve…
alcohol always worked for me, it always
changed the way I thought and felt. And
it did it fast.
Even in those hard last days of my
drinking career it still worked. It was
like any unpleasant thought that crossed
my mind could be put to sleep while I was
loaded.
There used to be an old tv show called
taxi. In this show was a burn-out taxi
cab driver named jim, (my favorite
character). He goes up to the character
played by judd hearsh and proclaimed he
had found the perfect drug! It only had
one bad side effect, and that one bad
side effect was it wore off. Alcohol was
like that for me, it worked to repress all
kinds of feelings, but I always came to.
And the same sorry cycle would start all
over again.
Mornings were always the worst. Lots of
regret and shame masked by anger.
When we get sober, we have good news and
we have bad news. The good news is we get
our feelings back, and the bad news is we
get our feelings back.
What you are feeling is not unusual at
all. The first few months are in my
opinion the roughest. Don’t drink and
things will get better. It took us a
while to get in trouble, it will take us a
while to get back out.
Your friend on this long strange trip
shadowalker164
|
steve_o_2
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 07 Feb 2005 Posts: 12 Location: md
Posted: 02-08-05 10:22am
Thanks, shadow.
The trouble with me is that over the past
year things have been going very well for
me except for the pui--job promotion, my
marriage is the best it's ever been,
financially i'm doing very well, my
friends and family relations are doing
very well. I cut down a lot on drinking
(amount, not frequency, about 3 beers/day
after work) and haven't had a hangover in
over a year or regretted anything i've
done. It's hard right now to see the
benefits. The unexplained depression is
far more of a problem to me than alcohol
dependence. I know part of why i'm
depressed is the shame of having to go
before a judge on all this.
|
shadowalker164
Experienced User , Rather EHEALTHy
Joined: 14 Jan 2005 Posts: 175 Location: Tampa, FL
Posted: 02-08-05 10:45am
Steve…
if going before the judge is the source of
your depression, than the source should be
behind you soon, or at least as soon as
your court date. Taking a leak in the
woods and getting busted is a little
embarrassing no question, picking up a
dui, that can get expensive, but if your
blood alcohol level is below the
threshold, you should be ok. Then based
on your description of what’s going on
with your life right now, things ought to
be looking up. Ok, the job stuff is
another question, but if money’s not a
problem, that’s good.
Steve, i’m not here to throw cold water on
you, but when you first posted, you said
that no one was on you about your
drinking, no one except your counselor.
What do you suppose he or she saw in you
that caused them to suggest to you that
you quit drinking?
Your friend on this long strange trip
shadowalker164
|
steve_o_2
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 07 Feb 2005 Posts: 12 Location: md
Posted: 02-08-05 11:13am
Shadow,
i am meeting with him at noon today and
that will be one of my questions! I'll
let you know.
I do know
(1) i've quit in the past after periodic
episodes of abuse (i was diagnosed as a
periodic but not a dependent drinker years
ago by an alcohol expert), but no longer
abuse.
(2) my wife used to complain about these
incidents, about twice/year. I never
drove that way. She says I am much
improved this past year, and have matured.
(3) from his report, he said I am denying
I have a problem with alcohol, but that is
not true. From day one i've told him I
have a problem, but don't think it's a
dependence. The trpuble is, if you're
open to change and counseling on alcohol
issues, you're automatically labeled an
alcoholic due to these criteria, thus it's
a catch-22.
From my extensive reading on this subject
since my pui, I beleive there are many
shades of gray in alcohol problems, it is
not clearly black or white.
Thanks a lot for your questions and
answers! It is really helpful, and don't
ever think you're throwing cold water on
me. I may need it! I'm attending a smart
recovery meeting this thursday.
|
steve_o_2
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 07 Feb 2005 Posts: 12 Location: md
Posted: 02-08-05 18:04pm
Shadow, he says he errs on the side of
conservatism so he's not sued. Anyhow, he
says my previous attempts to cut down,
along with an increasing tolerance (which
I don't think is correct; it all affects
me the same) plus the family history are
all indicators of alcohol dependency.
Strictly under the dsm-iv 303.9 diagnositc
criteria, I don't fit 3 of the 7 symptoms,
I said. He did not disagree.
|
shadowalker164
Experienced User , Rather EHEALTHy
Joined: 14 Jan 2005 Posts: 175 Location: Tampa, FL
Posted: 02-09-05 10:26am
I’m impressed steve,
most guys aren’t too eager to parade
around in public information that doesn’t
dovetail tightly with their own
perceptions of the truth. Particularly
when it deals with alcohol. Maybe I
should just speak for myself on this, I
didn’t want to hear any info that put my
access to alcohol in jeopardy. And for
sure I didn’t discuss less than glowing
critiques of my drinking with anyone. The
last thing I wanted to do was to remove
alcohol from my life. What a
depressing/frightening option.
But it’s a funny thing steve, things go
the way things go.
Just for the sake or argument, lets say
your counselor is on to something. Lets
say, again just for the sake of argument
that you are alcohol dependent. What
could a reasonable person expect of such a
person as time goes by. The argument that
I adhere to is that this dependence on
alcohol gets worse over time, never
better. As the old song lyric goes, what
was once a habit is now a vice.
Steve, we’ve never met, probably never
will, all I know about you is what you
have said here. And just using what you
have said on this board, I have picked up
this. You started this thread with “i am
going through terrible depression since
stopping drinking”. On your next post you
said “i cut down a lot on drinking
(amount, not frequency, about 3 beers/day
after work)”
you also said that you have tried more
than once to quit in the past. It seems
to me that you are aware that drinking is
creating some difficulties in your life.
And that you are wisely trying to do
something about it.
Steve, don’t underestimate the power of
alcohol, it is powerful and relentless
foe. It will not easily let go of someone
it has in it’s grip, ok, I
anthropomorphize it a bit, but you get the
point. The recovery rate for people who
have gone way beyond the recreational
drinker stage is depressingly low. Most
alcoholics die wet.
I’m not here to scare, but you need to
know what’s at stake in this game.
Let me know how your smart meeting goes,
p.S. What are the 7 symptoms, and which 3
don’t you fit?
Your friend on this long strange trip
shadowalker164
|
steve_o_2
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 07 Feb 2005 Posts: 12 Location: md
Posted: 02-09-05 13:15pm
Shadow, you have to fit three of the last
seven below in the past year in order to
be diagnosed 303.9 alcoholic.
Re #2, I think that if my depression may
be classified as a withdrawal symtom (i
don't know if it is, neither does my
counselor), then it's a maybe on #2.
Otherwise a no.
Regarding #4, I have desired to stop or
cut down in the past year, successfully.
I got rid of my beermeister (hard to count
drinks when you're pouring them into a 19
oz., european metric, glass), starting
measuring my bourbon with a measuring shot
glass (before I use to just throw a lot
in, probably a double or more). Both my
primary care dr and an alcohol counseler
last march said I could continue to drink
moderately at 2/day but that eventually
became 3/day but stayed there most of the
time. I hadn't gotten drunk in the past
year, either (i used to twice a year
really get drunk). So maybe a yes,
perhaps a maybe since I did sucessfully
cut down, but I can live with this being a
positive "yes".
----------------------
alcohol abuse
by david goldman, md, best practice of
medicine. November 2000.
Last modified april 10, 2002.
Best practice report
table 12. Synopsis of diagnostic
criteria for alcohol dependence
criteria dsm-iv definition
alcohol dependence (at least three
criteria at any time within the same year)
1.Tolerance need to markedly increase
drinking to achieve the same effects
2. Withdrawal signs of withdrawal;
drinking to avoid or relieve withdrawal
3. Drinking more or longer drinking
larger amounts or for a longer period of
time than intended
4. Stop/cut down unsuccessful attempts
or a persistent desire to stop or cut down
5. Time spent much time spent obtaining,
using, or recovering from alcohol
6. Activities impairment important
social, occupational, or recreational
activities given up or reduced in favor of
alcohol use
7. Psychological continued drinking
despite knowledge of a chronic physical or
psychological problem that results;
physical problems caused or exacerbated by
alcohol use
|
shadowalker164
Experienced User , Rather EHEALTHy
Joined: 14 Jan 2005 Posts: 175 Location: Tampa, FL
Posted: 02-09-05 14:18pm
Thanks for the info…
i learn something every day.
For what’s it worth, the only diagnosis
that carries any weight is a self
diagnosis.
Your friend
shadowalker164
|
steve_o_2
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 07 Feb 2005 Posts: 12 Location: md
Posted: 02-09-05 14:38pm
Shadow,
yes that is correct, there's no diagnosis
like a self-diagnosis. That's why I don't
think I have an alcohol dependence, but do
have occasional problems with alcohol that
do need working on, through counseling and
support groups like smart recovery. I'm
going to my first meeting there tomorrow
night. I'll let you know how it goes. So
far I have not had a drink in almost 2
months per advice from my attorney (the
trial is next week) and counselor. I've
stopped drinking, not quit drinking, but
if I have to (that is up to the judge,
other counselors, and the results of smart
recovery work), I will also quit drinking.
Steve
|
scottb8855
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 09 Feb 2005 Posts: 35 Location: Portage, Wi
Do Something Else Posted: 02-09-05 15:31pm
Okay first off alcohol is great, well for
some people. I am 22 years old and I have
never touch a drug and never been drunk.
What is the point. You can do so much
more in life if you don't drink. Think
about it how much a month do you spend and
then figure that out for the year and do
it for 20 years. Wow!!! All you do it
piss the stuff out. Go work out at a
club, start a hobby get your mind off it.
Everytime you think about drinking give
your wife $20 and cant touch it and wow
will that add up and you'll have enough to
go on a nice vacation. You don't need
alcohol or drugs to make you happy. I am
22 like I said. I don't party like my
friends, I do go to parties don't drink.
I own 2 houses and a business. My freinds
live at home and filed for bankrupcy, and
there from 22 to 30 years old and most of
them drink and go out almost all the time.
|
steve_o_2
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 07 Feb 2005 Posts: 12 Location: md
Posted: 02-09-05 16:53pm
Scott, good for you, you are correct it's
better not to drink! You're one of those
lucky people born with a higher level of
serotonin and other brain chemicals that
do not require alcohol, or higher levels
of acetaldehyde levels after ingesting
alcohol that makes you not want to try it
again. Alcohol does not give you the
same "high" feeling as one who is
genetically predisposed to alcoholism
does. Thus it is very hard for many to
quit, even if it causes problems in their
life.
Are you concerned about someone close to
you who has a drinking problem?
|
leelee
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 22 May 2005 Posts: 2
Alcohol Withdrawal And Depression Posted: 05-22-05 16:09pm
Sorry out there, new to this forum stuff,
but need to talk to someone objective.
On this past tuesday my husband was in an
auto accident and had been drinking.
Nothing has come of it yet (i.E. Losing
license or losing job, or losing wife and
family). I have a feeling the worst is
yet to come.
We have been to the doctor (she described
lithium) and have found a program but
appointment not until wednesday. I do
not recognize my husband of 30 years - his
depression is debilitating. He is
moving in slow motion, hardly says a word
and looks exhausted even after a full
night's sleep. He is only taking the
lithium at night before bed. I am so
afraid.
Is this normal? Does anyone know?
I've tried to talk him into making another
dr's appointment, but he wants to wait for
his eval at rehab on wed.
Has anyone experienced this or know of
someone who has?
Leelee
|
shadowalker164
Experienced User , Rather EHEALTHy
Joined: 14 Jan 2005 Posts: 175 Location: Tampa, FL
Posted: 05-24-05 09:11am
Leelee…
i am an alcoholic, and maybe I can offer
you some objective advice. It doesn’t
matter much what program you have found,
what matters is his going. Hopefully he
wants to stop drinking. The best program
in the world will have a hard time getting
him to stop if he doesn’t want to. If
he wants to stop, and this is important,
stay stopped, he’s on the road.
But I feel that you need to know what you
are facing. If your husband is an
alcoholic, he is facing a formidable foe
in alcohol. Once we cross that invisible
line from problem drinker to alcoholic, we
can never go back. If I don’t have
another drink until the day I die, I will
still die an alcoholic. We can never
drink safely again. That’s just the way
it is. If your husband stays dry for a
month or two, and then starts drinking, he
will be right back where he started. We
need to accept that we can never drink
again without all the bad things happening
all over again.
As to the lithium, I have no opinion.
Follow the doctors instructions until you
get him into the program. I don’t thing
doping a man into a zombie is necessary,
but getting into positive action is.
I quote, “i have a feeling the worst is
yet to come”
leelee, if he continues to drink, I
guarantee you that that statement is true.
Things will get a lot worse. It is
difficult to describe exactly how bad it
can get. Some men drink themselves into
jails, institutions, or they drink
themselves to death. Over time, active
alcoholism always gets worse, never
better.
I haven’t had a drink in a little over
six years, so there is always hope. I
involved myself in the program of
alcoholics anonymous. I recommend that
your husband find an aa meeting as soon as
he is out of the treatment facility. We
can’t spend the rest of our lives in a
controlled environment, safe from
temptation, we have to live in a world
full of bars, and package stores. Aa is
the long term treatment we need to live
happily in this world.
One more thought,
there is another program called al-anon.
It is a collection of people like you.
People who live with or have lived with an
alcoholic. They have a great amount of
experience and hope to share with you.
Find them, they are in the phone book, and
avail yourself of what they have to
offer.
Keep us posted in how it goes
richard
|
leelee
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 22 May 2005 Posts: 2
Posted: 05-24-05 14:17pm
Dear richard,
thank you so much for your reply to my
questions.
We are going to the rehab facility
tomorrow and I think we will both feel
better knowing we have sought help. My
husband is also saying that he wants to
become involved with aa. I have a friend
in alanon and will be going to my first
meeting with her. I am hoping that with
my support and love my husband can begin
to live each day as it comes, without
drink.
Thank you again. It was especially
helpful to hear from someone actually
living with alcoholism.
Thanks again,
leelee
|
shadowalker164
Experienced User , Rather EHEALTHy
Joined: 14 Jan 2005 Posts: 175 Location: Tampa, FL
Posted: 05-24-05 21:29pm
Great news,
i hope you both find the good stuff on
this new road you are traveling.
Please keep us posted on how things go.
Richard
|
shadowalker164
Experienced User , Rather EHEALTHy
Joined: 14 Jan 2005 Posts: 175 Location: Tampa, FL
Posted: 05-27-05 09:45am
I love sights like this, so much
information that might not otherwise be
available.
I believe that naltrexone, and now campral
are trying to combat the disease of
alcoholism.
What they both do is reduce the
pleasurable effects of getting loaded.
They kill the buzz. I also believe that
in the short term, they seem to be
impacting the problem. If I didn’t get
the requisite buzz from my drinking, I
might not drink so much. After all I love
the effect. Toward the end of my drinking
career, I drank for oblivion, the ultimate
form of a buzz.
I did a little research on campral and
this is what I found… ”campral is
thought to reduce the pleasurable effects
of alcohol ingestion. The purpose is to
help the patient maintain abstinence until
adequate self-motivation for abstinence
has been established.”
just like naltrexone, it only addresses
the most obvious aspect of an alcoholics
problem. It tries to take the fun out of
drinking. In the end, I didn’t drink
for fun, I drank to satisfy an mental
obsession that I could not control. Any
alcoholic reading this understands what I
am saying about the obsession.
Someone asked me once what I thought a
cure for alcoholism might look like. For
me a cure would be my being able to drink
all I want, for as long as I want, get as
drunk as I want every day, and still have
people love me. Still keep a job, and not
have all those bad things keep happening
to me. That is what a cure looks like to
someone who still is a slave to the
obsession.
If that obsession isn’t addressed, we
will drink again, we can’t help
ourselves. That is why treatment programs
and detoxes don’t graduate 100% success
stories. If getting the alcohol out of
our systems fixed us, we would be sober
for the rest of our lives once we walked
out of treatment. Somewhere around half
of us are drunk out of our minds a week or
so after graduating. And after a few
months, almost all of us are lost in our
alcoholism again.
Maybe naltrexone or campral can improve
those short term results, but are we to
dose ourselves forever? What happens when
we stop taking them? If we haven’t been
relieved of the obsession to drink,
nothing on god’s green earth will have
any long term effect on our alcoholism.
This getting and staying sober is an
inside job. If i’m not happy in my
sobriety, I won’t stay sober long. The
trick is how do I get comfortable in my
own skin?
I stumbled into my first alcoholics
anonymous meeting in the fall of 1998. As
a result of doing what so many others
before me had done, I haven’t hade a
drink in over six years. That cruel
obsession to drink has been removed.
Eat pills if you think it will help
silence those cravings in the first few
weeks. Those first weeks are indeed
tough. But like the manufacturer says,
“until adequate self-motivation for
abstinence has been established”
if you want what we have, true long term
sobriety, do what we’ve done.
On the road to the good stuff,
richard s.
|
pacaperez
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 28 May 2005 Posts: 14
Posted: 05-28-05 18:54pm
Please do not buy from that website nancy
is recommending!!!. This sounds like
they want your credit card number. A
website that sells prescription drugs
without prescription is most likely a
fraud.
Go to your dermatogolist and get a
prescription. This people are just
trying to advertise their website. If
you check their messages (tina, nancy and
dutchman) they're always recommending that
website.
How pathetic!!! Making money out of
people's miseries!!!
Ps do these forums have an a moderaror
that can erase their messages?
|
jeffreygjensen
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 17 Nov 2005 Posts: 2
Alcohol Withdrawal And Depression Posted: 11-17-05 02:48am
Steve,
alcohol dependency and depression often go
hand in hand. There are complex
biochemical interactions that go into play
when withdrawing from alcohol consumption
even if you do not consider yoursel an
alcoholic. They can affect each of us in
very different ways. While some of this
is directed at people with severe alcohol
dependency, we can all benefit from some
of the advice. Good luck.
Below is a good summary of ways to deal
with depression associated with alcohol
withdrawal:
what are the symptoms of alcohol
withdrawal?
A person typically has a mild to severe
hangover that lasts several days.
Symptoms may include stomach upset;
headache; shakes or jitters; feelings of
generalized anxiety or panic attacks; and
insomnia that may be accompanied by bad
dreams. There may be also be increases in
heart rate, breathing rate, and body
temperature. In a small proportion of
alcoholics, withdrawal may result in
severe symptoms, such as hallucinations,
delirium tremens (dts), or generalized
seizures.
Medical treatments
over the counter treatment involves
supplementing with multiple b vitamins,
including thiamine.
Prescription treatments in detoxification
centers may begin with an injection of
vitamin b1 in cases that involve
malnutrition. In treating severe acute
withdrawal symptoms, a nervous system
depressant, such as the benzodiazepines
such as diazepam (valium®) and lorazepam
(ativan®), is prescribed with a dosage
that is tapered down over three to five
days. The beta-adrenergic blocking drugs
atenolol (tenormin®) and propranolol
(inderal®) are also occasionally used.
Further treatment includes adequate
nutrition, fluid intake, and rest.
Dietary changes that may be helpful
some of the nutritional deficiencies
associated with alcoholism can be caused
by a poor diet—a factor that needs
correction on an individual basis.
Improving the overall diet should be done
in conjunction with a doctor. Sometimes
liver or pancreatic disease associated
with alcoholism also contributes to
nutritional deficiencies. These problems
require medical assessment and
intervention.
In one trial, a hospital diet was compared
with a special diet including fruit and
wheat germ and excluding caffeinated
coffee, junk food, dairy products, and
peanut butter.1 after six months, fewer
than 38% of those on the hospital diet
remained sober, compared with over 81% of
those eating the special diet. A review
of the research shows that diets loaded
with junk food increase alcohol intake in
animals.2 in a human trial, restricting
sugar, increasing complex carbohydrates,
and eliminating caffeine also led to a
reduction in alcohol craving.3 while the
support for dietary intervention remains
somewhat unclear, some doctors suggest
that alcoholics reduce sugar and junk food
intake and avoid caffeine.
Lifestyle changes that may be helpful
most experts agree that alcoholics must
stop drinking completely in order to
overcome the addiction. Moreover, before
nutritional supplements can be used,
effective treatment of the malabsorption
problems requires a complete avoidance of
alcohol.
Nutritional supplements that may be
helpful
many alcoholics are deficient in b
vitamins, including vitamin b3. John
cleary, m.D., observed that some
alcoholics spontaneously stopped drinking
in association with taking niacin
supplements (niacin is a form of vitamin
b3). Cleary concluded that alcoholism
might be a manifestation of niacin
deficiency in some people and recommended
that alcoholics consider supplementation
with 500 mg of niacin per day.4 without
specifying the amount of niacin used,
cleary’s preliminary research findings
suggested that niacin supplementation
helped wean some alcoholics away from
alcohol.5 activated vitamin b3 used
intravenously has also helped alcoholics
quit drinking.6 niacinamide—a safer form
of the same vitamin—might have similar
actions and has been reported to improve
alcohol metabolism in animals.7
deficiencies of other b-complex vitamins
are common with chronic alcohol use.8 the
situation is exacerbated by the fact that
alcoholics have an increased need for b
vitamins.9 it is possible that successful
treatment of b-complex vitamin
deficiencies may actually reduce alcohol
cravings, because animals crave alcohol
when fed a b-complex-deficient diet.10
many doctors recommend 100 mg of b-complex
vitamins per day.
Alcoholics may be deficient in a substance
called prostaglandin e1 (pge1) and in
gamma-linolenic acid (gla), a precursor to
pge1.11 in a double-blind study of
alcoholics who were in a detoxification
program, supplementation with 4 grams per
day of evening primrose oil (containing
360 mg of gla) led to greater improvement
than did placebo in some, but not all,
parameters of liver function.12
the daily combination of 3 grams of
vitamin c, 3 grams of niacin, 600 mg of
vitamin b6, and 600 iu of vitamin e has
been used by researchers from the
university of mississippi medical center
in an attempt to reduce anxiety and
depression in alcoholics.13 although the
effect of vitamin supplementation was no
better than placebo in treating
alcohol-associated depression, the
vitamins did result in a significant drop
in anxiety within three weeks of use.
Because of possible side effects, anyone
taking such high amounts of niacin and
vitamin b6 must do so only under the care
of a doctor.
Although the incidence of b-complex
deficiencies is known to be high in
alcoholics, the incidence of other vitamin
deficiencies remains less clear.14
nonetheless, deficiencies of vitamin a,
vitamin d, vitamin e, and vitamin c are
seen in many alcoholics. While some
reports have suggested it may be safer for
alcoholics to supplement with
beta-carotene instead of vitamin a,15
potential problems accompany the use of
either vitamin a or beta-carotene in
correcting the deficiency induced by
alcoholism.16 these problems result in
part because the combinations of alcohol
and vitamin a or alcohol and beta-carotene
appear to increase potential damage to the
liver. Thus, vitamin a-depleted
alcoholics require a doctor’s
intervention, including supplementation
with vitamin a and beta-carotene
accompanied by assessment of liver
function. Supplementing with vitamin c,
on the other hand, appears to help the
body rid itself of alcohol.17 some doctors
recommend 1 to 3 grams per day of vitamin
c.
Kenneth blum and researchers at the
university of texas have examined
neurotransmitter deficiencies in
alcoholics. Neurotransmitters are the
chemicals the body makes to allow nerve
cells to pass messages (of pain, touch,
thought, etc.) from cell to cell. Amino
acids are the precursors of these
neurotransmitters. In double-blind
research, a group of alcoholics were
treated with 1.5 grams of
d,l-phenylalanine (dlpa), 900 mg of
l-tyrosine, 300 mg of l-glutamine, and 400
mg of l-tryptophan (now available only by
prescription) per day, plus a
multivitamin-mineral supplement.18 this
nutritional supplement regimen led to a
significant reduction in withdrawal
symptoms and decreased stress in
alcoholics compared to the effects of
placebo.
The amino acid, l-glutamine, has also been
used as an isolated supplement. Animal
research has shown that glutamine
supplementation reduces alcohol intake, a
finding that has been confirmed in
double-blind human research.19 in that
trial, 1 gram of glutamine per day given
in divided portions with meals decreased
both the desire to drink and anxiety
levels.
Alcoholics are sometimes deficient in
magnesium, and some researchers believe
that symptoms of withdrawal may result in
part from this deficiency.20 nonetheless,
a double-blind trial reported that
magnesium injections did not reduce
symptoms of alcohol withdrawal.21
because of the multiple nutrient
deficiencies associated with alcoholism,
most alcoholics who quit drinking should
supplement with a high-potency
multivitamin-mineral for at least several
months after the detoxification period.
Whether or not the supplement should
include iron should be discussed with a
doctor.
Are there any side effects or
interactions?
Refer to the individual supplement for
information about any side effects or
interactions.
Herbs that may be helpful
milk thistle extract is commonly
recommended to counteract the harmful
effects of alcohol on the liver.22 milk
thistle extracts have been shown in one
double-blind study to reduce death due to
alcohol-induced cirrhosis of the liver,23
though another double-blind study did not
confirm this finding.24 milk thistle
extract may protect the cells of the liver
by both blocking the entrance of harmful
toxins and helping remove these toxins
from the liver cells.25 26 milk thistle
has also been reported to regenerate
injured liver cells.27
kudzu is most famous as a quick-growing
weed in the southern united states.
Alcoholic hamsters (one of the few animals
to become so besides humans) were found to
have decreased interest in drinking when
fed kudzu extract.28 traditional chinese
medicine practitioners generally recommend
3 to 5 grams of root three times per day;
some herbal practitioners also suggest
that 3 to 4 ml of tincture taken three
times per day may also be helpful to
reduce alcohol cravings. Nonetheless, a
double-blind trial using 1.2 grams of
powdered kudzu root twice per day failed
to show any benefit in helping alcoholics
remain abstinent from alcohol.29
are there any side effects or
interactions?
Refer to the individual herb for
information about any side effects or
interactions.
references
1. Guenther rm. Role of nutritional
therapy in alcoholism treatment. Int j
biosoc res 1983;4:5–18.
2. Werbach mr. Alcohol craving. Int j
altern complementary med 1993;july:32.
3. Biery jr, williford jh, mcmullen ea.
Alcohol craving in rehabilitation:
assessment of nutrition therapy. J am
diet assoc 1991;91:463–6.
4. Cleary jp. Etiology and biological
treatment of alcohol addiction. J neuro
ortho med surg 1985;6:75–7.
5. Smith rf. A five-year field trial of
massive nicotinic acid therapy of
alcoholics in michigan. J orthomolec
psychiatry 1974;3:327–31.
6. O’halloren p. Pyridine nucleotides
in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment
of problem drinkers. West j surg obstet
gynecol 1961;69:101–4.
7. Eriksson cjp. Increase in hepatic nad
level—its effect on the redox state and
on ethanol and acetaldehyde metabolism.
Fed eur biochem soc 1974;40:3117–20.
8. Baker h. A vitamin profile of
alcoholism. Int j vitam nutr res
1983;(suppl 24):179.
9. Schuckit ma. Alcohol and alcoholism.
In: fauci as, braunwald e, isselbacher kj,
et al, eds, harrison’s principles of
internal medicine, 14th ed. New york:
mcgraw-hill, 1998, 2503–8.
10. Norton vp. Interrelationships of
nutrition and voluntary alcohol
consumption in experimental animals. Br j
addiction 1977;72:205–12.
11. Horrobin df. Essential fatty acids,
prostaglandins, and alcoholism: an
overview. Alcohol clin exp res
1987;11:2–9.
12. Glen i, skinner f, glen e, macdonell
l. The role of essential fatty acids in
alcohol dependence and tissue damage.
Alcohol clin exp res 1987;11:37–41.
13. Replogle wh, eicke fj. Megavitamin
therapy in the reduction of anxiety and
depression among alcoholics. J orthomolec
med 1988;4:221–4.
14. Morgan my, levine ja. Alcohol and
nutrition. Proc natl acad sci
1988;47:85–98.
15. Chapman k, prabhudesai m, erdman jw.
Vitamin a status of alcoholics upon
admission and after two weeks of
hospitalization. J am coll nutr
1993;12:77–83.
16. Leo ma, lieber cs. Alcohol, vitamin
a, and beta-carotene: adverse
interactions, including hepatotoxicity and
carcinogenicity. Am j clin nutr
1999;69:1071–85 [review].
17. Chen m, boyce w, hsu jm. Effect of
ascorbic acid on plasma alcohol clearance.
J am coll nutr 1990;9:185–9.
18. Blum k. A commentary on
neurotransmitter restoration as a common
mode of treatment for alcohol, cocaine and
opiate abuse. Integr psychiatr
1986;6:199–204.
19. Rogers ll, pelton rb. Glutamine in
the treatment of alcoholism. Q j stud
alcohol 1957;18:581–7.
20. Embry ck, lippmann s. Use of
magnesium sulfate in alcohol withdrawal.
Am fam phys 1987;35:167–70.
21. Wilson a, vulcano b. A double-blind,
placebo-controlled trial of magnesium
sulfate in the ethanol withdrawal
syndrome. Alcohol clin exp res
1984;8:542–5.
22. Leng-peschlowe. Alchohol-related
liver diseases-use of legalon®. Z klin
med 1994;2:22–7.
23. Ferenci p, dragosics b, dittrich h,
et al. Randomized controlled trial of
silymarin treatment in patients with
cirrhosis of the liver. J hepatol
1989;9:105–13.
25. Faulstich h, jahn w, wieland t.
Silibinin inhibition of amatoxin uptake in
the perfused rat liver.
Arzneimittelforschung 1980;30:452–4.
26. Tuchweber b, sieck r, trost w.
Prevention by silibinin of phalloidin
induced hepatotoxicity. Toxicol appl
pharmacol 1979;51:265–75.
27. Sonnenbichler j, zetl i. Stimulating
influence of a flavonolignan derivative on
proliferation, rna synthesis and protein
synthesis in liver cells. In: okolicsanyi
l, csomos g, crepaldi g eds, assessment
and management of hepatobiliary disease.
Berlin: springer-verlag, 1987, 265–72.
28. Keung w, vallee b. Daidzin and
daidzein suppress free-choice ethanol
intake by syrian golden hamsters. Proc
natl acad sci usa 1993;90:10,008–12.
29. Shebek j, rindone jp. A pilot study
exploring the effect of kudzu root on the
drinking habits of patients with chronic
alcoholism. J alt compl med
2000;6:45–8.
|
ute
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 09 Jan 2007 Posts: 1 Location: denver
Fear of Quitting/ 1st Day Posted: 01-09-07 16:13pm
Thank you for all the nonjudgemental
advice and support I have received here.
Soooo, nuch good stuff. I have just moved
back to the city after being isolated for
5 years in a mountain top house where I
wouldn't get plowed out for days and being
alone. 8 miles to the mailbox. My souse
was on trips and I would forget what day
it was and there wasn't even a reason to
get dressed in the morning and certainly
no time when it was best to start
drinking! Drinking became my salvation.
I remember it being fun at first - to have
a wine at 11am. Now I drink vodka. To
complicate things further - I have a
congenital back defect that reared it's
ugly pain with the cold weather (also
severe arthritis). So I was on pain pills
- which I never abuse and am actually
painfully taking myself off of even if it
means I will be in a wheel chair.
However - my greatest concern is my etoh
abuse. It was my only friend at 10,000
feet. It kept me from feeling th
eloneliness and gave me some thing to look
forward to. But now I am in the city and
I want my life back. I am a highly
educated professional - but my shame
around my etoh use keeps me from doing
anything. I don't go anywhere now because
I don't want anyone to smell etoh on my
breath. I am motivated to quit - but
dread how I am behaviorly going to replace
it's joy and company that it gave me for
so long. Namely boredom. I also fear the
anxiety that comes with withdrawal. How
long does this anxiety last?
Any thought or input would be greatly
appreciated. I despirately want out...And
I am not in denial in the least. I will
turn 50 this year and am looking forward
to doing that without any etoh.
This is by far the best forum I have come
about. So much good information. Please
I ask your support and any insight on what
the best way to approach the first day is.
Kindly, ute
The site is not a replacement for professional medical opinion, examination, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your medical doctor or other qualified health professional before starting any new treatment or making any changes to existing treatment. Do not delay seeking or disregard medical advice based on information written by any author on this site. No health questions and information on eHealth Forum is regulated or evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and therefore the information should not be used to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease without the supervision of a medical doctor. Posts made to these forums express the views and opinions of the author, and not the administrators, moderators, or editorial staff and hence eHealth Forum and its principals will accept no liabilities or responsibilities for the statements made.
Schizophreniahealth
This page was last updated on June 11, 2008
