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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 7 of 7. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by saw on November 3, 2004, at 6:12:39
as I sit at work, fighting hard to get anything done and longing for the energised feeling after just 2 glasses of wine.
Sighhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
Sabrina
Posted by Fred23 on November 3, 2004, at 18:33:02
In reply to Long and very weary sigh, posted by saw on November 3, 2004, at 6:12:39
> as I sit at work, fighting hard to get anything done and longing for the energised feeling after just 2 glasses of wine.
As I've hinted/mentioned before, small amounts of vodka, mixed at the same strength as wine, or weaker,, thoughout the day might work. (It has to be good quality vodka to not smell too much on the breath.)
Done carefully, you might get away with it, especially if you are more functional than being in the daily mini-withdrawal state you are describing.
(This is using alcohol as a poor man's benzo substitute.)
Posted by partlycloudy on November 4, 2004, at 4:48:33
In reply to Re: Long and very weary sigh » saw, posted by Fred23 on November 3, 2004, at 18:33:02
Um, are you recommending self medicating with alcohol if you can't get your doctor to prescribe benzos?
pc> As I've hinted/mentioned before, small amounts of vodka, mixed at the same strength as wine, or weaker,, thoughout the day might work. (It has to be good quality vodka to not smell too much on the breath.)
>
> Done carefully, you might get away with it, especially if you are more functional than being in the daily mini-withdrawal state you are describing.
>
> (This is using alcohol as a poor man's benzo substitute.)
>
>
Posted by Fred23 on November 4, 2004, at 18:10:50
In reply to Re: Long and very weary sigh » Fred23, posted by partlycloudy on November 4, 2004, at 4:48:33
> Um, are you recommending self medicating with alcohol if you can't get your doctor to prescribe benzos?
Pc, I'm responding to Sabrina's sigh: "as I sit at work, fighting hard to get anything done and longing for the energised feeling after just 2 glasses of wine."
Who is being helped by her not having the needed alcohol to get her body chemistry into a more productive state?
If she were to have just enough alcohol to get past the mini-withdrawal, then she might be more functional. She was actually drunk at work before, and functional, so if scaled back a bit, might be a way to get though the day and overloading on alcohol at night to catch up.
The theme is more along the lines of 8 ounces of vodka one ounce per hour rather than all 8 ounces at once. A minimal periodic amount throughout the day might just offset the need her body has for it, while not getting noticeably intoxicated or smelling obviously of alcohol.
Posted by partlycloudy on November 5, 2004, at 4:44:27
In reply to Re: Long and very weary sigh » partlycloudy, posted by Fred23 on November 4, 2004, at 18:10:50
I was under the impression (and living the experience) that the tapering off of alcohol does not work if you're trying to quit. it doesn't have a culmulative effect like medication - a dose of vodka wears off and you drink even more. at least, for me.
(dry for a week, again.)
Posted by Fred23 on November 5, 2004, at 18:24:33
In reply to Re: Long and very weary sigh » Fred23, posted by partlycloudy on November 5, 2004, at 4:44:27
> I was under the impression (and living the experience) that the tapering off of alcohol does not work if you're trying to quit. it doesn't have a culmulative effect like medication - a dose of vodka wears off and you drink even more. at least, for me.
It is not a tapering off that I am suggesting, but shifting the amounts more evenly thoughout the day. In other words, rather than going a long stretch without, then drinking a lot to catch up, drink little amounts thoughout the day.
It is the GABA regulation system that is being acted on, which very quickly adjusts to lots of alcohol, and very slowly adjusts to lesser amounts.
> (dry for a week, again.)
Congratulations.
This thread is moot, anyway, as Sabrina herself is not participating, nor answering my Babblemail question about why benzos are not allowed for her, so I don't have an accurate picture of what her situation is. I also don't want to go into details about my situation, and why I have the ideas I suggest.
Posted by xanablu on November 9, 2004, at 14:59:49
In reply to Re: Long and very weary sigh » saw, posted by Fred23 on November 3, 2004, at 18:33:02
Have seen same theory put forth for caffeine, that perhaps coffee drinkers shd. drink a couple ounces every hour, instead of spacing largecups at 2 or 3-4 times throughout the day. Just the minimum, administered consistently, over the period of hours needed for additional focus, stimulation, or whatever.
But, alcohol, I used to drink, sporadically and needed a binge about once every 6 weeks or else I wd. feel like I wd. explode. Then I had a baby at 40 (my first and a surprise)---I'd rather be depressed agitated, bored, half-crazy-all at once, than have even a slight hangover and hear an infant howl. No way. I am pain sensitive and the self-induced medication of alcohol immediately reared its ineffectiveness after her birth. I drank a few times during pregnancy, count on one hand, did get tipsy at my wedding but I was almost 7 months by then! Just felt good on the hormone surge--Thank God, I went running for a shrink, after I quit, took me 5 yrs. to get a dx, but alcohol was (blessedly) long gone from the picture. Wouldn't have believed I could live without my wine 10 yrs. ago. My a-d, benzo, ADD med combo fit my lifestyle much better, but, I am still in recovery. It's been a ROUGH 10 years.
Still blows me away, as my younger sis has 3 kids, still uses alcohol and nicotine to manage,(I never smoked thank god-Ihated growing up w/it and watched my parent's die from it.) and she has managed well, until last couple yrs. when our parents died within 14 mos. of each other, her story (sis's) will be the next in our family's psych saga.
xanablu
This is the end of the thread.
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