Please ,,any help or advice appreciated. I've been drinking since Friday..got script today for 10mg librium to start tomorrow morn..told i cant start now cos im drinking today..how soon can i take it? Want to b in work tommorow..if i get up early and take it round 4 or 5 will it help me..HELP please..
Cherry, how much have you been drinking? Who is doing this detox? I am quite concerned at what you have been prescribed (if you have been drinking large amounts) and what you are being told. Is this detox being supported or have you been given a prescription and told to get on with it yourself?
I do alcohol detoxes all the time, it is my specialist area of expertise as a qualified nurse.
You should NOT be going to work while undergoing alcohol detox. I would advise you not to take the medication and contact me so I can get a better picture of your situation. Please call me on the number I am sending to you by private message. I will be able to ask you a few questions to get an idea of your situation and be able to advise you better.
10mg of Librium will be nowhere near enough if you have been drinking very heavily.
The sort of questions I would ask are:
1. How much have you been drinking and for how long?
2. How do you cope all day at work without a drink, do you ever have withdrawal symptoms or (this is totally confidential) do you find that you have to top up with a drink during the working day?
3. What happens if you go a full day (24 hours) without a drink? Do you have shakiness, sweating, anxiety and restlessness?
I am appalled that somebody has given you a prescription without the appropriate level of support.
Hi Paul ..only saw this now..I was drinking from Fri to Tues..started the librium yest morning..script is for 10mg x 3 yest and 10mg x 3 today then 10mg x 2 for next 2 days then tapering off over nxt few days. I would have drunk about 2 bottles of vodka between Fri and Tues. My gp prescribed this...she does know my full history. I haven't been at work because I feel really exhausted but I do want to go to work tomorrow. Without the librium yes I would have shakes, sweats etc ..but now I just feel very sleepy
Hi Paul..I just replied below but have re-read the label on the meds..it says 3 x 10 for 3 days then 2 by 10 for 4 days. Sorry but I think i re-posted on another forum earlier because I hadn't seen your reply. The only symptom I really have now is extreme tiredness & some aches & pains..but also I haven't eaten which can't be helping..I just don't feel like it..but no shakes or sweats anymore
Cherry, if you are no longer having withdrawal symptoms then you should be ok. You say that you were drinking from Friday to Tuesday during which you had about 2 bottles of vodka. That can't be the whole story, you wouldn't get physically dependent on alcohol is 4 days.
Those doses of Librium are very small for an alcohol detox. I normally use 20mg four times a day and reduce down to zero over a week. Some people need even more than this.
You can't do an alcohol detox and go to work. It WILL make you very drowsy and the cumulative effect means that you may well be more tired on day 3 than you are on day 1. Did you tell your GP you were planning work whole doing this? Have you explained to your boss that you may fall asleep during your working day, or that you are taking a large risk driving or operating any machinery?
Take the time off Cherry, it is ESSENTIAL that you rest while doing an alcohol detox.
Good luck and well done so far
That is the whole story and believe me I am alcohol dependent. I have a history of alcohol abuse but was off it for many years. Had a slip last January, drank a lot, went cold turkey and had hallucinaitons and heard voices etc..it was dreadful. And at that time I was told that if I drank again I would need to detox with medication from a doctor...that is why I contacted my gp even tho it was only 4 days..I was so scared of same thing happening again. I'm tired but not excessively drowsy ..can't even sleep at moment that's why I'm on computer! I don't have any withdrawals yest or today - have been off work but plan on going in tomorrow. It wasn't that I was having dreadful withdrawals but I was really scared to stop without the medication as previously advised and hence why I was given the Librium
Yes Cherry, it would be dangerous to stop drinking without medical help. You did the right thing. I didn't doubt that have alcohol dependency or you wouldn't get withdrawal symptoms. You are past the danger spell now for serious withdrawal symptoms but it is still worrying that you plan to work, please think again about that. By Monday you should be a lot less drowsy and able to work.
I don't want to come across as negative because I believe you did the right thing contacting your GP and it appears you are getting there
Hi Paul,
finding myself in a bit of a "sticky-wicket".I belong to Kaiser,and everything on my chart is open to all whom had contact with me-through out my memership..I did get up the nerve to call CD,but started thinking it was the cart before the horse sitation.Most embarrassing..I've been suffering full spasms and rigidy for years now.Suspect its ill-fittng dentures,and a sizable cyst on my spine.I Cannot lie flat.The put me under general aesthiea for a simple MRI,but are no longer doing this.New GP is now taking my sleeping medication away.When I attempt to lay,but body goes into spasm/rigidity and I awake the same way!Should wake in this fashion,I have no choice but to take more medication.Taking less than I ever have,
I find myself tonight without means to relax and sleep.My former doctor of 8 years would simply refill them.3 Restoril,2Flexeril,and 2 Alteril(OTC).Sleep is my only respite.New Dr. will not refill them "early",nor have I increased ny dosage.
so for the next 5 days I'm in anquish and desparete.I won't go behind her back,but having to "cobble" together found medications,is dangerous in it's self!
Any advice?
Thank you in advance,
Pat Wilson
Pat. I am a little confused
Kaiser? Private healthcare scheme?
CD?
Are you drinking too much alcohol? That is my area of expertise
Pail I am on the same predicament. Had 7 units today and then started taking librium. Have to be at work tomorrow. Want to get through the night but don't know how much to take
10mg of librium just doesn't seem to be helping
As Paul stated to the OP, 10mg is no where near enough if you are a regular heavy drinker.
Without knowing your history, I would not know where to start to advise you of quantitys required.
Who prescribed you the Librium, or is it off prescription?
Both time I have home detoxed, I have used diazepam, which uses lower quantities. The hospital did detox me once with Librium but did not tell me. I recently found the leaflet that goes with the Librium and it indicates a higher dose. But I am not going to recommend it to you, because I don't know your situation.
I drink between 12 and 16 units a day starting usually at 4 a.m. in the morning and ending at 8 pm at night. I had to go home from work today because the nausea and anxiety was just too great. I've already been in the ER before and if I do it again my wife is going to leave me. Had an appointment with a psychiatrist and she wanted me to check into the ER but I feel like they always want that. I want to just taper but it is just so hard especially will try to do it at work I don't want to be a danger to myself or anyone else
Ah right, America. Um, slightly different to the UK. How much Librium did she prescribe, I bet it was for anxiety, which will be a much lower dose. You need greater amounts to deal with alcohol withdrawal.
Librium is different to diazepam, but has the same effect and I have to take, 15mg morning, noon, evening and 10mg before bed when coming off of alcohol. Done right, you should feel little effect from coming off the alcohol, done wrong, you will go through cold turkey and that is deeply unpleasant.
Personally, I'd keep drinking, until tomorrow and go find help for withdrawal, your anxiety quatitys are not enough. If you have to go back to the alcohol, stop taking the Librium, they don't mix.
If you manage to get enough Librium to home detox, you need to take a couple of days off work, for your first two detox days.
Thank you. I'm just so scared and don't want to lose my wife. She just doesn't understand because she hasn't been through it.
Sorry, not very good with matrimonial advice, I have enough trouble with my own wife.
You must NOT drink with Librium, OR do a detox while carring on a normal life (going to work etc). I am not sure who prescribed your Librium but you clearly haven't been given the right instructions to use it. Can you explain what your current situation is so I can advise properly?
Bottom of the thread Paul.
Yes, I saw that afterwards. Cheers
Hello Paul,
Why is it that some Posts in this Discussion are marked as "over a year ago"?
Others are just hours or minutes ago.
I am asking you because you feature in both.
Alonangel 🎇