If you or one of your loved ones is struggling with this its worth knowing and worth asking your doctor about. Article mainly discusses generic anticonvulsants that have proven beneficial, but there are others such as Naltrexone that can also be helpful.

  • weeoooweeooo@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    32
    ·
    1 year ago

    My husband is currently taking naltrexone, so I just wanted to hop on here and say to anyone that is considering taking it, please be careful and do your research! It’s not that the medication is bad, but you should prepare for it before you start, especially if you currently drink in high quantities. My husband went to a psychiatrist who specializes in substance use, she gave him an RX for naltrexone but didn’t provide really any resources or advice about how to approach it. The first night, he decided to drink maybe half of his normal nightly amount of alcohol - he vomited multiple times, had bad chills, etc. There’s also risk of seizures if you try to quit or taper down from alcohol too quickly. After that night, he decided that he would only take half his naltrexone dose at first and would taper down very slowly. Things have been going much better for the last few weeks. Also, you really need someone to help you stay accountable if you’re going to try an at-home detox. In our case, we locked up all of the alcohol in our house (I keep the key). And I’m in the room with my husband while he drinks a specific amount of vodka each night. Since that first night, I don’t think he’s really had any significant side effects.

      • arefx@lemmy.ml
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        15
        ·
        edit-2
        1 year ago

        This isn’t directed to OP of the comment I’m replying to, just piggy backing off it with my experience.

        I used to drink a liter of vodka and 12 Steel reserves every day. I’m 7.5 years sober.

        I did medical detox. If you are dependent on alcohol, DO NO QUIT COLD TURKEY.

        It could kill you.

        The truth is after quitting in order to stay sober you really really want to be sober. You need to be 100% committed. It’s not easy. People can offer help but the truth is there is little they can do (but any help is good) but its really almost all on you, and you can do it if you want it bad enough… I know because I made it out and my life is better than ever for it.

        Thanks for coming to my Ted talk? ❤️