Well, it's been a while since I posted here. I thought I would come clean and admit that I've developed an alcohol addiction. I knew the risks but I never thought it would happen to me.

For the past month I've been drinking every day, mostly whisky. I drink first thing upon waking up and then hit a few shots each hour. I've been drinking at night until I pass out.

It started because of tooth pain. I had some left over lortabs and was using those but when those ran out I was still in pain. So I turned to alcohol. Previously, I only drank when I went out on Fridays and Saturday, if I went out at all. So I'm officially hooked now. And alcohol effects me completely differently after surgery than before. Before just one single drink would leave me flushed and stupified. Today I can drink like a gallon (over-estimation) and be fine. I no longer get hot or flushed from drinking and it takes a lot to make me drunk. I think the surgery effected my metabolism somehow.

Anyway, I'm living proof that this can happen to those of us who have had the surgery. The only "good" news is that I haven't gained any weight. That actually surprised me. But I guess I haven't been eating much. Then again, I haven't lost any weight either. I'm still 14 lbs away from my goal weight.

I thought about getting professional help but my friends think I don't need it because I haven't been drinking like this for long. They want me to taper off. I have been drinking like 5 or 6 shots before work and my best friend says to slowly taper it off to just one shot before work before trying to cut it out completely.

Well, it's been a while since I posted here. I thought I would come clean and admit that I've developed an alcohol addiction. I knew the risks but I never thought it would happen to me.

For the past month I've been drinking every day, mostly whisky. I drink first thing upon waking up and then hit a few shots each hour. I've been drinking at night until I pass out.

It started because of tooth pain. I had some left over lortabs and was using those but when those ran out I was still in pain. So I turned to alcohol. Previously, I only drank when I went out on Fridays and Saturday, if I went out at all. So I'm officially hooked now. And alcohol effects me completely differently after surgery than before. Before just one single drink would leave me flushed and stupified. Today I can drink like a gallon (over-estimation) and be fine. I no longer get hot or flushed from drinking and it takes a lot to make me drunk. I think the surgery effected my metabolism somehow.

Anyway, I'm living proof that this can happen to those of us who have had the surgery. The only "good" news is that I haven't gained any weight. That actually surprised me. But I guess I haven't been eating much. Then again, I haven't lost any weight either. I'm still 14 lbs away from my goal weight.

I thought about getting professional help but my friends think I don't need it because I haven't been drinking like this for long. They want me to taper off. I have been drinking like 5 or 6 shots before work and my best friend says to slowly taper it off to just one shot before work before trying to cut it out completely.

Hey,

Go to your doctor, or the hospital and get some librium. This will help with the withdrawals. Please don't listen to your friend. It is very dangerous to try to do this on your own. There are programs that can help you. Pm me if you would like, and I can walk you through it. Thanks for sharing and I hope you get some help. It's out there, I promise.

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Just wanted to update that I've been given some great advice in personal messages and some good websites. I'm doing a tapering method and have turned over my liquor to my roommates who will be dispersing it to me. Today I'm logging everything and tomorrow starts the tapering. The good thing is that I've been doing shots and not just taking swigs so this will be relatively easy to taper off from. I'm breaking it down to morning, afternoon and evening. And will keep to that schedule until I'm doing about half shot at each time and then try to stop completely at that point. Like this morning I only did 4 shots before work so tomorrow I will only do a max of 3. So hopefully pretty soon I'll be free of this soon. And I'm looking into AA groups in my area to cover my bases. Thank you all for the advice and kind messages.

Did you get the tooth pain treated by a dentist? That can be dangerous all by itself depending on which tooth is infected.

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I really wish you'd check into a detox or get the librium and have your roommates dispense that to you instead. It is very tricky to try and do what you're doing. I am here.

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Sounds like you are using some harm reduction techniques that feel manageable and good for you. Wish you the best of luck and want to say that you may also find it really helpful to seek individual therapy with a person or agency that works with these types of approaches. AA generally only works with an abstinence-based approach and people who aren't ready or don't want to use this approach can often slip back into patterns they aren't comfortable with because of the feelings this may evoke. I say this as a therapist who works with people with substance and alcohol use disorders and have had experiences with AA, NA and CMA.

Just wanted to update that I've been given some great advice in personal messages and some good websites. I'm doing a tapering method and have turned over my liquor to my roommates who will be dispersing it to me. Today I'm logging everything and tomorrow starts the tapering. The good thing is that I've been doing shots and not just taking swigs so this will be relatively easy to taper off from. I'm breaking it down to morning, afternoon and evening. And will keep to that schedule until I'm doing about half shot at each time and then try to stop completely at that point. Like this morning I only did 4 shots before work so tomorrow I will only do a max of 3. So hopefully pretty soon I'll be free of this soon. And I'm looking into AA groups in my area to cover my bases. Thank you all for the advice and kind messages.

Good luck. Plan on at least a month with no alcohol following a taper. You want to give your body time to heal. Pay attention to your heart rate and blood pressure during this. If you really start to spike, talk to your doctor about benzos. There are parts of your brain which were severely suppressed with all the alcohol in your system and the benzos will help. Nice of your room mate to help. Make sure your roommate is familiar with DT symptoms. A small part of the population (esp. those with seizer disorders) is susceptible and it can be life threatening.

@@Proud2BMe

We have missed you around here, but I am glad you made this post.

I hope you get better soon.

Just wanted you to know you are in my thoughts. I have been in recovery since 2008, not from alcohol but pain killers and Benzodiazepines. You took the first step by admitting you have a problem....very brave. Sounds like you have a plan in place. But, like most have said here, seeking some kind of outside help like AA or a good addiction specialist will help you stay on track in the future. Please keep us posted.

On 9 August I celebrate 12 years of sobriety, helped, for the first six years by attending AA meetings. If the guys who I was working for and who were both recovering alkies hadn't taken me to my first AA meeting I reckon I would have kicked the bucket by now. My father died of alcoholism so I should have had enough of a warning but I convinced myself that I was just a party animal! Yeh, right. Bog standard lush more like. Having the support of fellow alkies was invaluable and in this part of leafy Surrey, just outside London, where I live we had AA meetings within easy reach every day. Lots of middle class drunks around here!!!!! I can't walk down the high street without bumping into one of the clan. Go to a meeting, try it for a month and if you don't like it you can have your misery returned, with interest, no questions asked. AA really does work, even for sceptics like me. Good Luck.

@Proud2BeMe,

You did a brave thing by posting this. More important, you did a smart thing by recognizing the problem. It sounds scary, but by recognizing it and wanting to get help for it, you’re doing the right thing.

Your friends’ plan of tapering off sounds great on paper. Can you do it? If you think you can, great. If not (or even if you want to try the taper), getting professional help seems like a good idea. You might pick up a few strategies you hadn’t even thought of, including alternatives to alcohol when you feel the urge to drink. Listen to and consider your friends' advice, but don't feel that you must follow it if you don't think it's right for you.

As you go through this difficult time, do remember to be proud of yourself. It’s impressive that you haven’t gained any weight despite your alcohol struggles, and so be sure to carry that success with you all the time. It can help give you the confidence you need to meet this recent challenge.

the last couple of weeks I have also found myself having a drink a lot more often and ironically I decided to quit completely. like @@Proud2BMe I am close to goal but not quite there. the alcohol doesn't help with my weight or my personal issues. so it has to go.......

@@Proud2BMe - I wanted to say thanks for sharing your story. I am going to be sleeved on Wednesday. I only drink occasionally and don't have a drinking problem. However, addiction does run in my family. I haven't had anything to drink in two weeks now because of the preop diet. I know the recommendation to never drink again, but since I just have wine occasionally I figured it will be ok to have a little here and there in the future. Your story makes me seriously reconsider that thought. My brother in law had RNY about two years ago and seems to have a problem with alcohol now too. He also went through a divorce and I thought that might be more his reason. I do wonder though.

My brother is an alcoholic and has been doing it for awhile. He's to the point where it seems nearly impossible to stop, even after a DWI and $10,000 down the drain. I urge you to follow your own instinct and seek some professional help. Stop it in its tracks. Don't let the disease leave you down and out, like it does for so many. A friend of mine did AA and said it really turned his whole life around.

You faced WLS and lost all that weight. You took such a huge step at making a better life for yourself. Don't let this stop you. Get some help. You can tackle this too.

Thanks again for sharing.

Just wanted to update that I've been given some great advice in personal messages and some good websites. I'm doing a tapering method and have turned over my liquor to my roommates who will be dispersing it to me. Today I'm logging everything and tomorrow starts the tapering. The good thing is that I've been doing shots and not just taking swigs so this will be relatively easy to taper off from. I'm breaking it down to morning, afternoon and evening. And will keep to that schedule until I'm doing about half shot at each time and then try to stop completely at that point. Like this morning I only did 4 shots before work so tomorrow I will only do a max of 3. So hopefully pretty soon I'll be free of this soon. And I'm looking into AA groups in my area to cover my bases. Thank you all for the advice and kind messages.

I am a drug and alcohol counselor. I strongly advise you to seek professional help. Withdrawal from alcohol can kill you. Medically supervised detox is the safest way you can do this. After detoxing, I suggest treatment of some sort with counseling. Please get help, if money is a concern, there are often programs to pay for or help pay for services. Community support, such as AA is also super important. This is only my opinion based on what I've read and of course, you will make your own choices, just wanted to put in my two cents from the perspective of one who works with addiction every day. YOU ARE NOT ALONE, many out there to help.

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Get PROFESSIONAL Help! In support group I met a woman who started drinking wine and became an alcoholic. She lost her husband and children in 2 years of this addiction and decided to attend AA Meetings to reestablish a relationship with her children. In the AA Meetings she polled the people and found out 15 in the group had WLS. 1 DIED a slow miserable death. So her warning to us was NEVER drink, it can cost you everything.

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I agree with other posters here and encourage you to get professional support.

There are also treatment plans available that work differently than AA if that doesn't work for you. Not knocking AA because it has saved untold numbers of lives. It just doesn't work for everyone.

I found out about the Sinclair program through some sci fi circles I run in, and like to pass this along to anyone struggling with alcohol. http://www.onelittlepillmovie.com/about.html

Good luck, and please get some professional support with this.