What about alcohol during/after taper?

Just wondering if it is possible to have a glass of wine or a beer during or after a taper?  I would like to know other's experience/ideas about that.  I have a glass of wine when we eat out but I am wondering if I will be able to do that after my taper is finished??

I think the general consensus is that you should avoid alcohol. Alcohol acts on the GABA receptors in a similar fashion as benzodiazepines and may affect recovery during/after tapering.

 

Hopefully someone else can chime in that has experience with this. I am not a drinker.

During my taper I had a half glass of wine in a social setting once in awhile. After I finished tapering I continued along the same pattern...once in awhile, never more than a half glass. I didn’t notice any negative effects.

 

Later in my recovery I would have a full glass and several times found myself on the verge of panic a few hours later so I stopped having more than a half glass.  No noticeable effects.  At 7+ years I can have a full glass with no negative effects.

 

That’s just me.  Never been much of a drinker anyway, so no big deal if I have wine or not. 

 

Others have reported minor to major ramifications from alcohol.  So take it all into account before you make a decision.

 

 

I drank beer for a few days over Christmas. I was 4 months off benzos. Started getting sicker and sicker for 2 weeks. Then slowly returned to where I was before drinking. Bad setback. Will never drink alcohol again. Period. Just my two cents worth. I expect most could drink after 2 or more years healed. Im not going to test this though. GC

After my taper I started drinking wine again. (I was brought up in France where it's part of the culture. I really missed it). Anyhow, it didn't rev me up, but I found that after 3 years of NOT drinking, the "missing it" was all in my head. I have a glass now and then. No deleterious effects.

 

Katz

Thanks oregonkatz.  I've decided to leave the wine alone for now.  I am doing so well with my taper, am almost off Klonopin after 20+ years.  That said, I am not saying I will never have alcohol but just for now, I am alcohol free.  I am actually feeling about as good about being off the alcohol as I am about my progress getting off Klonopin!  Anyway, I am feeling so much better that I don't want to mess things up.  Glad you found what works for you.

 

I have never been a big drinker.  Before I started Tapering I had a bit of alcohol, enough to give me a buzz.  Then when it wore off I found myself anxious and jittery, just short of a panic attack.  I mentioned this to my psych and he said that what probably happened is that the alcohol had a short effect on my gaba receptors and when it wore off I got a bit of rebound anxiety.

 

How badly do you want to get better?  I would stay away from alcohol.

No. We can never drink alcohol again, unfortunately.

I didn't drink wine during my taper. Everyone on the forum I was on told me that it wasn't good, and I got scared and avoided it. But after my taper, my sister came up to visit, and she brought some wine. I had no problems with it. It didn't trigger me or cause anxiety, even if I had a couple of glasses of wine socially. I have some right now at home. It could be weeks before I drink any.

 

I'll tell you what I do have problems with - coffee. I LOVE coffee and have been trying for years to drink it. So sad...

No. We can never drink alcohol again, unfortunately

 

You can only speak for yourself, Perth. Why persist in this opinion when people right on this thread have posted that it has no deleterious effect on them?

 

Katz

It’s my personal opinion that you are taking a real risk drinking while you still have symptoms, I mean you might be ok but the overwhelming reports I hear are of people having setbacks after drinking alcohol. I have decided to stay alcohol free, at least for a few years, maybe for life. That doesn’t mean that you can never touch alcohol again, I think that’s a little dramatic, but if you’re not yet healed I’d stay away.

I didn't drink alcohol during my taper and the 1st year of my recovery. I had very small amounts after the first year. Once healed, I was able to drink a glass of wine with dinner or a beer after a tennis match.  I'm not a huge drinker so it's one and done for me. I experience no ill effects from this.

 

pianogirl

Alcohol use can impact recovery, but I only drink a couple times a week and never to the point of total drunkenness. So I kept drinking and I honestly think it helped ease my mind a bit.

 

Now if you are getting pass out drunk, then yes I would avoid it as the hangover would only add to the withdrawal symptoms. 

 

Alcohol use definitely impacts sleep, but again, a few drinks a couple of nights a week was not a problem for me.

i believe everyone has different reactions to benzo withdrawals. Even with alcohol. But from my experience after having a 30 blackout alcohol addiction (haven’t drank in almost 5 months and a 12 year addiction to 14 mg a day of lorezepam (almost down to 2 mg a day of clonazepam). Three things helped me with the withdrawals. 1. No alcohol (not even a drop) 2. Drink lots of water 3. Exercise. I found exercise to be the holy grail for me. I wish I would have done it earlier as it has helped so.much with the physical pains of benzo withdrawal. Again... just my experience and opinion.

I stopped drinking a few days into withdrawal . in general I would say avoiding alcohol can only help. 2 months in I was actually quite afraid to drink but I had a few wines at a wedding and I was fine. last night I had a few whiskeys at home,bit more than I should have and the hangover is not good. they are never good anyway but it is an unesasary symptom to go through when you are still sensitive and recovering. I will aim to avoid drinking altogether from now on.

Just wondering if it is possible to have a glass of wine or a beer during or after a taper?  I would like to know other's experience/ideas about that.  I have a glass of wine when we eat out but I am wondering if I will be able to do that after my taper is finished??

 

There's no way to predict your outcome. Some people drink even in their taper without issue. The many people who I have seen falling into setbacks after years of healing all were drinking when it happened, or took a new psych med.