My terrible addiction

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I have been addicted to alcohol and pills for 3 years. The pills I take are NyQuil. When I take them, I take 20 at a time. Even though I have ended up in the hospital many times, for some reason, I don't believe that I can die from them. Everyone tells me that I can but Something inside me tells me I will be okay.

I would like to quit and have been fighting my addiction for a long time but I always fail. My whole life has changed and gotten worse because of this. I do go to drug counseling but it does not help. I do not take them every day like I used to and when I do not take them, I get severe withdrawl and become super anxious.

I just don't know what to do to make this addiction go away.

Obviously you crave a very sedated version of "you"!

Try reducing by one pill and see what happens. Take 19 instead of 20, for example, and do that for a period of time, then continue to reduce by one less as you are able.

Then go see a legit doc who can treat you for anxiety, depression, sleeping aids, or whatever is needed

There is real help out there for you!

Lmk how it goes. I am on twitter @mcourtneyslp. Or @sallimumu

Hi messysuzie,

Maybe, I will try reducing. I also am on medication for all the things you said, but nothing helps with my addiction.

Thank you for your advice, and I promise that I will be taking only one less.

LOL @ addicted to NyQuil.

You are probably addicted to the dissociative, DXM in them. This is a very rare addiction, and you should be able to quit cold-turkey immediately (though check with a doctor first).

The alcohol is more complicated. Depending on how much you are drinking daily, you may need to reduce gradually to avoid seizures. Also, what medication are you on? Benzodiazepines you should not be taking with alcohol and also they are highly addictive so you should consider quitting them too (again, slowly with help of doctor to avoid seizure).

Wanting to quit is important, but its also important you have someone to help you through it, preferably a doctor who specializes in addictions. I quit alcohol, oxycotin, xanax at various times. If you want to quit badly enough you can do it. If you want advice on particular strategies, ask me/google.

Hi gnonymouse,

I'm not taking benzodiazepines, but i am taking anti-psychotic medications. I do see a psychiatrist, but he doesn't talk to me, and he only gives pills out. My family doctor won't help me either. My mom and i are trying to find a therapist, but where i live they cost a $100 an hour. We are trying to find someone that costs much less. I tried quitting cold turkey, and managed for 3 months, but then i slipped up.

I really only drink alcohol once in a blue moon now. I used to take nyquil almost everyday, but now, it's once a week. At this point, it is impossible to quit cold turkey: although, I am trying. The problem is my withdrawls gets super strong to the point to where i'm shaking and become so anxious that there are no words to describe it. These are the times when i can get my hands on some money, i always buy those stupid pills.

Thank you for caring. Do you have any advice on how can get through withdrawls?

Yes, you can die from them. You should check yourself in to an in patient drug and alcohol treatment program and learn how to cope with life again.

I've been addicted to many things...nyquil included.

Funny thing is just like all my addictions I say "o well i'll take this for a little while to wheen me off what ever I am addicted to...."

then I get addicted to that....

Anyways here's the skippy on nyquil. It will kill your liver eventually and you'll die a slow painful death.

If you haven't felt it yet your liver will start twitching and squirming, and aching and whining.

Maybe switch to just doxylamine succinate and not the goop with dextromethorphan or dxm in it. I don't know if its the goop or the dxm or the combo but it's bad for your liver. (i hope you are atleast getting the one without aspirin or tylenol or w.e. they put in it)

Also I forgot to add as I no longer drink nyquil anymore (though I do from time to time buy a bottle and binge but haven't for awhile...hope not to) alcahol makes it way more dangerous for your liver....for obvious reasons. The twitching and hurting didn't start til I started mixing the two. and didn't go away until quite awhile after I had stopped drinking the two and had let my liver recover.

atleast if you take just doxylamine succinate then you will likely pass out eventually.....it's stronger than ambien in my experience which by the way doesn't help me sleep at all.

I am posting on this late..but thought i'd put in my 2 cents =/.

Thank you very much for sharing this facts. This time, I am going to work really hard to control my addiction.

You might also consider checking out Narcotics Anonymous meetings in your area, it's free and chances are you will run into many people who have been exactly where you are right now.

Thank you very much for giving me this piece of advice. I really appreciate it.

That was what I was going to say too. It doesn't kill you immediately.

Coming in a bit late to the party myself...from my experience, preparations with DXM only (no Tylenol, no CPM, no guaifenesin, no nuthin') is not hepatoxic over the long term. I've been on binges that probably knocked my liver for a temporary loop, but a few months ago I passed a full liver panel with flying colors -- no enzymes close to being out of whack, even CYP2D6, even after abusing the stuff for five years straight.



I don't know who came up with the misconception that DXM isn't physically addictive. Abuse it long enough, and you will get the point of withdrawal symptoms, mainly depression from serotonin rebound. In my case, it was "brain zaps", similar to what happens when you cut off an SSRI too quickly. As for the psychological piece, I'm right there with you -- hospitalizations, 72-hour holds, the whole nine yards. All I can say has pretty much been said in this thread already: find some NA meetings nearby and sit in on as many as possible. I find the repetition soothing somehow and have gotten quite a lot just by listening. If you go for treatment, make sure they're willing to be flexible in the way they run groups. Each time I've tried, I either checked out from overload or got hyperaware and started running absolutely every word through the mill, to the point where I was trying to work everyone else's program instead of my own.

Anyway, please PM me if there's any other way I can be of help!