Alcoholism Recovery & Treatment

Question by : MS/Alcoholism/Other question?
Hello,

I’m a relatively healthy 28yr old male. I have the ability to goto the gym, do hours of cardio, lift upto and more than 200lbs with my feet, never any problem lifting weights with my arms and such. I am currently outside of my home country and I’m paying very high rates for doctors, so I’m looking for ideas and maybe things to try to help cancel out certain concerns to help avoid major doctors fees. I will be paying to further find out what my problem is, but I thought I’d post to see if I could try to further investigation on my own.

I’ve been a very hard binge drinker since the age of about 18yrs old. It’s not every day, but when it happens every few days, it happens extremely hard. I’ve been consistent for about 10yrs. I had an episode when I was about 21yrs old where it felt like half my body went numb, my right side I believe. No pain, I was able to walk normal, it just felt like it was asleep. The only thing that was truly effected was my finger tips. I stopped drinking until the symptoms went away, took a few weeks maybe, and everything went away except my finger tips. I can feel pain if they’re hurt, I can play guitar and keep a decent song up, but the tips have felt “asleep” since then. I started drinking again when the numbness in the body went away but not the fingers. I gave it a few weeks and started again. I didn’t drink daily, but when it would happen it would be out of control binge drinking (again). My walking started getting affected a few years later, almost as if my legs would just flop forward and backwards, tripping on small curbs here and there, but only after maybe 1-3hrs of standing/walking. This would come and go, there would be times I could run without incident, but then sometimes it would be worse where I would have to sit and stretch my legs for half an hour then start again and they would be fine. When I would do my binge drinking it would almost get to a point where I would not be able to walk, because of the weakness, and when I would get up in the morning it would be fine. Sometimes though, rarely, I’d be completely fine for walking while on the drink. Recently I went through some personal turmoil and was drinking more than I ever had in my life. I woke up one morning and my right eye was a little odd, felt almost bruised, almost like i was staring at a screen for too long, i kept drinking constantly for about 2 weeks more, and my vision in my right eye started to get blurry. I went to a doctor, told him the problems with the legs, the eyes, the weakness, and he said all signs pointed to MS, I did my research too and mentally prepared myself for this. He did basic strength tests (which I know don’t diagnose MS) and sat there for a moment almost puzzled. There’s a Vitamin B deficiency that has VERY similar symptoms to MS which he told me about. I told him about my alcohol problem, and then he asked me to start taking thiamine and other related vitamins. I have been clean for a week now, taking my vitamins, and there will be days that I can walk fine, then others that are still weak after an hour or so of walking, my eye has stop hurting, but is still blurry at points. Combined with the alcohol abuse, I have been under enormous stress that I have never felt before that can apparently have similar symptoms. He said this might also be the issue at hand.

I will be getting an MRI for the MS test, but I’m curious if anyone knows of ways that I might be able to rule out any other problems that this might be because the cost is so much. Unfortunately I cannot goto the doctor as much as I require, and I’m wondering if this is infact a problem that my alcohol abuse/stress has caused, how long will it take with the proper nutrition to notice a semi-permanent effect/turn-a-round. At one point, I had stopped for 3 months, and I had noticed a difference in my walking, and fingers. The vision thing is new and has only been here for about 2-3 weeks. There has never ever been anything remotely close to pain at all. Just numbness, when I goto the gym or get involved with anything that requires strength (other than walking or running), I am good with it and can spend hours in an environment like that. It’s just the walking and running that get me.

Diabetes also runs in my family, but I have been tested within the last 2yrs and nothing was there.

I’m wondering if anyone else out there has had a similar problem, has heard of this and might offer any tips aside from the obvious alcohol problem which I am working towards correcting. Is there a certain length of time that a MS attack can last, if it’s a deficiency issue, how long does it take to correct the deficiency, ect…

Thank you for your time

Best answer:

Answer by spiffer1
First of all alcohol abuse and diabetes are very often interrelated. Best to keep off the alcohol. People with diabetes in their family (genetic structure) have a propensity for alcoholism, so the advice to keep off the stuff is difficult to follow unless you can get family and friends to help.
As to MS. Unfortunately I do not have all the data. But a doctor (out of frustration and ignoring medical ethics regarding treating a family member) in Italy performed an operation on his wife as a last ditch effort to stall the progression of her MS. Apparently the surgery worked and there are medical professionals world over looking into this procedure. I was told as the result of the surgery she no longer has any symptoms of MS.
MS creeps up on you and is one of the last things doctors (used to) think about looking into.
Good luck.

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Question by rashrash27: Please help me answer the following question ASAP?
A well-known pharmaceutical company, Robins & Robins, is working through a public scandal. Three popular medications which they sell over-the-counter have been determined to be tainted with small particles of plastic explosive. It has not yet been determined where the plastic explosives came from, but over $ 8 million in inventory is impacted. The inventory is located throughout the Western United States, and it is possible that it has also made its way into parts of Canada. A recall occurs but it is mostly unsuccessful.

Last fall, the FDA had promulgated an administrative rule which stated that all pharmaceutical companies which sold over-the-counter medications must incorporate a special tracking bar code (i.e. UPC bars) on all packaging, to ensure that recalls could be done with very little trouble. This bar code would have cost about $ .35 (cents) per package, which would have cost the company nearly $ 3 million on this batch of inventory.

Robins & Robins lobbied hard against this rule, and managed to get it stopped in the public comments period. They utilized multiple arguments, including the cost (which would be passed on to consumers). They also raised “privacy” concerns, which they discussed simply to get public interest groups upset. (One of the drugs impacted is used for assisting with alcoholism treatment – specifically for withdrawal symptoms and many alcoholics were afraid their use of the drug could be tracked back to them.) Robins & Robins argued that people would be concerned about purchasing the medication with a tracking mechanism included with the packaging and managed to get enough public interest groups against the rule. The FDA decided not to impose the rule.

The FDA decides to require all pharmaceutical companies to immediately implement the tracking bars (UPC) as a result of the disaster with Robins & Robins. Robins & Robins decides not to challenge this and begins the process of adding them to all of their products. However, McFadden, Inc., a New York pharmaceutical realizes that this new requirement is going to bankrupt them immediately. McFadden did not participate in the original public comment period. However, this rule
is different from the rule which went through that public comment period, in that it specifically names 4 companies as being impacted, Robins & Robins, McFadden, Inc., Bayer, and Johnson & Johnson. On what bases can McFadden challenge this requirement imposed by the FDA? Provide at least two bases under the Administrative Procedures Act. Would the injuries from the Robins & Robins situation impact the chances that this challenge would be successful? Why or why not?
Question 2, please help me ASAP

It is discovered that Robins & Robins knew about the tainted medication two months earlier than they announced the recall. They hid it, and in fact, sent out contract buyers to try to buy up all of the medication off the shelves. Their “fake” recall failed. Using the Laura Nash method of analyzing ethical dilemmas, analyze the ethical dilemma faced by the CEO of Robins & Robins for the fact that they saved 35 cents/package and are now in the middle of a major, life threatening recall. Analyze their “fake” recall as well. Show all of the steps of the model and give a recommendation to the CEO of what to do now that the deaths are escalating. What is the “right” thing for the CEO to do in this case? Did the model help you come to this conclusion or did you use some other method? Explain.

Best answer:

Answer by STEPHEN
McFadden can challenge the requirement by asserting the cost element and that its implementation would bankrupt them and make the same arguments that Robins & Robins made. Additionally, they could argue that the FDA is estopped by its prior decision to not impose the Rule; this, of course, could be countered by the argument that McFadden waived all arguments against imposition of the Rule by its failure to participate in the earlier public comment period. McFadden could also argue that the FDA is over-reacting to a calamity which could not be foreseen and is so rare an occurrence that it is highly unlikely to happen again, to which the FDA would contend that its statutory authority compels that it impose the Rule. The injuries of the Robins & Robins matter would be the only significant impact which would cause the imposition of the Rule. The two bases: (1) It would not be an abuse of discretion to impose the Rule. (2). The FDA may lawfully take administrative notice of the Robins & Robins calamity.

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Question by Sarah: Question about alcohol detox?
My girlfriend has been at my house detoxing cold turkey from alcohol. So far we have made it to the 72 hour point and things are starting to get a bit better. She still can’t eat real heavy foods or she’ll vomit but she can have Ramen noodles. But she has been sleeping CONSTANTLY. Is that normal? And her muscles are real sore. They wouldn’t let her detox in the hospital because she doesn’t have insurance, so please no lectures. But has anyone on here been through detox?

Best answer:

Answer by ?
she will be fine

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Question by Jess: Drug and Alcohol Treatment question?
What is the difference between:
*Residential Treatment Programs
*Outpatient Rehabilitation Programs
*Inpatient Programs
Also, does anyone have any resources for these types of treatment facilities. I would like general information, but if you would like to be more specific, I live in Wisconsin.
Thank you!
Thank you for your answers so far!

dlmrgnk- I am located in Southeastern Wisconsin if that will help limit the search.

Best answer:

Answer by dlmrgnk
Residential is “in-house” where the patient lives on the premises of the treatment facility.
Outpatient is when the patient lives at home (duh!!) and visits the facility where the staff is located. Presumably, all these are aimed at rehabilitation.
Inpatient is basically the same as Residential. We’ll do some looking for facilities in Wisconsin. What part of the state?
Here’s a web site that looks promising:
http://www.drug-rehabs.org/

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Question by spartan1blood: Question involves myself, and alcohol detox, the safest way I can accomidate?
I am once again, detoxing (FINAL ATTEMPT) fully up and ready to go. I have JUST enough medication, to use…and then HOPEFULLY detox myself from THAT SAME medication (clonazepam/Klonopin .5mg)

Best answer:

Answer by Joey M
as a recoverying person with expirence first its
not safe to go thru DT,s by your self, you really should get medical advise or even better get the number for AA or NA hotline give them a call they will help you or at least guide you.
then to stay clean or sober you got to try some meetings
good luck

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