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HUFFING/DRINKING RUBBING ALCOHOL

I AM NOW 21 YEARS OLD I AM ADDICTED TO ISOPROPYL RUBBING ALCOHOL I GO THRU ABOUT 1 AND A HALF BOTTLES A MONTH I LOVE THE SMELL AND I HUFF IT WHEN EVER I HAVE A CHANCE, I EVEN DRINK A TINY BIT BUT ITS MAINLY HUFFING WHAT I DO. I DONT KNOW WHY I JUST DO IT, ITS LIKE A DRUG TO ME! I FENE FOR IT AT TIMES I SNEAK AND DO IT, I HAVE BEEN DOING THIS SINCE I WAS 12 IM SURE ...WHAT DAMAGE IS THIS DOING TO ME? OR WHAT DAMAGE HAVE I DONE?
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Avatar universal
I’m only replying to this comment because it’s the first one i see. I’ve always loved the smell of rubbing alcohol since i was younger. In 2021 I started huffing regularly by pouring rubbing alcohol on a rag and huffing until the smell is gone . I don’t do it because it gets me high it just makes me feel soooo relaxed and calm. Plus, it smells soooo good to me. My mouth is watering right now smh. It’s now 2024 and I’ve had ENOUGH. I’ve often visited this thread to help myself stop this dangerous addiction, but i kept making excuses. After constantly huffing and feeling stuck in this vicious cycle I’ve decided to stop. I don’t want to die over a $3.00 bottle of rubbing alcohol. My kids need me. I got so ashamed of going into my local store that i started ordering online. I was going through two 32oz 70% bottles every 2 weeks. Recently i started waking up with big bruises on my legs that could not be explained when asked about it, but I knew deep down why and that was my wake up call. It has been 5 days and i have not bought any rubbing alcohol and i REFUSE to bring that stuff back into my home. There is hope and I’ve found so much comfort in this forum. PLEASE PUT THE R.A DOWN IT IS NOT WORTH YOUR LIFE!!! ❤️
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
That’s weak ! one and a half to two a month ?
3days=bottle
& 51% by volume.bottle
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1 Comments
I haven't really smelled any here for a while. I do every now and again when I am in the bathroom but not much anymore.. So, you go through a bottle every 3 days? How is that affecting you?
495284 tn?1333894042
COMMUNITY LEADER
Hi .Bluhel87 and welcome to the forum.  I read your post and am hoping you will start your own thread.  If you go to the top of the page it will say Ask a Question and that way you will have your own thread started as the one you posted on is an old one.  We are here to help you get thru this.
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Avatar universal
I started huffing alcohol here recently. Probably this last month or so. At first I just really enjoyed the smell. For my household cleaning I use a 50-50 concoction of 91% rubbing alcohol and ammonia due to its disinfectant properties. I noticed that the smell is very strong but it didn't really bother me over time. I actually found myself cleaning everything with it eventually.  I am in the health profession and we also use the SaniWipes. They are very strong and I use them to clean everything now. I will clean the same counter over and over again just to have the smell linger and I will also hold them to my nose and breathe deeply. I have also started huffing the hand sanitizer that we use at work. I won't soak cotton balls in the alcohol but I will pour a tiny but into a cup and swish it around with my face over the cup. It smells so good to me that even sometimes I am tempted to take a swig. (don't have the courage to do that though). About three months ago I started eating Ice like crazy. I'm telling you like 3-4 stops at sonic every day for a Route 44 cup of their delicious crushed ice. Both of these are PICA. I am in severe renal failure which causes very severe anemia. I have narrowed this down to my cravings for both alcohol and ice since I never had these cravings three months ago. But here recently I have been on injections to raise my blood count and when they start wearing off is when the cravings are the worst. I just started doing this recently and I am afraid of the repercussions. I want to stop but until I get a new kidney, the anemia will stay with me. Any suggestions on how to deal with this? I am a nurse so I can't get away from alcohol. I mean it's literally all around me but it would be nice to not want to huff it. I have started having a burning sensation in my throat since I started and I feel like this is the beginning of a very ugly addiction. I love alcohol because it kills germs and I would like to continue  properly using it for those benefits, but I don't want to want to huff if anytime I smell the vapors. Encouragement is much needed since Iron supplements don't help renal failure induced anemia. :(
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Avatar universal
I started this habit from liking the smell of listerine. I then started warming it up a
little to get the evaporation smoke to huff. I realized after doing that a couple of times that it didn't work anymore, there was no smell. I discovered at point that it was the alcohol ingredient I liked. I started buying 70% isopropyl, then warming it up to huff it. After a hour I would get hungry and fall asleep. I stopped for a couple years and now over the last couple of months I started back. This time it started with these Sani -wipes I use to clean at work. The wipes contain alcohol but they are extremely strong. You can smell them from 100 feet away. I would hold it in my hand to warm it and make it stronger. I got up to 5 wipes at a time folded up until I found the 91 %. isopropyl. I've gotten to the point where I do it in public because it looks like I'm blowing my nose with tissue. It doesn't get me high, it just calms me.  I really want to stop because it is effecting my sense of smell.

I'm happy I found this site because I just found out a couple weeks ago that I have low hemoglobin(Anemia) and I was put on iron pills. I stopped huffing the isopropyl for almost 2 weeks but I thought that the cravings just stopped like in the past. I stopped my iron pills a couple day ago because they were making me nausea. I also started back huffing yesterday. I had no idea the two problems were related. Now I'm guessing that if I start taking the iron pills once a day again the cravings will go away. I didn't think it was pica because it doesn't list isopropyl alcohol but then again it's not something people want to admit to. I know I hadn't told Anyone!!! I was getting to the point where I was self conscious to buy it at the stores. One time I found the 99 % and I was trying to think of a lie to tell the cashier if she asked why I was buying this 12.00 bottle of rubbing alcohol. I'm done huffing this stuff. I don't want to die from this, I'm too young for that. I usually don't write much on the internet but I just hopes this helps someone else because the previous post helped me. Thank You all for being honest. :-)
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Avatar universal
I have sniffed alcohol pad for 7yrs. I buy 3 boxes a week. I love the smell. I will not be found with out them on me. I don't know what it is but I smell them all the time. I started doing it when I was pregnant. It help with nausea.
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1 Comments
You said you started when you was pregnant. Did your baby come out in good health??
Avatar universal
Not to scare you, but the swelling sounds like liver failure. My ex husband who passed away a few months ago from liver failure had all the same symptoms. If this is the case you may be looking at liver transplant.
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Avatar universal
Iron Suppliments, NOW.  ALL OF YOU.

It is called PICA.  Please, Google it.

<3
<3
<3
Helpful - 0
1 Comments
How would a iron supplement stop the urges of wanting to Snuff alcohol??
Avatar universal
Hello I stopped like three weeks ago and I am having horrible swelling in my stomach, legs, feet and ankles. I'm really scared. I started with hand sanitizer, then 70%, nail polish remover, Lysol and back to 91%. I could go through two big bottles a week and I could not wait until edit me because I knew I would have my privacy then.  I tried telling some people as a cry for help but others don't really know how real it is. I'm praying the swelling will run its course, but if not I'm going to the doctor. I'm too embarrassed o say what I have been doing for over 5 years. Everyone please stop, we are killing ourselves.  I'm praying for each person on this page for healing from the habit and healing of your bodies. Blessed
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I am 16 and I sniffed and drank rubbing alcohol for about a year and a half. I thought about getting help and even told my a couple of my friends. What helped me stop drinking and sniffing it was getting it out of my house. The only way I thought I could do that of course was drinking it all so I did that. I never experienced severe reactions to it but I knew I had to stop. So I know I'm only a teen but to all you adult suffering from this just get it out of the house and stop buying it. Of course you are still going to have cravings for it but it's really not good for you. Not saying I'm doing any better I mean I eat paper like there is no tomorrow but I think drinking alcohol is alto worse. So yeah just get it out of the house.
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1 Comments
Oh my goodness!! I eat paper (which has now evolved to toilet paper) and have an addiction to sniffing rubbing alcohol too. There has got to be a correlation! I don&#39;t understand it.i smoke cigarettes and I mix the 3. When I smoke cigarettes it makes me crave the taste of toilet paper which in turn makes me crave rubbing alcohol and it makes my mouth water.  It has been getting progressively worse and I have been doing it since my first pregnancy 9 years ago.  I don&#39;t understand what causes it. I am ashamed of it, and I hide it from my fiance and friends. Sometimes id rather be alone most of the time and miss out on things cause I&#39;d rather be at home alone to sniff my rubbing alcohol an eat my tp.
Avatar universal
Have you experienced any other side effects or talked to your Doctor about it? I am just wondering as I had done it off and on for years. I have not done it in over 3 years. Now that I know how dangerous it is I have severe anxiety about the damage I may have done to my body. Just trying to find out what symptoms people that have done it for a long time are experiencing after inhaling rubbing alcohol over the years. I too am anemic and associate the love of the smell that I had to low iron. Any older inhalers feel free to chime in with your symptoms. If you are young and old please try and quit. Talk to your doctor and have our vitamin levels checked. This can really help pinpoint the issue and lead you to the road to recovery.

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Avatar universal
Hi to everyone
today ive been sniffing alcohol wipes for approx 7 years on a regular basis , i am a kidney patient and it started when i began my treaments , its hard to avoid the product because its issued along with my normal supplies and i am very fond of the sensation sorry extremely fond that is .
i am 40 yrs now and i am inspired by you all to STOP !! i was going through periods of ignoring the best advice and doing it because i loved the buzz , i am going to change it from now on NO MORE !!! and i would like to thank you all i was too embrrassed to speak about it to anyone . you all have inspired me thank you
Grateful
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Avatar universal
my mom use to sniff rubbing alcohol and now she is forgetting simple stuff like the bathroom, bedroom, and who is her oldest brother or sister is. For her youngest daughter I have to watch this as she gets worse.  Don't sniff ribbing alcohol, it does kill your brain sales
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4445757 tn?1354687063
damn gurl im the same way i wish i could find the 99% ive always just smelled the 91% since i was about 14 im about to be 20 but its addicting and my boyfriend dosent know either only some friends and ive even got them addicted to smelling it to idk y its hard to stop i just got to smell it evryday i go through 2 bottles a week
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Avatar universal
i was in the same problem i am 24 and i have 3 boys and i was addicted but i just stoped all together i went crazy but it was worth it i was prrego with my 3 child drinking rubbing alcohol and i found out he was born early for my habbits so i up and stoped now i am prego with my baby girl and im so happy im not doing it any more. and i also had cervical cancer with a leep it was taking care of. i wounder if alcohol has something to do with it...
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Avatar universal
Hi! Dave 3147  My name sherl I to i like to inhaled rubbing alcohol when i was 22 yrs. i'm 48 and still do it . i'm on a kidney machine that's when i stated inhailing alcohol it stated with the hand sanitizers . i have been on the kidney machine since 1986 to know. I to i'm oxygen 24/7 i don't know how to stop. If you have any ideas .
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Avatar universal
Wtf is wrong wit u don't so that **** your killing yourself!
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Avatar universal
What if your drinking it all the time?
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1970885 tn?1435860428
Sorry. Just re read my post. After all these years I'm still mad at him. Didn't mean to dump on you.
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1970885 tn?1435860428
I do know about the long-term damage. My father died huffing and drinking it. He made it to 41. Stop it now. Unless you have no family or anyone who cares for you. Its crap. don't be stupid.
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1416133 tn?1351123217
How do you accidentally drink 100-150 ml?  For that matter, how do you accidentally drink anything?  I'm confused.
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Avatar universal
take him to the hospital call 911 and poison control. I accidently drank about 100-150 ml yesterday. Im fine and I called for help. They almost didnt believe me but they said not to worry. Im still worried but if im still alive tomorrow then im very happy and furtunate/blessed
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Avatar universal
Hi my name is Nita, I  thought that I was the only one that craveed alcohol with ice, its like the best snack ever. I started 20yrs. ago but never thought anything of it. I started with pinesol, then windex , then sanitizer, to 70% alcohol to 99%. I really never took it that serious but now that I know what damages it causes I refuse to let it beat me. Im 40 years old now, I have migraines, starting to stop breathing in my sleep and I also have chest pains. I do associate my health problems with the huffing. I went on on website called INHALANT.ORG. they have some good advice on it from other who huff.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Well. I do not know if it is  an addiction  or not ,but this bad habit  started when  I use to work in th retail  and had to use  hand  sanitazer. At  that  time, it was   made out mostly of alcohol. Well, It is  been almost 4  years since I become introduce  through  my work  with alcohol. And even though  I donot  huff  like everyday. I would say  that at least  I´ll huff just a bit  right after I sanitazed my  hands or when I am  sick. So  I`ll say it is  like  four  times  a month  when  Iam  healthy. But  when I have a cold  or  fever then it could  be like  five  times  a day each one of  less  than 5 seconds of  huffing alcahol from   my hands.

SO do you people think I should  seek  medical help. ?

I think at his stage  I am  able to  kick  it  out, and not big deal I don`t think it is  an addiction , and I´ll  keep you all of you  post of my progress.
Helpful - 0
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