How to Recognize Alcohol Withdrawal

Опубликовал Admin
12-10-2020, 13:40
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Alcohol withdrawal is a condition that occurs after someone who has been abusing alcohol suddenly stops using alcohol or dramatically reduces their consumption. Common, moderate symptoms include anxiety or other mood disorders, disordered thinking, shaking or tremors, trouble sleeping, and nausea or vomiting. More severe symptoms include seizures, hallucinations, sensitivity to light (photophobia), and memory loss. If you have an alcohol dependency and want to quit, talk to a medical professional. Detox is typically done at a treatment facility and requires medical management.

Identifying Symptoms

  1. Look for mood disorders. Anxiety is a common symptom of alcohol withdrawal. You might feel constant or intermittent stress or nervousness, even when there is no apparent cause. If you feel a sense of dread or panic after ending your alcohol addiction (especially in social situations), you might be going through withdrawal.
    • You might more irritable or feel “on edge” after you quit drinking. This is a normal result of alcohol withdrawal.
    • Other symptoms associated with a disturbed mood include being short-tempered or emotionally sensitive for several days after your withdrawal begins.
  2. Notice any tremors. Tremors, jitteriness, or shaking might be a sign of alcohol withdrawal. These movements might be only perceptible to you, or they might be extremely pronounced and obvious. Shakiness might also extend to your voice and affect your ability to grasp objects.
    • This symptom may last several weeks. Shaking usually first appears two to four days after your last drink; however, tremors might appear seven to 10 days after your last drink.
    • The more serious the shaking, the more severe the withdrawal process. If your whole body begins shaking, you’re experiencing what is known as delirium tremens (DTs). This condition is accompanied by confusion, fear, seizures, hallucinations, mood changes, and sensitivity to light (photophobia). DTs are considered an emergency and require immediate medical attention.
    • Interacting with someone experiencing delirium can be challenging. Research ways to care for someone with delirium if you find yourself in this situation.
  3. Look for hallucinations. Even if you don’t develop full-blown delirium tremens, hallucinations associated with alcohol withdrawal (alcohol hallucinosis) may occur 12 to 48 hours after you quit drinking. You may see, hear, or feel things that are not real. Multiple smaller, moving objects are a common hallucination for people suffering from alcohol hallucinosis. Hallucinations are generally visual, but they may also be contact-based (tactile) or auditory.
  4. Be aware of insomnia. Insomnia is a sleep disorder that involves difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or both. If you wake up too early, feel tired even after sleeping, or wake up at odd hours and cannot fall back to sleep (or fall back to sleep only with difficulty), you are experiencing insomnia.
  5. Watch for nausea or vomiting. Nausea is a feeling of abdominal pain or discomfort that precedes vomiting. If you feel queasy, or actually vomit, you might have alcohol withdrawal.
  6. Look for Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome (WKS). WKS is actually a nutritional deficiency caused by a lack of thiamine. Also known as vitamin B1, thiamine is a vitamin that regulates nerve impulses, metabolism, and growth. In an alcohol-dependent person, alcohol coming into the body blocks the uptake of thiamine. The effects include an abnormal gait (ataxia), paralysis of the eye and blurred vision. Memory loss, delirium, and other cognitive problems might be apparent.
    • Some symptoms of WKS may improve in days or weeks. In most cases, though, individuals who have WKS will have ongoing memory difficulties, ataxia, and an abnormal gaze.
  7. Notice autonomic hyperactivity. This condition refers to abnormalities of the autonomic system (the internal processes that govern your heart rate, pupils, salivary glands, sweating, and digestion). If you can feel your heart beating rapidly for no apparent reason and have recently stopped drinking, you’re experiencing a symptom of withdrawal.
    • Another symptom of autonomic hyperactivity is sweating. Sweating might occur as a general symptom, or might be restricted to night time. If you wake up sweating and your heart is beating, you’re experiencing withdrawal.
    • You might also suffer from rapid breathing (hyperventilation).
    • Medical examinations might find you have high blood pressure while going through withdrawal.
  8. Look for headaches. Headaches are characterized by pain in the temples or forehead. The pain may be intense, throbbing, constant, or dull. The headaches might last a short while or several hours.

Preventing Withdrawal

  1. See a doctor. The first thing to do when you want to quit alcohol is to seek medical care. Doctors can monitor and control your physical symptoms through medication. With a detailed understanding of your medical history and drinking habits, your doctor will be able to develop a treatment plan to help you detox safely and avoid the most severe symptoms of withdrawal.
    • If you go through withdrawal several times, your symptoms might get worse each time. Therefore, it is important to see your doctor when quitting alcohol.
  2. Get examined. Medical staff might monitor your physical state by checking your heart rate, blood pressure, and temperature. These vital signs can help them figure out if you need certain medical interventions or medications.
  3. Slowly reduce alcohol intake. In some cases, instead of quitting “cold turkey,” the best way to prevent serious withdrawal is to slowly decrease the amount of alcohol you consume over a longer period of time. This way, you’ll be able to wean yourself off your dependency and avoid the sudden shock to the body that leads to withdrawal.
    • Medical staff may substitute another sedative that imitates the effects of alcohol.
    • The timeline you need to reduce your alcohol intake depends on how much alcohol you consume regularly and how strong the alcohol is.
    • Quitting cold turkey is not recommended without medical supervision.
  4. Take appropriate medicine. Depending on the type and severity of your symptoms, you may need to take certain medications. For instance, if you experience anxiety, the doctor might recommend anti-anxiety and mood-stabilizing drugs. If you’re experiencing seizures, you might need to take Tegretol (carbamazepine) or Depakote (valproic acid), both of which are anti-seizure medications. Your doctor will help you decide which medicine you need.
    • Your prolonged alcohol abuse probably means you are deficient in a number of vitamins and minerals. , Besides medication to prevent withdrawal symptoms, you’ll need to receive these nutritional supplements and vitamins, which may include zinc, phosphate, magnesium, and thiamine.
  5. Prevent night sweats. Take care of your night sweats by sleeping in cotton sheets. Keep a spare set nearby so that if you wake up in the middle of the night and find your sheets soaked, you can change them quickly. Have a shower before bed to relax you and clean your pores.
    • Yoga or meditation might help reduce your likelihood of night sweats.
    • Do not engage in vigorous physical activity before bed.
    • Avoid spicy foods in the evening before going to sleep.
    • Keep your room’s temperature at a lower-than-normal temperature.

Getting Help for Alcohol Addiction

  1. Understand that alcoholism is a disease. Alcohol dependence is a disease. Those who suffer from this disease will struggle with cravings and loss of control. The goal is to stay in control and manage your desire. Be persistent in your resistance to drinking and prepare yourself for an ongoing mental battle.
  2. Seek counseling. Alcoholism often accompanies mental health issues like anxiety and depression. Perhaps you began abusing alcohol in order to cope with these or other conditions. Addressing the underlying mental health issues that may have led you to drink is an important way of preventing future relapses.
    • When seeking treatment be sure to speak with a professional who can help you weigh your options. You want to evaluate what works best for you personally and supports your success.
  3. Get support. Talk to your friends and family about your addiction. Share with them what you’re going through and how difficult it is to quit drinking. Ask them to help you fight your addiction. Getting their support can help you overcome your addiction.
    • In addition to friends and family, talk to others in the same boat as you. Join Alcoholics Anonymous, Moderation Management, or another organization that helps you meet other alcoholics and stay sober.
    • Your friends and family might not know how to help you. Direct them to Al-Anon or Adult Children of Alcoholics so they can better understand your struggles and give you the support you need.

Warnings

  • People in alcohol withdrawal need medical treatment and close monitoring.Seek medical care immediately if you suspect you’re going through withdrawal.
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