Side Effects of Detoxing Off Alcohol

Alcohol Detox Withdrawal Symptoms

Alcohol Detox and withdrawal symptoms will depend on the severity of the chemical dependency. Detox from alcohol should always be monitored by a medical professional due to the increased risk for seizures. If you are looking to stop using alcohol or are a family member who is trying to help someone detox, do not stop cold turkey without consulting a medical professional first. Alcohol detox usually takes a week to 10 days to clear from the system. The most common withdrawal symptoms include shakes, sweats, increased anxiety and delirium tremens (DTs). The most dangerous symptoms are DTs which are characterized by confusion and rapid heartbeat, and have shown a 1-5% death rate.

Alcohol Detox Treatment Centers

The recommendation for alcohol detoxification should be done in a licensed inpatient or residential setting with a licensed medical team for increased safety and the best outcome. The treatment program will consists of a full treatment team including a psychiatrist, therapist, counselor, and 24 hour support staff.

Getting Helps for The Side Effects of Detoxing Off Alcohol

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Alcohol Detox

An inpatient alcohol detox is taken very seriously. Alcohol detox can introduce some unpredictable and serious withdrawal symptoms that can pose a medical emergency situation. As the body attempts to adjust to the absence of alcohol it can become destabilizing to the central nervous system.

The degree of severity of the withdrawal symptoms is dependent on such factors as:

Alcohol detox symptoms will generally surface within 6-12 hours after the last alcoholic beverage. The withdrawal symptoms will process through three distinct phases within the first 48 hours before beginning to subside. The severity of the symptoms will depend on the above factors.

Stage One

Alcohol withdrawal symptoms include:

Sweating
Hand tremors
Nausea
Vomiting
Insomnia
Irritability
Headache
Anxiety

Stage One

Alcohol withdrawal symptoms include:

Sweating
Hand tremors
Nausea
Vomiting
Insomnia
Irritability
Headache
Anxiety

Stage Two

Alcohol withdrawal symptoms include:

Disorientation
Seizures
Hallucinations

5.3%

Every year, worldwide, alcohol is the cause of 5.3% of deaths (or 1 in every 20).

300 Million

About 300 million people throughout the world have an alcohol use disorder.

88,000

About 88,000 people die as a result of alcohol every year in the United States.

Length of history of heavy alcohol consumption
Average amount of alcohol consumed daily
Age of the individual

General health status of the individual
Coexisting mental health disorders

To treat the DTs, the individual will be hospitalized in the ICU and placed on an intravenous drip with escalating doses of diazepam with titration of phenobarbital. Electrolyte imbalance is also restored through the IV. If the benzodiazepines and phenobarbital are not effective, the individual may need mechanical ventilation and possibly propofol or ketamine.

What Are the Delirium Tremens?

The delirium tremens (DTs) involves a sudden escalation of withdrawal distress on day 3 or 4 of the detox process. The DTs are always considered a medical emergency, as coma and death can result. About 5% of individuals going through alcohol detox will experience the DTs, but among those 5-10% will not survive.

Symptoms of the DTs include:

What Are the Delirium Tremens?

Symptoms of the DTs include: