How to Safely Treat Alcohol Withdrawal Symptoms

What Are Symptoms of Alcohol Withdrawal 

When a person is struggling with alcohol abuse and addiction, they can develop a series of mental and physical health effects when they suddenly stop drinking heavily. These negative health issues are referred to as alcohol withdrawal syndrome and can range from mild to severe depending on various factors. Severe alcohol symptoms can be dangerous and even deadly. However, dreading acute alcohol withdrawal symptoms should not get in the way of your attempt to stop alcohol consumption and abuse. Several treatments for alcohol withdrawal can help you go through severe withdrawal safely and comfortably.

Alcohol withdrawal syndrome can range from mild to severe symptoms requiring medical supervision to stop drinking safely. Some signs of alcohol withdrawal you can expect include:

• Anxiety
• Depression
• Fatigue
• Insomnia
• Headaches
• Tremors or shakes
• Heart palpitations
• Gastrointestinal issues
• Mood swings
• Hyperthermia
• Fever
• Rapid abnormal breathing
• Hallucinations
• Withdrawal Seizures
• Delirium tremens (the most severe form of alcohol withdrawal, which can include symptoms of tremors, hallucinations, impaired consciousness, aggression, tremors, and seizures)

To discover the benefits of addiction treatment at Novo Detox and start the admission process, click here to call (844) 834-1777 today.

Treatment for Alcohol Withdrawal

Although alcohol withdrawal can be severely uncomfortable and dangerous, treatments are available to help you safely go through the alcohol detox process. Treatment for withdrawal is mainly based on medication-assisted treatment available at a treatment center for alcohol detoxifications. With inpatient treatment medical detox, a team of medical professionals will monitor you and your vitals around the clock and administer medications that will ease withdrawal symptoms and craving for alcohol. Medications can include over-the-counter drugs to ease milder withdrawal symptoms such as nausea and diarrhea and prescription drugs to reduce the chance of severe symptoms like hallucinations, withdrawal seizures, and alcohol cravings. Some medications you can expect to be used in an alcohol detox program include:

• Anticonvulsants
• Barbiturates
• Benzodiazepines
• Disulfiram
• Naltrexone
• Acamprosate

Outpatient treatment for alcohol detox is also an option for those with milder alcohol addictions. These treatment programs allow you to detox at home under the supervision of a physician who can prescribe some of these same medications. However, medical detox at an inpatient treatment facility can provide added benefits even for milder alcohol addictions, including a drug and alcohol-free environment, around-the-clock emotional support, and a peaceful, quiet environment to detox more comfortably.

Learn about what happens after alcohol detox in our blog below:

Next Steps After the Detox Process

How Long Does Alcohol Withdrawal Last?

Withdrawals from alcohol will vary from person to person. Typically, most people will experience withdrawal symptoms for about a week. A general timeline of symptoms of alcohol withdrawal may look like this:

• Six hours after the last drink, mild symptoms such as headache and nausea started.
• 12 to 24 hours after the last drink, visual, auditory, and tactile hallucinations start
• 24 to 48 hours, symptoms continue, and those with milder addictions will have their symptoms peak, usually decreasing after four to five days
• 48 to 72 hours in, severe symptoms such as withdrawal seizures start, and delirium tremens may appear
• 72 hours, severe withdrawal symptoms begin to decrease, and the person may feel better
• In some rare cases, lingering mild symptoms may persist for weeks or months, known as Post Acute Withdrawal Syndrome (PAWS).

How Novo Detox Alcohol Detox Program Can Help

Novo Detox in Los Angeles offers an alcohol detox program staffed by compassionate, board-certified medical staff who can help ease alcohol withdrawal symptoms, no matter how severe substance abuse is. Our medical residential inpatient treatment program has helped many safely and comfortably overcome withdrawal. Once medical detox is complete, you can seamlessly transition into our inpatient treatment alcohol rehab on-site or an outpatient treatment program at another offsite alcohol rehab within our network of treatment facilities.

If you or a loved one is struggling with alcohol abuse and addiction, please give us a call at (844) 834-1777 today to learn more about our admissions process or answer any questions you may have.