How To Treat Alcohol Withdrawals At Home

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One of the first things that many alcoholics ask others about when they are trying to quit drinking is how to treat alcohol withdrawals at home. The answer to this question is very simple: you don't.

Do Not Treat Alcohol Withdrawal Symptoms At Home!

When people who drink excessively try to stop drinking, they experience withdrawal symptoms.

image: doctor ready to treat alcoholic with alcohol withdrawal symptoms One of the first things that many of these people ask others about is how to treat alcohol withdrawals at home. The answer to this question is very important:

People who are experiencing alcohol withdrawal symptoms should not treat these symptoms at home.

Instead, they need to seek medical assistance immediately so that their doctor, emergency room personnel, healthcare provider, or urgent care center personnel can assess the severity of their withdrawal symptoms and suggest the best option for treatment.

To understand all of the reasons why people suffering from alcohol withdrawal symptoms should immediately seek medical assistance, consider the following.

Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome

Alcohol withdrawal syndrome is a group of symptoms exhibited by individuals who stop drinking alcohol after a pattern of continuous and excessive consumption. These symptoms can range from mild to moderate to severe and include both behavioral and psychological aspects.

image: doctor checking chart of alcohol detox patient The following represents mild to moderate psychological withdrawal symptoms that typically occur within 6 to 48 hours after the last alcoholic drink: anxiety, feeling nervous or jumpy, depression, fatigue, irritability, nightmares, rapid emotional changes, and difficulty thinking clearly.

The following represents mild to moderate physical withdrawal symptoms that typically occur within 6 to 48 hours after the last alcoholic drink: loss of appetite, nausea, rapid heart rate, vomiting, pulsating headaches, clammy skin, abnormal movements, sweating (especially on the palms of the hands or on the face), sleeping difficulties, tremor of the hands, looking pale, involuntary movements of the eyelids, and enlarged or dilated pupils.

The following represents severe withdrawal symptoms that typically occur within 48 to 96 hours after the last alcoholic drink: muscle tremors, extreme confusion, severe autonomic nervous system overactivity, black outs, convulsions, high fever, seizures, delirium tremens (DTs), visual hallucinations, and agitation.

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If drinking alcohol is going to affect your ability to have children, not to mention the negative health consequences that alcohol presents to the woman who will be having the child, why not simply abstain from drinking alcohol while you are trying to have a child, while the mother is carrying the child, and while the mother is breast feeding the child.

Most Withdrawal Cases Don't Require Hospitalization

image: doctor consoling mother of teen who died from alcohol withdrawals Recent research demonstrates that it is important to treat every person who is experiencing alcohol withdrawal. Having said this, it can be pointed out that around 95% of the people who quit drinking alcohol suffer from mild to moderate withdrawal symptoms and can usually be treated on an out-patient basis by a healthcare professional.

The remaining 5% of people who experience withdrawal symptoms, however, suffer symptoms so severe that they must be treated in a hospital or in an alcohol rehabilitation facility that specializes in detoxification.

During the third stage of alcohol dependency, the drinker starts to experience serious relationship, work-related, and financial problems. Additionally, he or she starts to avoid friends and family and experiences a loss of interest in things that used to be important.

Non-Drug Detox Programs

A number of different techniques exist for treating alcohol withdrawal. While some of these treatments use medications, many, however, do not. Indeed, according to current research studies, the safest way to treat mild withdrawal symptoms is without medications. Such types of non-drug detoxification use screening and extensive social support throughout the withdrawal process. Other non-drug detoxification programs, moreover, use vitamin therapy (especially thiamin) and proper nutrition in treating mild withdrawal symptoms.

Detoxification with Drugs

Alcoholism researchers claim that chronic alcoholics who cannot maintain abstention should receive drug therapy to treat alcohol withdrawal symptoms. By using medications, these alcoholics are less likely to experience possible brain damage or seizures.

United States alcoholism statistics show that people who start using alcohol before the age of 15 are 4 times more likely to become alcoholic at some time in their lives, compared to those who start drinking at the legal age of 21.

Recent research demonstrates that the drugs most likely to produce effective results when treating alcohol withdrawal are the benzodiazepines: the longer-acting benzodiazepines like Valium and Librium or the shorter-acting benzodiazepines such as Ativan and Serax.

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Traditionally, when administering benzodiazepines, physicians have employed a progressive decrease in doses over the time-frame of the withdrawal process. In addition, due to the fact that these drugs allow for measurable dose reductions and do not linger in the person's system numerous authorities have suggested that intermediate to short half-life benzodiazepines should be used for treating withdrawal symptoms.

According to recent studies, it has been discovered that approximately 53% of adults in the United States have reported that one or more of their close relatives has a drinking problem.

Outpatient and Inpatient Detoxification Programs

The research on inpatient and outpatient detoxification programs is also important. Studies have shown that inpatient detoxification is more effective and longer-lasting than outpatient detox programs. The important issue here is the following: the more severe the alcohol-related withdrawal symptoms, the more likely that inpatient detox programs should be used.

In 2002, U.S. alcoholism statistics reported that 2.6 million binge drinkers were between the ages of 12 and 17.

Perhaps the most important lesson to be learned from the above discussion is this: When experiencing alcohol withdrawal symptoms, always see your healthcare provider or your doctor immediately so that he or she can assess the severity of your situation and suggest the best option for treatment.

Every year in the United States, more than 500,000 people are injured in alcohol-related motor vehicle accidents.

How To Treat Alcohol Withdrawals At Home: Conclusion

Armed with the information given above, the next time when someone asks you how to treat alcohol withdrawals at home, you can tell them: "You don't treat alcohol withdrawal symptoms at home--you need to seek medical assistance immediately so that the severity of your withdrawal symptoms can be properly assessed and the best option for treatment can be determined."

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A wide variety of different techniques exist for treating alcohol withdrawal. While some of these treatments use medications (drugs), many, however, do not. In case of point, according to current research studies, the safest way to treat mild withdrawal symptoms is without medications. Such types of non-drug detoxification use screening and extensive social support throughout the entire withdrawal process. Other non-drug detoxification programs, additionally, use proper nutrition and vitamin therapy (especially thiamin) in treating mild withdrawal symptoms.

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