How do you know when alcohol withdrawal needs medical attention?

3 Comments

1. fungusbrains1 says:

   May 11, 2010 at 12:10 pm

   Information with links:
   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcohol_addiction
2. stacexx says:

   May 11, 2010 at 12:14 pm

   I don’t believe there is a case where alcohol withdrawal does not need medical attention. Withdrawing from alcohol is one of the worst withdrawals (compared to Heroin withdrawal) if you are a heavy drinker or Alcoholic. This can be extremely dangerous if not monitored. PLEASE GET MEDICAL ATTENTION RIGHT AWAY!

   http://alcoholism.about.com/cs/withdraw/a/aa030307a.htm

   Symptoms Can Range from Mild to Life-Threatening

   When heavy or frequent drinkers suddenly decide to quit “cold turkey” they will experience some physical withdrawal symptoms — which can range from the mildly annoying to severe and even life-threatening.
   The severity of these withdrawal symptoms is usually dependent upon how “chemically dependent” the chronic drinker has become. Those who drink heavily on a daily basis of course have developed a high level of dependency, but even those who drink daily, but not heavily and those who drink heavily but not daily, can also be chemically dependent upon alcohol.

   When someone who has become “alcohol dependent” decides to stop drinking, they will experience some level of physical discomfort. For this reason, it is extremely difficult for them to merely stop drinking “on their own” without assistance and support.

   Withdrawal Symptoms:

   Mild to moderate psychological symptoms:

   Feeling of jumpiness or nervousness
   Feeling of shakiness
   Anxiety
   Irritability or easily excited
   Emotional volatility, rapid emotional changes
   Depression
   Fatigue
   Difficulty with thinking clearly
   Bad dreams

   Mild to moderate physical symptoms:

   Headache – general, pulsating
   Sweating, especially the palms of the hands or the face
   Nausea
   Vomiting
   Loss of appetite
   Insomnia, sleeping difficulty
   Paleness
   Rapid heart rate (palpitations)
   Eyes, pupils different size (enlarged, dilated pupils)
   Skin, clammy
   Abnormal movements
   Tremor of the hands
   Involuntary, abnormal movements of the eyelids

   Severe symptoms:

   A state of confusion and hallucinations (visual) — known as delirium tremens
   Agitation
   Fever
   Convulsions
   “Black outs” — when the person forgets what happened during the drinking episode
   Source: National Institutes of Health

   Detoxification
   Treatments for alcohol dependence include detoxification programs run by medical institutions. These may involve stays for a number of weeks in specialized hospital wards, where drugs may be used to avoid withdrawal symptoms, which in severe cases may lead to death. To that point, even a simple “de-tox” can involve seizures, if not properly monitored.

   Good luck and God Bless!
3. erythrocytosis says:

   May 11, 2010 at 12:53 pm

   I’ve got to agree with the other poster: withdrawal is VERY VERY serious. If the person hasn’t already gone through withdrawal, get them an emergency appointment with their primary care provider. Call the office and explain that the patient intends to quit “cold turkey.” Not one doctor in the world worth their medical malpractice insurance won’t recognize that as a valid emergency and make room for you to come in that day. Now, if they are “withdrawing” from one or two 12 ounce cans of beer a day it is a very different matter than when they are quitting a much larger habit – but the medical community is also trained to multiply the amount of alcohol a drinker reports – - not to call the patient a liar, but to ensure that they do not make the mistake of failing to treat someone who IS under- reporting their consumption. Again, call the primary care provider if they haven’t quit yet. Call the “on-call” number of their primary provider or even 911 if they are currently withdrawing and exhibiting symptoms.