Medication-assisted treatment combines behavioral therapy with FDA-approved medications reducing cravings and preventing relapse. Naltrexone blocks opioid receptors reducing alcohol’s pleasurable effects and decreasing drinking urges. Acamprosate restores brain chemistry balance disrupted by chronic alcohol use.
- That way, you can reduce your drinking safely and improve your health, well-being and overall quality of life.
- You might be wondering if you really need professional help or if you can just stop drinking at home.
- This level of care is the foundation of a safe detox program because it reduces the risk of life‑threatening complications that can occur when alcohol leaves your system.
- You might feel fine at first, then suddenly develop serious symptoms 24 to 72 hours later.
Detox for Substance Dependence: Trusted Support When You Need It
Its main effect is to assist a person to safely overcome the withdrawal symptoms as the body gets rid of alcohol and starts to compensate. Detox does not solve the root behavioral, emotional and environmental issues that come with alcohol consumption, which are addressed through addiction treatment programs. A severe case of alcohol withdrawal can lead to complications, some of which can be life-threatening. To prevent this, your doctor may suggest a treatment program where you stay overnight.
You’ll Sleep Better
- Benzodiazepines are highly effective for preventing severe complications like seizures and delirium tremens but require careful tapering due to their own potential for dependence.
- It can make your family and friends feel as if you are choosing an addiction over them and cause you to act in ways that are destructive to relationships.
- If you are struggling with alcohol dependence or opioid dependence, it’s important to understand why quitting can be challenging.
Over weeks or months, you’ll have smaller or fewer drinks until you reach a point where you don’t have any at all. Eating healthy foods, trying to get exercise, and getting enough sleep can help reduce some withdrawal symptoms, such as mood swings. If you take prescription medication, continue to take it as directed. The main management for severe symptoms is long-acting benzodiazepines — typically IV diazepam or IV lorazepam.
- Withdrawal symptoms can occur with or without a formal diagnosis of alcohol use disorder.
- Our compassionate team is ready to help you reclaim your life from alcohol addiction.
Paying for Treatment
Family and friends can also help their loved one stay on track with their treatment plan by reminding them to take medication, attending counseling sessions, and participating in support groups. It is essential to be patient, understanding, and non-judgmental, as the recovery process can be challenging and unpredictable. Additionally, family and friends should prioritize their own self-care, as supporting a loved one through alcohol withdrawal can be emotionally and physically draining. By providing a supportive and caring environment, family and friends can help their loved one navigate the recovery process and achieve a successful and sustained recovery. Potential complications of alcohol withdrawal include seizures, delirium tremens, and death. Seizures can occur within 24 to 48 hours after the last drink, while delirium tremens, a severe and potentially life-threatening condition, can occur within 48 to 72 hours.
Tell your care team if your symptoms do not start to get better or if they get worse. This medicine may be used for other purposes; ask your health care provider or pharmacist if you have questions. Stopping alcohol will reduce the number of empty calories that you consume. Not only will you reduce your overall calorie intake, but you will also likely replace some of these calories from healthier sources. This will lead to improved nutrition, which can profoundly impact your overall health, especially over time.
Alcohol withdrawal is a potentially serious complication of alcohol use disorder. It’s important to get medical help even if you have mild symptoms of withdrawal, as it’s difficult to predict in the beginning how much worse the symptoms could get. The main ways to prevent alcohol withdrawal are to avoid alcohol altogether or to get professional help as soon as possible if you think you’re developing Alcohol Withdrawal alcohol use disorder. For mild alcohol withdrawal that’s not at risk of worsening, your provider may prescribe carbamazepine or gabapentin to help with symptoms. AlcoholAwareness.org is dedicated to providing support and resources for individuals struggling with alcohol addiction.
Risk Stratification for Management
Guidelines from organizations such as the American Family Physician and the Cleveland Clinic Journal highlight evidence-based approaches to alcohol withdrawal care. Complicated withdrawal can begin within hours of the last drink and escalate quickly in people with a history of heavy alcohol use. Doctors may prescribe medications to help prevent seizures, ease sleep problems and manage other severe symptoms. While some herbal supplements like milk thistle and passionflower may help with certain withdrawal symptoms, they’re not safe substitutes for prescribed medications during alcohol withdrawal.
Anyone stopping alcohol should discuss their plan with a doctor and seriously consider undergoing a medically-supervised detox. Medical detox ensures you will be as safe as possible by providing 24/7 monitoring that helps recognize and treat complications effectively and as rapidly as possible. Complications of DTs treatments largely depend on the treatments you receive. Because there are many different medications and treatment approaches, the side effects can vary widely.
Whether you’re seeking help for yourself or a loved one, we’re here to guide you every step of the way. Even deciding to become sober and following through on it can be a powerful catalyst for repairing relationships, demonstrating how serious you are about focusing on others. Relationships are complicated, and each one will develop and heal in different ways and timeframes. Stopping alcohol, however, can make healing possible that would not be otherwise.
Continued support helps manage lingering symptoms and prepares individuals for next-step treatment planning. Your doctor will want to know if you have any mild itching, numbness, a pins-and-needles feeling, or burning. Itching is also linked to hallucinations from alcohol withdrawal. Some people think tapering can be a safer way to finally get your heavy alcohol use under control. But even if you try it, you may still have withdrawal symptoms. Some people try to avoid withdrawal symptoms by cutting back on alcohol instead of giving it up all at once.