When people drink heavily for extended periods of time and suddenly stop or cut down on their alcohol intake they may be affected by alcohol withdrawal syndrome which could potentially put their lives at risk.
Symptoms of alcohol withdrawal may start as soon as 2 hours subsequent to the final alcoholic drink was consumed. The symptoms can start with shakiness and anxiety to delirium tremens (DTs), seizures and even death. Many of these symptoms can continue for weeks after becoming sober. Delirium Tremens causes death in an estimated 1% up to 5% of people with this alcohol withdrawal symptom and is characterized by feverishness, accelerated heartbeat, and confusion.
Even if the symptoms appear mild, it is important to get treatment as soon as possible as the withdrawal symptoms may escalate rapidly and become severe in a short space of time. Medical personnel can administer treatments to lessen the severity of alcohol withdrawal and even prevent DTs and seizures. If you have had alcohol withdrawal in the past or suffer from respiratory or cardiac illnesses, have any infections or have experienced seizures in the past, it is important that you seek medical assistance as soon as possible.
Symptoms of alcohol withdrawal such as feverishness, hallucinations, confusion, irregular heartbeat, and seizures should be considered an emergency. The person suffering from alcohol withdrawal needs immediate medical attention and should be taken to the nearest emergency treatment facility or emergency personnel should be called to scene.
Neurotransmitters, chemicals responsible for transmission of messages in the brain, are disrupted by alcohol. Excessive drinking on a daily basis and prolonged heavy drinking cause suppression of these brain chemicals. Take the neurotransmitter GABA for instance. This is the neurotransmitter that makes us feel calm and relaxed. Excessive alcohol consumption suppresses this chemical to such a degree that larger and larger quantities of alcohol are needed to achieve the same feeling from the narcotic. This is known as tolerance. The neurotransmitter, glutamate, causes the feelings of excitability in our brains. The body produces a higher level of glutamate in heavy drinkers to compensate for the suppression effect of the alcohol in the bloodstream.
Chronic drinkers who suddenly drastically limit their alcohol intake or stop all together suddenly find themselves confronted with brain hyper-excitability. The body is still producing large amounts of neurotransmitters but they are not being suppressed by the alcohol anymore. This causes alcohol Benzo Withdrawal SymptomsΒ such as agitation, anxiety, seizures, irritability and delirium tremens. These effects are the opposite of those associated with drinking alcohol.
The severity of the alcohol withdrawal symptoms is closely correlated with the period of time the person has been drinking and how much they drink. You can begin experiencing mild alcohol withdrawal symptoms anything from 6 to 12 hours subsequent to you having had your last alcoholic beverage. Your blood alcohol level may still be fairly high at this stage. Some of the mild symptoms you may experience include:
Shakiness of the hands
Sweating
Anxiety, generally mild
Nausea and Vomiting
Headaches
Insomnia (not being able to sleep or erratic sleep)
After a period of 12 to 24 hours following you having had your last drink, you may find that you experience hallucinations. These are usually visual but can also be tactile or auditory. Most hallucinations fade within a 48 hour period. This is referred to as alcoholic hallucinosis but should not be confused with hallucinations experienced when suffering from delirium tremens. Alcohol withdrawal sufferers are usually aware that these hallucinations are not real.
Within 24 to 48 hours subsequent to the last alcoholic beverage being consumed there is a risk of seizures, although these can actually begin within 2 hours after the person stops drinking. People who have gone through detoxification in the past or have had previous seizures are at a much higher risk. Delirium tremens can start anything from 48 to 72 hours after the person has stopped drinking. People who suffer from various medical illnesses, are elderly, have impaired liver function or who have had seizures during past withdrawals are at high risk of developing delirium tremens.
