The cause of alcohol withdrawal symptoms is the physical dependence created over years of heavy drinking. The hard drinker’s (or alcoholic’s) body has become so accustomed to the presence of alcohol that all of a sudden removing it prompts the system to go into a reactionary mode letting the hard drinker (or alcoholic) that is requires more alcohol to survive (AKA cravings). It’s somewhat analogous to restricting the flow of oxygen.
Alcohol withdrawal symptoms can include the following:
• The Shakes-for less chemically dependent alcoholics alcohol withdrawal symptoms quite often include the shakes. These are normally accompanied by a headache, nausea, anxiety, a rapid heartbeat, and high blood pressure. Even though they are considered to be a mild form of alcohol withdrawal symptoms, the shakes are uncomfortable and almost alway accompanied by cravings making it difficult for a person wishing to quit to continue their sobriety.
• The DT’s (delirium tremens)-within six hours to 4 days after the individual's last drink, most heavily dependent drinkers (AKA alcoholics) can experience hallucinations. Usually the hallucinations associated with alcohol withdrawal symptoms are visual in some form, but the hallucinations can be hearing related hallucinations as well as olfactory hallucinations (smells). When these alcohol withdrawals symptoms continue to go on then seventy-two hours to five days following the individual's last drink, the alcoholic can undergo extreme confusion, disorientation, non-stop hallucinations, hyperactivity, and extreme problems with their heart and lungs. This can include rapid heartbeat, dangerously high blood pressure, heart palpitations, even strokes or heart attacks. Once the DT’s begin, there exists no known medical procedure to make them stop.
• Seizures-for extreme situations of alcohol withdrawal symptoms convulsions or seizures can take place within six to forty-eight hours after the last alcohol drink was consumed. If the alcohol withdrawal symptoms have gotten to this point, then some form of medical treatment in a hospital like setting is required or the alcoholic’s life can be at high risk.
There is an upside for those alcohol dependent people (alcoholics) who truly do wish to stop drinking. Most alcohol withdrawal symptoms are eliminated or alleviated with proper healthcare in a certified alcohol treatment program. Most often for those heavy, frequent drinkers that less dependent then a good diet and doses of vitamin B1 (thiamine) will get rid of most, if not all, of their alcohol withdrawal symptoms. For severely dependent alcoholics, then detox medications can be given that will replace the body’s need for alcohol. Following a few days, the detox medicines will be slowly reduced and eliminated until the alcoholic is free of drugs.
