Health knowledge made personal
Join this community!
› Share page: Email Digg del.icio.us Reddit icon StumbleUpon Technorati
Go
Search posts:

Alcohol Withdrawal

Posted May 22 2009 11:54pm

If you have been drinking a large amount daily for a long period of time, it is a good idea to detox under medical supervision for at least the first week. It is common for the medical treatment to include benzodiazepines and carbamazepine. These will help alleviate the withdrawal symptoms. I was given librium and valium. But I don’t know the dosages.

The list of possible withdrawal symptoms can include:

Basic Psychological Symptoms:

• Intense nervousness
• Shakiness
• High anxiety
• Irritability
• Emotional overreaction to situations
• Depression
• Fatigue
• Clouded thinking
• Unpleasant dreams

Basic Physical Symptoms:

• Headaches
• Sweating more than usual
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Loss of appetite
• Insomnia - this will usually be ongoing
• Rapid heart beat
• Clumsiness and abnormal movements
• Hands shaking
• Sweating

More Severe Symptoms:

• Hallucinations
• More extreme confusion
• Intense agitation
• Convulsions

In some people who have been drinking a large quantity every day for months or years, seizures can occur.

When you stop drinking there will be an intense craving for a drink. That is of course your body telling you that you need more alcohol. For those who have tried to stop drinking on many occasions, which many of us do, every time we stop, the withdrawal and cravings set in. It’s a vicious cycle and the general withdrawal symptoms combined with the anxiety and depression that comes with abstinence many times will be the very thing that compels you to pick up another drink. This is why it is important at this time to be separated from any ability to procure alcohol (ie: in a rehab facility). Once your body gets past the initial craving, quitting alcohol becomes a little easier.

Post a comment
Write a comment: