Treating Alcohol Withdrawal

What Is Alcohol Withdrawal?

Alcohol withdrawal occurs when an alcoholic person is suppressed from drinking alcohol. Suppressing it abruptly will create a combination of physiologic and psychologic response that is manifested by the alcoholic person

What Causes It?

Alcohol withdrawal are common in adult who are obsessed with alcohol intake. It may also happen to the puberty stage in which teenagers are starting to explore their independence and get too used to drinking alcohol. The main cause of it is sudden termination of the alcohol which the body of the alcoholic cannot tolerate. Consistent intake of alcohol in large amounts can distort a person and may ruin his ability to carry out his daily tasks.

A person can be considered Alcoholic which is described as excessively divulging alcohol when the amount of alcohol intake that he or she takes in in a day would already reach 2-6 pints of beer per day, that’s 4 oz of alcohol.

Things To Be Careful About

Health providers can check for these signs and symptoms to confirm whether the person being assessed is indeed experiencing withdrawal:

Tachycardia (fast heartbeat, >100 beats per minute)

Tachypnea ( fast respiration >20 cycles per minute)

Pyrexia (Increase in temperature)

Arrythmias (abnormal heart beats)

Hand and body tremors

Anormal eye movement

Internal bleeding

Dehydration

Impaired liver function

A confirmatory test that would screen the blood can be performed as well.

Treatment

The goal in treating every alcoholic is to provide immediate relief from the symptoms brought about by alcohol withdrawal. By doing so, further complications can be prevented and a long term rehabilitative therapy can be started.

Hospital stay is most probable for persons who are undergoing the treatment for alcohol withdrawal. This is to make sure that close monitoring is done to the client so that the person’s needs can be addressed immediately in cases of emergency. The person’s vital signs and body’s fluid’s and electrolytes are the main concern that are given much attention in patients recovering from alcohol withdrawal.

Treatment Modality

Close monitoring of the client is necessary to make sure that when the symptoms rapidly worsens, emergency measure can be performed to stabilize the client’s condition. Downers also known as CNS depressants can be given to minimize the symptoms that are experienced by the client. Usually they come in the form of sedatives, and are often administered in moderate to large doses. Maintaining the client calm for a week or two is necessary. This is done by moderately sedating him or her until they have fully recovered from the withdrawal symptoms.Treatment may require maintenance of a moderately sedated state for a week or more until withdrawal is complete.

Benzodiazipines is the usual drug of choice in keeping the client well sedated for a long period of time.

It is the responsibility of the health care provider to monitor the client closely for possible signs of delirium tremens. When Hallucination alone occurs without other withdrawal symptoms associated, it should be reported immediately since it not common.

The client should be screening for other medical conditions that maybe associated with alcoholism. Problems like blood clotting disorders, alcoholic liver disease, alcoholic neuropathy, alcoholic cardiomyopathy, chronic brain syndromes and malnutrition should be watched out for.This may aggravate the condition of the client.

It is highly recommended to Rehabilitate the alcoholic client. This is to further prevent the client from regressing back to his or her alcoholic state, thus promoting lifetime wellness.

What To Expect

Symptoms for alcohol withdrawal usually arise at around 12 hrs form the last intake of alcohol. It is to be expected that the symptoms will be high with 48-78 hrs from the last intake, and this will usually persist for a week or even more. Diurnal variation, fatigue and sleeping pattern changes may take 3-12months to shake away.

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Complications, Treating and Coping With Alcoholism

Alcohol is a drug and depresses the central nervous system. A person who suffers from alcoholism may initially have a reaction that is of a stimulating nature but as drinking continues the alcohol will have more of a sedative nature. Alcohol also lowers your inhibitions and can also affect your thinking processes which means that judgment can be faulty and individuals under the influence of alcohol may behave in ways they would not otherwise behave which often gets those who drink into trouble. Alcohol also affects your emotions making you feel depressed. If you drink a lethal amount of alcohol it can depress the vital centers of your brain and you can go into a life-threatening coma.

Excessive alcohol use over a long time can cause fatigue and short-term memory loss, can weaken or cause paralysis of your eye muscles and cause other severe health effects such as liver disorders, yellowing of the skin (jaundice), confusion, hepatitis which may lead to cirrhosis and also gastrointestinal problems, cardiovascular problems, complicates the disease diabetes if you have the disease and also drink to excess, it can create sexual dysfunction and have negative impact on menstruation, can cause birth defects if a woman drinks when pregnant, can cause bone loss, neurological complications and can also increase your risk for certain cancers too. As you can tell, there are many complications that are possible when a person has alcoholism. Treating the disease and learning how to cope with alcoholism is possible. Those are just the medical complications of alcoholism. There are also many non-medical complications that can occur when a person suffers from alcoholism.

The non-medical complications of alcoholism include the person having a greater susceptibility to causing accidental injury to him or herself and to others especially while under the influence of alcohol and driving a vehicle or operating machinery. There is an increased risk for domestic abuse (physical or emotional) and relationship problems that often end in divorce. The individual will also most likely have poor performance at school and at work and be unable to handle responsibilities like raising kids or managing a household. There is a higher incidence of both suicide and homicide for those who are alcoholics.

Fortunately despite what many people believe alcoholism is treatable. Typically those who enter alcohol treatment programs do so reluctantly or under strong persuasion from others even from the law. Health problems and legal problems often precipitate the individual getting treatment. Intervention from those who love the individual can also help to get the person into treatment.

There are various treatments that are possible and the best treatment plan will be formulated that will fit the situation and the individual. Treatment usually involves a combination of evaluation, medication, professional counseling, a residential or hospital stay and outpatient treatment programs.

The individual’s medical condition and the level of dependence will determine the severity of the treatment needed and where the treatment will take place. As stated earlier alcoholism can have severe health related consequences and if there are any serious health issues that are alcohol related they will also have to be attended to during the treatment phase as well as addressing the dependence on alcohol which will carry with it often severe withdrawal symptoms.

There are residential treatment programs that specialize in detoxification and help with withdrawal symptoms, can assess medical needs, and give psychological support as well as any needed psychiatric treatment. The treatment will include acceptance of the disease and abstinence from alcohol.

It takes many people to help the individual cope with alcoholism including family, friends, co-workers, and organizations in the community such as Alcoholics Anonymous, Al-Anon and Alateen.

Natural Remedies and Herbal Treatments For Those Suffering From Alcoholism

If you or someone you know suffers from alcoholism you know that alcoholism can affect the entire body especially the brain, heart, kidneys, and liver. Alcohol can also dull the senses over time creating sensory losses that can become permanent. Alcohol can also interfere with the digestive process, starving the body of necessary nutrients.

Knowing the serious consequences of alcoholism creates an immediate need for treatment that is effective yet gentle on an already ravaged body. This type of treatment can be natural remedies and herbal treatments.

Herbal treatments:

Aloe Vera can strengthen the liver and help to prevent liver cirrhosis.

Ashwagandha can stimulate natural physical coordination.

Using the herb, gotu kola can revitalize the brain of the alcoholic.

Musk, or jatamansi can also help your body recover from the effects of alcoholism through its cooling effect.

Natural treatments:

Ayurvedic treatments include eating cold food, using cold packs of mud for the body and if the symptoms of alcoholism are more severe ayurvedic medicines to aid in digestion are necessary. Citrus fruit juices are excellent for hangovers, and apples and bananas help to remove toxins from the bloodstream. Drinking carrot juice can help to curb the cravings for alcohol.

When trying to recover from being an alcoholic it is easier to stop drinking slowly rather than all at once (cold turkey). Here are some tips for slowing down:

Switch from hard liquor to beer or wine

Participate in an active sport to curb your urge for alcohol

Join a support group like Alcoholics Anonymous for support from those who understand your cravings.

Apples also help to reduce the cravings for alcohol. Did you know that grapes contain a pure form of alcohol? Someone wishing to stop the craving for alcohol should eat grapes every 4 to 5 hours for the first 4 weeks of abstinence from alcohol.

If your liver has already sustained some damage from alcoholism, make a drink of 3 teaspoons of the juice from bitter gourd leaves and place in a glass of buttermilk and drink up to your good health.

Biochemical repairs include detoxification, repairing the damage to the body. During detoxification the individual should also avoid other illegal drugs, caffeine, sugar and nicotine because nicotine is also a drug that perpetuates the addiction cycle.

It is vital that the person who is trying to avoid alcohol stay away from others who are drinking alcoholic drinks.

Taking supplements during the detoxification stage can be very helpful. Your doctor should approve supplements before starting them.

The following are helpful supplements for the recovering alcoholic:

• Amino Acids
• Calcium
• Essential Fatty Acids
• Glutamine
• Multivitamins
• Mineral supplements
• Pancreatic Enzymes
• Vitamin C

Severity Determines Alcoholism Treatment

If you or someone you love will be entering alcohol treatment, the severity of the disease will determine the course of the treatment and the medications and therapies used. The severity is often impacted by other substance abuse disorders in particular an addiction to nicotine, or anxiety or mood disorders, or antisocial personality disorder. The sad fact is that many individuals suffering from alcoholism go undiagnosed because even medical professionals do not recognize the disease. The disease is chronic getting progressively worse over time if treatment is not started. Eventually the severity of the symptoms will necessitate a diagnosis and treatment will finally begin. The treatment plan for the alcoholic is commensurate with the severity of the symptoms that the client presents with at the time of hospitalization or enrollment in the treatment program.

It is vital that when treatment plans is devised for the alcoholic client that the underlying cause for the alcoholism be treated also. If stress if a factor than it must be determined what is causing the stress and how can the cause be alleviated? If other medical conditions are contributing to the severity of the health condition of the client, these too must be addressed when devising the treatment plan.

There are many signs that should be watched for and addressed that can help determine the severity of the alcoholism including:

The amount and frequency of alcohol consumption

Are there other addictions involved such as amphetamines, anxiolytics, cocaine, heroin, hypnotics, sedatives, and tobacco?

Are there signs of personal neglect or poor nutrition?

Have there been incidents of accidents, burns, suicide attempts, and violence including domestic violence?

Is there a history of antisocial personality disorder, childhood conduct disorder, or an alcoholic parent?

Have there been brushes with the law?

Have there been any negative life events within the last few years such as a death of a family member, loss of a job, loss of a serious relationship?

Not only is the severity of the alcohol problem key to treatment but the client’s motivation to change behavior, and pattern of drinking that should influence the doctor’s choice in how severe the intervention and treatment plan should be. The number of interventions and the length of each intervention will also be determined by the severity of the alcoholic problem as well as the willingness of the alcoholic to participate and take an active role in alcohol recovery.

How severe the problem is will determine how long it will take to clear the 3 major hurdles of alcoholism treatment. The 3 hurdles include overcoming physiologic dependence and the handling of symptoms of withdrawal, psychological dependence on alcohol including treatment for anxiety, depression and stress and lastly, the severity and scope of the alcohol habit (how involved in life are the patterns of alcohol consumption)?