alcohol withdrawal treatment

Alcohol Abstinence Syndrome: Symptoms, Treatments and Causes

★ symptoms • treatment • prevention
 overview
What is Alcohol Abstinence Syndrome?
Synonyms: saa, desintoxicación alcoólica

The alcohol withdrawal syndrome is the set of symptoms that arise when a person who has the habit of ingesting large amounts of alcohol every day stops suddenly from doing so.


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This disease is common in people with alcoholism - the physical and psychic dependence of alcohol - who begin the process of rehabilitation.

In 2012, according to the World Health Organization, 3.3 million people died worldwide due to the exacerbated consumption of alcoholic beverages. This number corresponds to 5.7% of the total deaths that year. In addition, several studies show that alcohol contributes to the development of more than 200 diseases, and can often lead to death.

Alcohol is also considered to be the fifth major risk factor for leading a person to early death or permanent disability. Among people aged 15 to 49, alcohol is the first on the list.

Causes
The alcohol withdrawal syndrome is a consequence of alcoholism. A person who decides to treat their physical and psychic dependence on alcohol undergoes an intense process of rehabilitation, which includes the definitive cut of alcoholic beverages of their life. This sudden interruption in alcohol consumption can cause a number of symptoms, which constitute the alcohol withdrawal syndrome.

This syndrome is mediated by different mechanisms. Brain neurochemical balance is maintained by excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitters. The main inhibitory neurotransmitter is GABA, which acts through the GABA-A neuroreceptor. The main excitatory neurotransmitter is glutamate, which has N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) as the neuroreceptor.

Alcohol consumption leads to an increase in the effect of GABA on the GABA-A neuroreceptor, causing decreased global brain excitability. The constant exposure to alcohol results in a compensatory decrease in the GABA response in the GABA-A neuroreceptor, perceived by the gradual increase of the body's tolerance to the effects of alcohol.

Risk factors
The alcohol withdrawal syndrome is much more common in adults, but it can occur in adolescents and even in children. In addition, patients with other health conditions who also suffer from this syndrome may present more severe and difficult to treat symptoms.KNOW MORE
How the body suffers from excess alcohol
Recognize the effects of alcohol on the body
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 symptoms
Symptoms of Alcohol Abstinence Syndrome
Signs and symptoms manifested by people with alcohol withdrawal may vary in intensity depending on the patient, amount of alcohol ingested throughout life, and other factors such as age and genetic predisposition.

Symptoms can range from moderate to very severe, at great risk of taking the patient to death, and usually begin when the person wakes up in the morning. This is because the concentration of alcohol in the blood decreases during sleep.

Check out the main signs and symptoms developed by a person with alcohol withdrawal:

Anxiety
Depression
Lack of clarity of reasoning
Irritability and nervousness
Fatigue
Humorous oscillations
Nightmares
Anorexia and other eating disorders
Viscous skin
Headache
Shaking
Insomnia
Dilated eye pupils
Nausea and vomiting
Tachycardia
Sweating
Tremors
Diarrhea
Mental confusion
Fever
Convulsion
Hypertension
Panic Attacks
Hallucinations

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 diagnosis and exams
Seeking medical help
The first great achievement of a person who is struggling against an addiction is to decide to seek professional help. The rehabilitation process is very difficult and there can be relapses, mainly because alcohol withdrawal can cause very difficult symptoms and disturbances.

So if you are undergoing rehabilitation and are showing signs and symptoms of alcohol withdrawal, seek medical help right away.

At the medical appointment
Specialists who can diagnose alcohol withdrawal syndrome are:

General practitioner
Psychiatrist
Psychologist
Neurologist
Being prepared for the appointment can facilitate diagnosis and optimize time. That way, you can already get the query with some information:

A list with all the symptoms and how long they appeared
Medical history, including other conditions the patient has, and medications or supplements that he or she takes regularly
If possible, ask a person to accompany you.
The doctor will probably ask a series of questions, such as:

When did you stop drinking alcohol?
How is the rehabilitation process?
What are you feeling? What are its main symptoms?
Do you believe that, by drinking alcohol, those symptoms will disappear?
Have you taken any steps to relieve the symptoms? It worked?
Have you had a relapse?
Diagnosis of Alcohol Abstinence Syndrome
Medical history and physical examination are able to establish the diagnosis and severity of alcohol withdrawal. In order to make the diagnosis, the specialist needs some information, such as the amount of alcohol that was ingested, when the patient started drinking, how long since the last drink and whether there are other medical or psychiatric conditions.

In addition to identifying withdrawal symptoms, the physical examination will also evaluate possible medical conditions that may complicate the patient's condition, including arrhythmias, congestive heart failure, coronary artery disease, gastrointestinal bleeding, infections, liver disease, nervous system involvement, and pancreatitis . Basic laboratory tests include a complete blood count, liver function tests, urinalysis, and determination of alcohol and electrolyte levels in the blood.

These processes are important because the alcohol withdrawal syndrome can trigger symptoms common to other problems as well, such as thyrotoxicosis (anticholinergic poisoning) and abuse of cocaine and amphetamine, for example.KNOW MORE
Alcohol consumption linked to 14 types of cancer
Doubts about alcohol consumption
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 treatment and care
Alcohol Abstinence Syndrome Treatment
There are three main goals for the treatment of alcohol withdrawal syndrome:

Decrease the symptoms of alcohol withdrawal
Preventing possible health complications
Make the patient no longer feel like drinking and prepares him to continue the treatment on his own, without the need for any medical interventions.
Some patients with severe symptoms may require hospital admission or in rehabilitation clinics. At these sites, treatment usually includes the use of intravenous medications, monitoring of blood pressure, heart rate and constant analysis of levels of substances in the blood.

However, if the doctor feels confident in the patient and realizes that the symptoms manifested by him are not serious, he may follow the treatment outside of hospitals or rehabilitation clinics. In such cases, the patient should commit to following the treatment as indicated and attending all medical appointments. Routine blood tests and treatments of other health conditions that are involved with alcoholism may be done.

Counseling from family and friends is a key part of treatment in both cases.

Drugs for Alcohol Abstinence Syndrome
The most commonly used drugs for the treatment of alcohol withdrawal syndrome are:

I'm glad
Carbamazepine
Front
Olcadil
Only a doctor can tell you which drug is most appropriate for your case, as well as the correct dosage and duration of treatment. Always follow your doctor's guidelines carefully and NEVER self-medicate. Do not stop using the medication without first consulting a doctor and if you take it more than once or in much larger amounts than prescribed, follow the instructions in the package insert.


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 coexisting (prognosis)
Living together / Prognosis
It is essential that the patient adopt a lifestyle that keeps him sober and away from alcoholic beverages. Attending support groups and continuing the treatment until the doctor stops using the drugs is an excellent strategy and usually works.

In addition, you need to re-educate yourself as far as food is concerned. Include nutritious and vitamin-rich foods in your diet. If necessary, with the permission of a nutritionist, make use of vitamin supplements. The exacerbated consumption of alcohol leads to the deficiency of several important nutrients for human health.

Alcohol withdrawal syndrome has a cure?
Alcohol withdrawal can range from a mild disorder to a serious and potentially fatal condition - it depends heavily on the organs that have been compromised by excessive alcohol consumption and complications from alcoholism.

Some symptoms, such as changes in sleep, rapid changes in mood and fatigue, may remain for months. There may also be relapses during the rehabilitation process.

Many patients with alcohol withdrawal syndrome can fully recover with the help of treatment and family and friends.