subject: Alcohol Detoxification Symptoms [print this page] Someone tied to a case of alcohol abuse or alcoholism can expect to withdraw from alcoholic habits with few side effects. But for an alcoholic, whose body is physically addicted to alcohol, withdrawal from alcohol is prone to many side effects.
Alcoholics, while trying to detoxify, suffer more from its side effects, since their body has developed reliance on alcohol. Thus suffering due to rigorous withdrawal symptoms is inevitable. The degree, specifics and duration of such detoxification symptoms might vary from one patient to another. Here are more facts:
Duration of Detoxification Symptoms
The National Institute of Health, NIH, suggests that, alcohol detoxification symptoms typically begin in 8 to 12 hours of consuming the last drink, be it a mild or a severe case.
The symptoms are more intense 2 to 3 days after. This goes on before reaching a peak and slowly shrinking off. NIH statistics also maintain that, these symptoms usually take around 5 to 10 days before all sorts of detoxification symptoms go away. However, some particular symptoms might last for a year or so, like difficulty in sleeping, tiredness and mood swings.
Mild Symptoms
Milder symptoms, according to the NIH, might include trembling, sleeping disorders and untamed mood swings. These are usually tolerable for some time. They might be coupled with severe longings for alcohol, which could be hard to manage. These symptoms typically happen in a couple of hours following the last drinking and may last for about 2 weeks.
Moderate Symptoms
Moderate symptoms can appear just about when mild symptoms strike. They include more rigorous symptoms like shakiness, insomnia and sweating (especially around the palms), that can be followed by headaches, vomiting or dilated pupils.
Severe Symptoms
In worst cases, detoxification might create intense or disturbing symptoms like hallucination, blackouts, loss of memory, emotional agitation, fever and physical convulsions.
If symptoms are severe, taking medical attention would make sense.
