Today, alcoholism is a global medical and social problem of mankind. In the article, we will talk about the withdrawal syndrome in alcoholism, its symptoms, stages, development and treatment. Alcohol withdrawal syndrome spoils life not only for an alcoholic, but also for all loved ones around him. After all, it is they who will have to take measures and help him in overcoming abstinence.
Withdrawal syndrome
Abstinence syndrome is the abrupt withdrawal of the substance. It manifests itself in a whole bunch of unpleasant sensations, which are stopped by the introduction of the missing drug into the human body. The term was introduced by F. Rybakov in 1914 to refer to a progressive process that develops within 12-96 hours after the abolition of alcohol or other addictive drugs. This syndrome affects not only alcoholics, but also smokers, drug addicts, gamers, and all categories that have addictions. It is the withdrawal syndrome from alcohol that causes a person to become sober, a smoker to smoke, and a drug addict to take a drug.
Process biochemistry
Beer, vodka or wine - our body does not care. Intoxication of the body is carried out by metabolites of ethyl alcohol, which is a neurotropic toxin. An intermediate product of the metabolism of ethyl alcohol is acetaldehyde. He takes part in the violation of the oxidation of fatty acids and stimulation of their peroxidation. Alcohol is decomposed in the body by the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase and catalase to the final aldehyde product. Which, in turn, is decomposed by acetaldehydrogenase to acetate, which is safe for the body. The imbalance between these processes leads to the accumulation of aldehydes, which lead to the whole bouquet of withdrawal symptoms.
Hangover or withdrawal symptoms?
After heavy drinking of any person, over time, a deterioration in well-being is observed. It occurs due to poisoning of the body by the decay products of ethyl alcohol. The difference between a withdrawal syndrome and a hangover is that a small amount of alcohol drunk by the patient the next day improves well-being.
The hangover syndrome occurs in people at the first stage of addiction and goes away on its own throughout the day. In this case, there is no need to drink in the morning after the feast. At stages 2 and 3 of alcoholism, withdrawal symptoms appear the next morning and are associated with a very strong deterioration in well-being.
Stages and Symptoms
Depending on the severity of the manifestation and the external severity of the symptoms, there are three stages of withdrawal symptoms in alcoholism:
- The first is vegetative-asthenic disorders. It is characterized by weakness and apathy, heart palpitations, sweating and dry mouth. It develops after not very long drinking. Taking a small amount of alcohol at this stage completely relieves the person of unpleasant sensations.
- Stage complex disorders of a neurological, autonomic and somatic nature. Accompanied by vomiting and nausea, headache and tremor. It occurs after many days of drinking alcohol. Drinking slightly improves health.
- The third stage is mental disorders. In this period, a person is upset by sleep, nightmares appear, negative emotions prevail. An irresistible urge to drink is very difficult to overpower. This stage develops after a long intake of alcohol (from several days to a month). Taking alcohol does not improve well-being.
The first stage is most characteristic in the initial stages of alcoholization. The development of symptoms at the 3rd stage of alcoholism becomes more severe - hallucinations, insomnia and headache haunt the patient constantly.
How long does withdrawal symptoms last?
For most relatively healthy people, the duration of withdrawal lasts up to 3 days. But with prolonged use, it can stretch for two to three weeks. This is the time during which the decay products of ethyl alcohol are completely eliminated from the body. Unfortunately, for many alcoholics, this period ends much earlier - at the time of taking alcohol. And it all starts over again. Each time, withdrawal symptoms become more severe, and there is a need for medical withdrawal from binge.
Symptoms When to Call a Doctor
Of course, you can overcome the withdrawal symptoms on your own, but there are symptoms that can be very life-threatening:
- Generalized (general) tremor.
- Visions and hallucinations.
- Body temperature is above 38 degrees and severe dehydration.
- Epileptic seizures.
- Head injuries with loss of consciousness.
- Blurred consciousness and severe ataxia.
Withdrawal syndrome in chronic alcoholism in the presence of respiratory and liver failure, in the presence of signs of acute pancreatitis or the appearance of bleeding from the gastrointestinal tract can become very dangerous.
Survive or stop?
You can survive the symptoms of withdrawal symptoms with alcoholism yourself. But it is always dangerous by the appearance of complications. It is quite possible to interrupt the patient’s painful state (stop) medically. And it is necessary to begin the conclusion from hard drinking with the detoxification of the body. Certain measures to relieve headaches and reduce pressure can be done at home. But struggling with the neuropsychiatric manifestations of withdrawal symptoms at home and on their own can be dangerous.
How to stop withdrawal symptoms at home
The primary task should be intoxication of the body. For this, the patient can be given the following drugs for withdrawal symptoms in alcoholism - "Activated charcoal" or "Polysorb". These adsorbents will help reduce intoxication and improve well-being. In addition, sedative drugs can be used: valerian and sleeping pills.
To stabilize the liver, you can use "Essential" or "Hepabene." In pharmacies, there is a wide range of developed complex drugs for relieving withdrawal symptoms in alcoholism. For example, Metadoxin or ProProTen-100. Various tranquilizers are an important component in the removal of withdrawal symptoms. But all of them are available on prescription.
Action algorithm
If you want to help at home, it is important not only what to take with withdrawal symptoms in alcoholism, but also in what sequence.
- Drink plenty of water to restore the water-salt balance. Simple and mineral water (not carbonated), green tea, brine, compote, lactic drinks are suitable.
- It is important to clear the gastrointestinal tract from the remnants of alcohol. Brushing your teeth and making an enema will be very effective in detoxification.
- Water treatments. Through the skin, our body releases a huge amount of toxins. Contrast shower, bathtub will help speed up this process.
- Reception of sorbents, concomitant medications. The use of drugs with a diuretic and laxative effect is not recommended.
- Diet. Stressful condition will help to overcome low-fat and sour-milk products, diet soups and greens.
Important! Home therapy is effective only when moderate withdrawal symptoms are expressed, the duration of alcoholic beverages is short and the patient is not able to take even a little alcohol-containing drinks.
Call a doctor at home or clinic
In each case, the approach to solving this issue is individual. However, it should be borne in mind that all narcologists unequivocally say that anti-alcohol therapy, carried out not by specialists, can not only not help, but also harm. When referring to a clinic with withdrawal symptoms in alcoholism, only doctors know what to do with the patient. Today, a fairly large number of protocols have been developed that are used in drug dispensaries to successfully detoxify the patient's body and restore its neuropsychic status.
Consequences and Complications
Such poisoning of the body cannot but affect its condition. When complications occur:
- Frequent vomiting can lead to gastric bleeding. Blood in the vomit is the first sign of the need to consult a specialist.
- Exacerbation of hemorrhoids can also be no less dangerous.
- Internal bleeding. Intestinal bleeding can be life threatening, and its first sign is the black color of feces.
- Cerebral edema is the most dangerous consequence of withdrawal symptoms.
And this is not a complete list of the consequences of alcoholization of the body. Exacerbation of all chronic illnesses of an alcoholic, increased trauma during the binge period can cause life-threatening manifestations in the period after withdrawal symptoms.
In addition, a prolonged mental disorder can lead to the development of delirium tremens (delirium). The patient hears voices, he sees hallucinations of often frightening nature. All this can become dangerous both for the patient (suicide) and for others. And although such a development of the scenario is typical for 5% of cases, you should not discount them.
Treatment prognosis
With regard to alcohol dependence in the world there is not a single remedy with a 100% guarantee. After withdrawal of the withdrawal syndrome, the patient can fully regain his social and moral status and the alcoholic deformation of the personality will be restored. At the same time, the process may resume and repeat with even more severe withdrawal symptoms. Alcoholism is not treated with the removal of hangover syndromes. That is why in clinics, in addition to drug treatment, patients undergo psychotherapeutic procedures aimed at correcting the alcohol degradation of the patient’s personality.
What does traditional medicine advise
All traditional medicine is divided into two groups:
- Herbs with moderate toxic effects. Their use with alcohol leads to vomiting and the formation of disgust.
- Herbs with a general strengthening effect. They help restore the body and normalize the work of all its systems.
Coping with a patient with withdrawal symptoms will help teas from medicinal herbs with a diaphoretic effect. For example, tea from St. John's wort, wormwood, mint, juniper fruit. The ingredients are ground and brewed with boiling water.
Traditional medicine advises to cope with withdrawal symptoms with the help of apple juice drunk on an empty stomach. Then they are advised to take sorbents.
Pros and cons of alternative treatment
There are many recipes for infusions and decoctions. But despite all the advantages of traditional medicine in this matter, do not forget about the disadvantages. Among them are the lack of medical supervision and examination, the possibility of complications in case of dosage mismatch or contraindications, low efficacy in severe forms and the risks of relapse.
Before using medicinal herbs, it is better to find out if the patient has ulcers, chronic diseases of the liver, kidneys or heart. Indeed, in this case, herbs can be very harmful. That is why it is better to turn to professionals.
In conclusion
To summarize, here are a few facts about alcohol that the reader might not have known about.
- Drinking aggravates apnea syndrome (respiratory arrest in a dream), the development of strokes and heart attacks in alcoholics at night increases by 3 times.
- A bottle of vodka covers half the body's calorie needs per day. A calorie bottle of beer is equal to a pack of chips.
- A person’s death is possible when taking once a 300 grams of 96% medical alcohol.
- In the Russian Federation, about 700 thousand people die every year from alcohol abuse. Among the main causes of death are vegetovascular insufficiency, cirrhosis and trauma.
- About 7% of people on the planet have gene mutations that lead to alcohol intolerance. The first symptoms of intolerance are redness of the skin after taking alcohol. If you ignore the symptoms - a person increases his chances of developing cancer of the esophagus by 10 times.
The special pride of some - to drink and not to get drunk - is a symptom of the formation of stage 2 of alcoholism.