Alcohol Detox: Definition, Stages, Types, Medications, Side Effects, Timeline

Medications commonly used during alcohol detox include benzodiazepines, which help alleviate withdrawal symptoms, and anticonvulsants to prevent seizures. Other supportive medications consist of vitamins and supplements to address nutritional deficiencies. The factors influencing the timeline of alcohol detox are Duration of Alcohol Use, Quantity of Alcohol Consumed, Co-occurring Substance Use, Medical History, Genetic Factors, and many more. The duration and severity of alcohol detoxification vary significantly among individuals, influenced by a range of personal and physiological factors.

Late Withdrawal (4 to 7 days)

After 90 days in alcohol rehab, a person may decide to keep getting help by joining a sober living program. Gender-specific transitional housing programs help clients adjust to sober living. They offer recovery support services like peer AA, NA, or 12-step meetings. Other services include personal monitoring, education, employment help, and Oxford House regular drug and alcohol testing.

Rediscover Life at White Light Behavioral Health

Alcohol’s inflammatory properties don’t just affect the liver — the stomach can also become inflamed, which, along with the dehydration, can affect digestion and lead to constipation. While your liver and stomach can usually rebound if you stop drinking, with inflammation comes an increased cancer risk over time. When you constantly have some alcohol in your bloodstream, you will not think as clearly. Many people who use alcohol heavily for a prolonged period often don’t even recognize the perpetual fog that alcohol creates.

Get Help for Alcohol Withdrawal at Your Local Facility

It clears alcohol from your system and manages withdrawal symptoms after you stop drinking. Detox addresses physical dependence and prepares your body for long-term treatment. Benzodiazepines are effective in reducing physical symptoms of alcohol withdrawal, while mental health services and other medications may be more effective for the mental health aspect of alcohol addiction.

Stage 2:

Lasting from several days to weeks, this stage involves lingering symptoms such as fatigue, mood swings, and sleep disturbances. While physical symptoms gradually subside, psychological withdrawal effects like anxiety and depression persist, requiring ongoing treatment and support. No, fasting does not help with alcohol detox and actually worsens withdrawal symptoms. It takes approximately one to two weeks for your liver to detox from alcohol, depending on the severity of alcohol use. According to research by Thomes PG et al. 2021, titled “Natural Recovery by the Liver and Other Organs after Chronic Alcohol Use,” the liver begins regenerating within hours after alcohol cessation. However, full recovery from alcohol-related liver damage takes months or even years, depending on individual health factors.

What Are Alcohol Withdrawal Symptoms?

Other symptoms during this stage include disorientation and rapid heart rate. To learn more about alcohol withdrawal, detox, and addiction treatment options, speak with a specialist at Ark Behavioral Health today. After the acute alcohol withdrawal period, some people experience symptoms that last up to a year. These symptoms include irritability, depression, anxiety, and sleep disturbances. Seizures can occur within 48 hours of your last drink, though they occasionally happen a few days later.

Begin your journey to recovery with personalized drug & alcohol rehab—verify your insurance coverage in under a minute. For men, this can look like lowered libido and erectile dysfunction, as well as decreased muscle mass. For women, it can increase the risk of breast cancer, impair bone health, and lead to mood changes. While these areas may take the greatest hit from regular drinking, they aren’t the only ones affected.

– Day Inpatient Rehab Austin, TX

Alcohol detox is the process of clearing alcohol from your system while helping your body and mind adjust to its absence. It’s the first and most critical step in breaking alcohol dependence, as detox removes built-up toxins and stabilises you physically and mentally. The types of alcohol detox are Medically Assisted Detox, Outpatient Detox, and Social Detox. Each method varies in intensity, supervision level, and medical intervention, depending on withdrawal symptoms and medical history. A rare but very serious syndrome called delirium tremens can occur during alcohol withdrawal. Also known as DTs, an estimated 2% of people with alcohol use disorder and less than 1% of the general population experience them.

This is because alcohol is a depressant, so when it’s no longer in your system, your body has more energy to work with. One of the best things about giving up alcohol is that you may find yourself feeling happier overall. This is because alcohol can cause depression, anxiety, and other mental health problems. Drinking alcohol can contribute to a variety of cognitive issues, including poor memory, slow reaction time, impaired impulse control, and poor concentration. Over time, drinking can also damage nerve cells and contribute to a loss of brain volume. While not everyone who quits drinking will experience withdrawal, you are more likely to have symptoms if you have what is Oxford House been drinking for a long time, if you drink heavily, and/or if you drink frequently.

• New benefits will also become noticeable as you put withdrawal behind you.
• Dopamine also assists with the body’s sense of attention, motor coordination, cognition and mood.
• Although the effects are somewhat predictable, there is no way to know with certainty which symptoms will emerge and how intense they will become for each person.
• One study showed that after 6 weeks of abstinence from alcohol, brain volume increases by an average of 2%.
• Older individuals and those with compromised liver function also face an increased likelihood of developing severe withdrawal complications.
• Withdrawal is a physically and psychologically uncomfortable experience — so much so that many heavy drinkers will continue drinking despite negative consequences just to avoid withdrawal.

However, detoxing under appropriate supervision can mitigate these risks and harmful side effects. Seizures are a very serious side effect and should be monitored by medical professionals to alleviate the risks of further injury. They too are caused by the body’s attempts at adjusting to a lack of alcohol in the system. Alcohol withdrawal fevers are typically mild and are attributable to underlying infections or illness.

If you’re a heavy drinker, your body may rebel at first if you cut off all alcohol. You could break out in cold sweats or have a racing pulse, nausea, vomiting, shaky hands, and intense anxiety. Some people even have seizures or see things that aren’t there (hallucinations). Your doctor or substance abuse therapist can offer guidance and may prescribe medication like benzodiazepines or carbamazepine to help you get through it. In mild to moderate cases, individuals can tend to withdrawal symptoms through at-home or outpatient care.

The severity of these issues often depends on the individual’s level of alcohol dependence and the duration of detox. Research suggests that some cognitive deficits may persist even after the initial detox phase, highlighting the importance of ongoing support. Activities that promote brain health, such as proper nutrition, hydration, rest, and cognitive exercises, can aid in recovery and help restore cognitive function over time. Our medical detox programs treat all kinds of addictions and are tailored to meet your individual needs. We use a comprehensive assessment to design a personalized detox program that will ensure your comfort and safety throughout the withdrawal process.