Contact a Recovery Advocate today to take the first step toward living an alcohol-free life. A person who regularly uses alcohol and then stops is at risk of severe alcohol withdrawal symptoms, including delirium tremens (DT). For someone with mild-to-moderate alcohol withdrawal symptoms, outpatient treatment might be the best course of action. Outpatient treatment means you can stay at home during your recovery process, but you must have someone with you at all times who can keep an eye on you and monitor your behavior. If you opt for inpatient treatment, you’ll be monitored for hallucinations or other signs of delirium tremens. Your blood pressure levels, body temperature, heart rate, and blood tests will also be carefully monitored.
Causes of Alcohol Detox Shakes
They are a clear sign of withdrawal and indicate a physical and psychological dependence on alcohol. Professional assistance, such as medical detoxification programs, can help manage these symptoms safely and prevent more severe symptoms such as seizures. Alcohol detox shakes are primarily caused by the body’s reaction to the absence of alcohol after a period of heavy consumption.
Signs of Alcohol Use Disorder
Even though delirium tremens begin after detoxification, this symptom of alcohol withdrawal doesn’t occur right away. Typically, when you quit using alcohol, mild symptoms of withdrawal occur first. These symptoms, which often begin 8 to 24 hours after your last drink, generally include insomnia, headaches, fatigue, and increased anxiety. For those recovering from an alcohol abuse disorder, making it through the weeks of withdrawal symptoms can be one of the biggest hurdles to overcome.
Timeline of Alcohol Withdrawal
Alcohol withdrawal shakes can be scary, but reducing your stress and anxiety can help quite a bit. While they normally go away on their own, if your shakes are severe or don’t stop, talk to your doctor right away. Just be cautious when starting a new medication since it’s very easy to get addicted to withdrawal medications, especially when you’re quitting alcohol. To reduce your stress during withdrawal, try doing some light exercise, like going for a walk or riding your bike. You might also try journaling or spending some time with a supportive friend.
What vitamins and supplements help with alcohol withdrawal?
Even side effects like vomiting and sweating can contribute to dangerous dehydration, which can be deadly. Because of this, detoxification from alcohol should always be done under medical supervision. Side effects from alcohol withdrawal range from mild to severe, and some are life-threatening. Typical withdrawal side effects include sweating, anxiety, insomnia, headache, nausea, vomiting, and tremors. Side effects like hallucinations, seizures, and delirium tremens (DTs) are also possible. If you suffer from alcoholism and are going through alcohol withdrawal, it’s crucial to be aware that alcohol tremors are a potential side effect.
Alcohol withdrawal can be a challenging and potentially dangerous process, requiring careful management and support. It often raises many questions, especially regarding effective strategies for managing symptoms and ensuring safety. Let’s address some of the most frequently asked questions about alcohol withdrawal, providing insight into different aspects such as medication, home remedies, dietary considerations and more. One important thing to do when addressing alcohol withdrawal is to distance yourself from enablers and any drinking advocates that are in your life. They often will minimize your addiction by telling you it’s not that big of a deal.
- Withdrawal symptoms can quickly go from a bad hangover to a serious medical situation.
- For example, if you find evidence of a termite or bed bug infestation, it’s best to call in the pros ASAP before the pests can cause severe (and expensive) damage to your home and its contents.
- Those affected by DT during the withdrawal period may develop permanent brain damage or neurological disorders if not supervised and treated by a team of medical professionals.
- While alcohol shakes are not life threatening, delirium tremens may also cause seizures and may lead to death without appropriate treatment.
- You’ll also want to eliminate foods and beverages that make you feel jittery.
- Benzodiazepines are used to treat withdrawal symptoms such as tremors but must be used under close medical supervision, as they can be dangerous.
If you are concerned about potential alcohol withdrawal symptoms, talk to your doctor. A doctor can evaluate your overall health and alcohol abuse history to help you determine how likely it is that you’ll experience symptoms. You are more likely to have DTs if you have moderate or severe alcohol use disorder (heavy or frequent alcohol use even if it causes physical or emotional harm).
- There is no way to know if you will experience alcohol tremors after drinking, but symptoms usually start around 6 hours after your last drink, which is good to keep in mind.
- Instantly check if your insurance covers treatment at The Recovery Village.
- DT is extremely dangerous and will often require 100% medically supervised detox, including heart rate and blood pressure monitoring and, sometimes, even emergency life support.
- A cerebellar tremor is a type of shaking that occurs at the end of a purposeful movement.
- While shakes are common with delirium tremens, it can also bring on seizures, which result in convulsions that may resemble shaking.
You’ll first need to detox from alcohol altogether in a healthy and effective manner. You should combat alcohol withdrawal in a professional rehab center, as quitting alcohol completely on alcohol shakes your own can result in dangerous withdrawal symptoms. When a person goes through alcohol withdrawal, they may experience something called alcohol tremors, also known as alcohol shakes.
