Some can affect your physical appearance while others can be fatal. If you use meth while you’re pregnant, you may give birth early or have a baby with a low birth weight. You may use meth to make sex more pleasurable or to lower your inhibitions.
- This guide walks you through what to expect and how to choose the safest option for your situation.
- Your doctor will want to know if you have any mild itching, numbness, a pins-and-needles feeling, or burning.
- But in reality, alcohol withdrawal can cause blood vessels in the brain to constrict and then dilate, which leads to headaches.
- Unless you use an approved methamphetamine medication under the direction of a doctor, there’s no recommended dose for meth.
- Polydrug use can involve both illicit drugs and legal substances, such as alcohol and medications.
- Once alcohol consumption stops, your body often responds with excessive sweating and clammy skin as part of the withdrawal process.
Cutting down on alcohol when you’re dependent
The most dangerous alcohol withdrawal symptoms are seizures and delirium tremens. Seizures typically occur within hours after the last drink and can happen without warning. Delirium tremens usually appears hours after stopping drinking and includes severe confusion, hallucinations, fever, and dangerous changes in heart rate and blood pressure. Both conditions can be life-threatening without medical treatment, which is why supervised detox is so important. Heavy drinkers who suddenly decrease their alcohol consumption or abstain completely may experience alcohol withdrawal (AW). Signs and symptoms of AW can include, among others, mild to moderate tremors, irritability, anxiety, or agitation.
Management of Withdrawal-Specific Complications
Know that your care team will be with you every step of the way. Medications can help modify your brain chemistry to help treat certain SUDs. Participating in self-help programs, like Narcotics Anonymous, can also play a significant role in SUD treatment. These programs support behavioral modification through self-help and peer support. Group therapy supports people with SUD in maintaining abstinence and restraint.
Your Private, At-Home Program for Alcohol Reduction
- Because a diagnosis of AW-related seizures may require further evaluation, however, the agent is sometimes administered until other causes of seizures have been ruled out.
- You can manage these symptoms through proper hydration, medical supervision, and prescribed interventions, as untreated withdrawal headaches may signal more serious complications.
- He has a nursing and business/technology degrees from The Johns Hopkins University.
Some people think tapering can be a safer way to finally get your heavy alcohol use under control. Go to the nearest emergency room or call 911 (or your local emergency service number) if you or a loved one has any concerning symptoms of alcohol withdrawal. Alcohol withdrawal Alcohol Withdrawal can range from very mild symptoms to a severe form, known as delirium tremens. If you are dependent on alcohol, you will need help to safely manage, reduce or stop alcohol use. They might start seeing and hearing things that are not there and experience sensations, such as pins and needles.
Moderate Symptoms
- Your withdrawal symptoms will be strongest during the first 24 hours or so and typically last about 7-10 days.
- If you have a past experience of withdrawal symptoms, you are likely to have them return if you start and stop heavy drinking again.
- Consequently, the clinician’s initial assessment also serves to exclude other conditions with symptoms similar to those of AW.
- Recognizing these signs is a critical step toward healing and giving your body the chance to recover.
Some symptoms, such as irritability, fatigue, and sleep disturbances, may persist over time while the body adjusts to the lack of alcohol. Individuals may also want to consider maintenance medications, a support group, or enlisting the support of friends. Individuals experiencing mild symptoms could receive home treatment with the help of close friends and family members. However, if symptoms worsen, it is advisable to seek immediate medical attention so that individuals receive appropriate treatment. If your home environment is not supportive for staying sober, talk with your doctor. Your doctor may be able to connect you with shelter programs for people recovering from alcohol addiction.
Talk to your doctor or an alcohol treatment specialist before you try tapering. They can help you understand what to expect and help you come up with a safe plan. For now, it may be easier to skip meeting your “drinking buddies” and avoid gatherings that have a focus on drinking. You might also receive other medications along with benzodiazepines.