Alcohol Withdrawl Treatment

For many people suffering from an alcohol abuse disorder or alcohol addiction, the most frightening thing standing in the way of effective rehabilitation may be the prospect of nasty withdrawal symptoms. Indeed, some 95% of addicts suffer some form of withdrawal symptom, ranging from the mild to the quite intense. Common withdrawal symptoms can include trembling, lack of appetite, disrupted sleep patterns, and increased levels of agitation or aggression. In cases where the withdrawal symptoms are more severe they can even include anxiety attacks, seizures and even hallucinations.

Common methods of alcohol withdrawal treatment include some form of anti-anxiety drugs, usually prescribed for outpatient use in preparation for a proper rehabilitation program. Ideally, the patient will have support during the withdrawal period in the form of close family and friends. If this is not available the patient may be treated on an inpatient alcohol rehabilitation program at a specialist clinic. One of the most common anti-anxiety drug families used for treating the symptoms of alcohol withdrawal are the Benzodiazepines. The tranquilizer Valium is one extremely well known drug from the benzodiazepine family. These drugs help to reduce the risk of seizures and also prevent hallucinatory episodes from progressing to full blown delirium. Often with inpatient treatment if the withdrawal is particularly severe, the patient may be sedated throughout with doses of a strong drug such as diazepam every two to three hours.

Problems can occur with benzodiazepines due to their addictive nature and they are not usually administered for more than about two weeks or more than three times per week. Patients who have been taking benzodiazepines for more than four weeks can exhibit similar withdrawal symptoms to those from alcohol when they stop taking the drug. Obviously this would be creating another problem similar to the one being treated so the utmost care should be taken to avoid this.

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Other common alcohol withdrawal treatments include beta-blockers and anti-seizure medications such as Tenormin and Tegretol respectively. For more severe symptoms alternative treatments may be necessary. One condition that predominantly affects alcohol abusers is Korsakoff's psychosis, which results from an extreme deficiency of the vitamin B1 (Thiamine). This condition results in severe memory loss which can result in the patient suffering serious delusions and imagining events to fill in the blanks in their memory. They may also exhibit other psychotic tendencies. This condition is usually treated with an immediate intravenous dose of vitamin B1, but is extremely difficult to manage and to cure.