Alcohol Withdrawal: Symptoms, Treatment & Timeline

Emphasizing a balanced diet and proper hydration can maintain brain health and mitigate seizure triggers. The ketogenic diet, while primarily studied in pediatric cases, shows potential benefits for adults. Patients may be advised to consume non-caffeinated fluids and take a daily multivitamin with folic acid and thiamine to support overall health during withdrawal. This imbalance leads to CNS hyperexcitation once alcohol is no longer present, resulting in seizures. Despite a shorter half-life it has longer duration of action because it is distribution is slower and less extensive (13). In a study that compared lorazepam versus diazepam, no differences were seen in seizure recurrence and other parameters such as readmission, CIWA-Ar score, or length of stay (65).

• This can include injury while seizing, such as suffering a concussion, biting through the tongue, choking, and a variety of other injuries.
• During this phase, individuals commonly experience extensive organ damage, particularly to the liver, heart, and brain, leading to conditions such as cirrhosis, cardiomyopathy, and alcohol-related dementia.
• Individuals with a history of delirium tremens, seizures, or long-term heavy alcohol use face a higher risk of severe or prolonged withdrawal symptoms.
• The withdrawal process begins within hours of the last drink, peaks in intensity over the next few days, and gradually subsides as the body readjusts.
• This includes symptoms that can last for a few days to weeks and could potentially be deadly.

Addiction and Mental Health Treatment Programs

There is not only a risk of death but also brain damage which is due in large part to alcohol withdrawal seizures. These seizures are indicative of an extreme neurotransmitter balance due to withdrawal and can be a warning of further complications later in the detox process. For people who have been drinking heavily for an extended period of time, withdrawal can be both more painful and more dangerous. Symptoms can include anxiety, tics and tremors, extreme confusion, hallucinations, and alcohol withdrawal seizure.

Hemiclonic seizures

Your calming chemical is depleted and electrical activity goes through the roof. If you are alcohol withdrawal seizure an addict, your brain has learned to rely on this substance for a calming effect instead of its own natural GABA, and ramped up electrical activity to keep you conscious while you hammer drinks. She shares this wealth of knowledge, along with her outreach responsibilities, to convey the profound commitment Wellbrook Recovery has toward each individual’s journey to recovery. This ensures that every person feels not only welcomed but also deeply cared for from their initial contact and throughout their experience. Infused with a naturally warm and empathetic demeanor, Kathryn leverages her enduring enthusiasm for behavioral health and diverse therapeutic modalities in the realm of recovery.

• The presence of both status epilepticus and focal seizures should prompt a careful evaluation for structural brain lesions and underlying epilepsy (07).
• If you seek medical treatment before quitting alcohol cold turkey, you may be able to taper slowly with a medical professional’s help.
• Stiffness of muscles, violent muscle contractions, falling, fainting, and incontinence are common signs of a seizure.
• This leads into the “clonic” phase, which involves convulsions that can repeat for a few minutes.
• Alcohol-related dementia and Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome, called “wet brain,” are severe cognitive disorders linked to long-term alcohol abuse.
• Alcohol withdrawal syndrome (AWS) is when someone has terrible effects after they stop drinking alcohol.
• Hyponatremia in alcohol abusers generally shows a benign clinical course, and usually corrects with cessation of alcohol intake and re-institution of a normal diet (29).

Can I Drink Alcohol If I Have Seizures or Epilepsy?

• Yes, alcohol withdrawal is prevented through medical interventions and gradual alcohol reduction strategies.
• A dependent person on alcohol who suddenly stops taking it may experience unpredictable damage to his or her brain and other body parts.
• Our custom, medically-managed treatment program can help you overcome addiction and equip you with the tools you need to take back control of your life for good.
• Our drug and alcohol rehab programs and mental health rehab services are tailored to each individual’s specific needs.
• At Discover Recovery, we work with a wide variety of health insurance providers so those in need can get access to the treatment they need.

Individuals with long-term heavy drinking histories experience accelerated withdrawal onset due to significant neurochemical adaptations. More severe symptoms, such as hallucinations and seizures, develop within 24 to 72 hours, while delirium tremens (DTs) appears between 48 to 96 hours. The timing of withdrawal is influenced by age, liver function, and co-existing health conditions. The symptoms of alcohol withdrawal include anxiety, tremors, sweating, nausea, and elevated heart rate, which appear within 6–24 hours after the last drink. Severe symptoms, such as seizures, hallucinations, and delirium tremens (DTs), develop in a few cases and are life-threatening if untreated. Alcohol withdrawal is a physiological and neurological response that occurs when prolonged alcohol consumption is suddenly reduced or stopped.

Detox programs and inpatient facilities can give you medical supervision, which is very important during the early stages of recovery. Studies show that individuals who get professional help have higher success rates in managing withdrawal and achieving long-term recovery (4). By managing the risks of alcohol withdrawal, medical care ensures you have the safest and most supportive environment to begin your recovery journey. Benzodiazepines, like diazepam or lorazepam, are commonly prescribed to calm the nervous system and lower the risk of seizures. In some cases, anti-seizure medications like phenobarbital are used to provide additional protection (3). These treatments help protect the brain while the body adjusts to being able to function without alcohol.

Flashing lights, especially repetitive on and off or patterns, may trigger a seizure. However, someone who is having an alcohol withdrawal seizure may not need any trigger other than stopping alcohol use. They may also provide intravenous fluids to prevent dehydration and medication to ease your symptoms. Usually, glutamate and GABA are in balance, allowing the brain to function normally. An imbalance in your nervous system can result in alcohol withdrawal when you suddenly stop drinking.

Treatment

Additionally, binge drinking—defined as consuming excessive amounts of alcohol in a short time frame—can trigger withdrawal seizures, even in those without a prior epilepsy diagnosis. Concomitant substance abuse should be identified as substances such as sedatives may modify symptom presentation and affect response to treatment of alcohol withdrawal. The Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test (ASSIST), developed by the World Health Organization is recommended for the identification of polysubstance abuse (79). Hyponatremia in alcohol abusers generally shows a benign clinical course, and usually corrects with cessation of alcohol intake and re-institution of a normal diet (29).

It’s difficult to predict who will and who won’t experience alcohol withdrawal — and how severe it will be. Alcohol withdrawal can range from drug addiction treatment very mild symptoms to a severe form, known as delirium tremens. These seizures are caused by specific changes in your body and brain as you adjust to life without alcohol. The Springboard Center provides lasting solutions and the support you need for your journey to recovery. Alcohol withdrawal seizures are not just a symptom of quitting drinking — they’re a loud, urgent alarm bell that your body is in distress and needs help.

• Alcohol’s half-life is around four to five hours, which means your body will process the chemical out of your bloodstream within that time frame.
• Medications, counseling, and support groups also play a critical role in recovery.
• This also heightens their risk of experiencing seizures and delirium tremens (DTs).

Addressing Underlying Health Issues

In fact, studies have found that in 40-50% of adults who present to emergency departments or are admitted to hospital with new-onset seizures, the seizures are related to alcohol abuse. If you or someone you care about abuses alcohol, you might be concerned about the negative consequences of drinking too much. Below, you’ll learn more about seizures, how they can be linked to alcohol use, abuse and alcoholism, and how to know whether you or someone you love might be addicted to alcohol. If you’re seeking addiction treatment for yourself or a loved one, The Recovery Village Cherry Hill at Cooper is here to help.

If you’ve developed alcohol use disorder in addition to alcohol dependence, detox may not be enough to address your alcohol problem. Detox alone may help you achieve sobriety, but that sobriety may be short-lived. Alcohol withdrawal can last for five to 10 days, but alcohol cravings and compulsions to use may continue for a long time. Even if you are no longer dependent on alcohol, you may have a compulsion to drink that’s hard to control.