Depending on the current and past history of abuse, alcohol withdrawal or detox can pose dangers to health. For mild dependency, tremors, anxiety, nausea and restless sleep may begin as early as six hours following the last drink and subside within a few days. For those who have been drinking heavily for many years, have previous attempts at detox, intense cravings or concurrent health problems, a prolonged, complicated withdrawal may be predicted. Low grade fever, rapid respiration and excessive perspiration are some of these more serious side effects.
Seizures
Alcohol's toxic effects on the structure and function of the brain is thought to be responsible for hyperexcitability of nerve cells that trigger generalized, or grand-mal, seizures during withdrawal. An article published in the March 2004 issue of American Family Physician states that the majority of alcoholic seizures occur within a 24- to 48-hour window after drinking has stopped. Cumulative alterations in the brain may explain the rising risk of this complication with each subsequent detox episode. Those at greatest risk have a history of previous severe withdrawal symptoms or have had seizures before. This serious side effect may be prevented with medication.
Delerium Tremens
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) reports that delerium tremens, or DTs, is more common among those with at least a 10-year history of heavy drinking or in those who consume the equivalent of one pint of alcohol daily over several months. A cluster of severe withdrawal symptoms, DTs include intense fear, visual or tactile hallucinations and agitation. The person may not know where he is, what year it is or who is tending him. Delerium tremens should be managed medically in a hospital. Typically, symptoms begin within 72 hours of the last drink, but the NIH states they can occur seven to 10 days later.
Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome
Also known as Wernicke's encephalopathy, this disorder is the result of a vitamin deficiency that may be triggered by alcohol withdrawal. The inability to walk normally, confusion and amnesia characterize Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome, which can be prevented or treated with the intravenous administration of large doses of thiamine, a B vitamin. Paralysis of small muscles around the eyes is an unusual symptom, according to a Danish study which followed 497 alcohol withdrawal patients who were hospitalized. Fifty-two of these were found to have Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome. Withdrawal symptoms in these cases required more medication than other patients, indicating that detox was more severe. Serious risks of Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome include long-term disability due to persistent lack of muscle coordination and memory loss.
