Making the decision to stop drinking is the first step in recovering from alcohol use disorder (AUD). But as they say, the beginning is always the hardest, which rings true in the early stages of treatment once the symptoms of alcohol withdrawal start to occur. In fact, many clients and their loved ones ask us: how long do alcohol withdrawal symptoms last?
In this post, we’ll discuss the alcohol withdrawal symptoms timeline, factors affecting its duration, and how you can manage such symptoms. Keep reading to learn what you can expect and why it’s all worth the sacrifice.
What is alcohol withdrawal?
Alcohol withdrawal happens when you stop or cut back on your heavy and regular consumption of alcoholic beverages. It triggers a range of physical and mental symptoms, which can be debilitating and even life-threatening without medical intervention.
But when does alcohol withdrawal begin, and how does it happen? Let’s explain this by discussing how heavy drinking alters your brain.
Alcohol mainly affects your brain’s GABA or gamma-aminobutyric acid. This is a neurotransmitter responsible for regulating your nervous system, so you’ll have a good sense of balance, coordination, reasonable thought processes, and more. But most importantly, GABA regulates your brain’s excitatory responses, meaning the right GABA supply will prevent you from having anxiety or hyperactive responses.
However, when you drink alcohol heavily on a regular basis, your brain will adjust by decreasing GABA production and increasing the release of glutamate. Glutamate is a neurotransmitter that boosts brain activity, which means they are the total opposite of GABA.
By increasing glutamate and reducing GABA, your brain does a balancing act to counter the effects of your alcohol consumption.
However, when you stop drinking, your brain will get destabilized. What happens now is that your brain has high levels of excitatory neurotransmitters (glutamate) and very low inhibitory ones (GABA). This neurological imbalance will manifest physically as withdrawal symptoms, such as anxiety, insomnia, tremors, elevated blood pressure, vomiting, and more.
Alcohol withdrawal symptoms
The signs of alcohol withdrawal are fairly common and occur in about 50% of people with AUD who decrease or stop drinking. But for some, it can be life-threatening, which is why they need to enroll in an alcohol rehab.
In general, these are the signs of withdrawal you might experience when you stop drinking alcohol:
Mild alcohol withdrawal symptoms
- Anxiety and nervousness
- Insomnia
- Tremors or shaking
- Irritability and mood swings
- Headaches
- Nausea and vomiting
Severe alcohol withdrawal symptoms
- Delirium tremens
- Hallucinations
- Seizures
- Fever
- Mental confusion
- Heavy sweating
- Increased heart rate
- Fluctuating blood pressure
Take note that only 5% of people with alcohol withdrawal syndrome will experience delirium tremens or DT. This is a severe condition that causes vivid hallucinations and delusions, which are seen among chronic drinkers.
So, if you’re a heavy drinker on a regular basis, it will be safer to enroll in an inpatient rehab in Los Angeles, where you’ll receive 24/7 medical supervision. This way, you’ll get the right alcohol withdrawal syndrome medication before DT becomes life-threatening.
How long do alcohol withdrawal symptoms last?
Now, let’s answer the biggest question in this post: how long does severe alcohol withdrawal last? In general, withdrawal symptoms will manifest within 6 to 72 hours from the last time you had a drink. Still, the duration will vary per person, which we discussed in a separate section.
To give you an idea, here’s the usual alcohol withdrawal timeline when you undergo a medical detox:
6 hours after
At the beginning of your alcohol detox timeline, you’ll start having shaky hands, headaches, nausea, insomnia, and vomiting. You’ll also start feeling the onset of anxiety 6 hours after your very last drink.
12 to 48 hours after
As you progress into your alcohol detox, you’ll develop more psychological symptoms, including hallucinations or even seizures. For this, we provide alcohol withdrawal medication to help ease the symptoms.
48 to 72+ hours after
About 2 to 3 days after you had your last drink, you’ll experience the worst psychological symptoms. This is also the period where you could have delirium tremens (DT). You may also experience heavy sweating, confusion, racing heartbeat, and fever at this point of your detox from alcohol timeline.
Factors affecting how long alcohol withdrawal last
So, how long do alcohol withdrawal symptoms last? While the most intense symptoms often start to wear off after 72 hours, it could be longer for some individuals. Here are some factors that may drag the withdrawal symptoms:
1. Amount of alcohol you consume
Drinking large quantities of ‘hard’ alcohol for long periods will make your withdrawal symptoms more intense and lingering. The sudden abstinence from being a chronic drinker will make you suffer from more intense hallucinations and even seizures.
If you fall under this category, you should seriously consider enrolling in a facility like LA Wellness Home to have medical professionals monitor your situation.
2. Duration of your AUD
If you’ve been struggling with alcohol use disorder for a long time, you’re more likely to have an equally lengthy withdrawal timeline.
If you’re planning to quit alcohol after being a heavy drinker for years, you should do so under the care of a Los Angeles rehab center. This way, you’ll receive immediate medical attention in case you start getting severe symptoms.
3. Your individual health condition
If you have a history of DT or seizures when attempting to quit alcohol, you may have longer and more intense withdrawal symptoms. The same could happen if you’re heavily dehydrated, have low potassium or sodium levels, and you’re using other substances along with your alcohol consumption.
Aside from that, having pre-existing health problems, such as liver disease or mental health disorders, could prolong your alcohol detox symptoms.
How to manage alcohol withdrawal syndrome symptoms
The best and safest way to overcome withdrawal symptoms of drinking is to seek help from an inpatient rehab center like ours. Under our care, you’ll receive round-the-clock clinical supervision to reduce withdrawal symptoms and prevent complications.
Here’s what you can expect from our program while detoxing from alcohol:
Medically assisted detox (MAT)
For mild to moderate withdrawal symptoms, we provide short-term medications. Our medical doctors may provide you with gabapentin or carbamazepine to manage your symptoms. In some cases, we may also prescribe benzodiazepines and barbiturates if you’re at risk of developing delirium tremens.
For severe symptoms, you could receive long-acting and stronger medications to prevent complications.
Aside from that, you’ll receive other treatments that will help you get through the withdrawal phase safely. This could include IV fluids to combat dehydration, nausea, vomiting, and other symptoms.
24/7 clinical monitoring
Alcohol withdrawal anxiety, depression, and other psychological symptoms require round-the-clock medical supervision. This is to prevent the risk of self-harm and to ensure that you’ll receive the medical attention you need.
At the same, 24/7 clinical supervision is the best way to manage delirium tremens. This is also the same reason why heavy and long-term drinkers should never attempt quitting alcohol at home on their own.
Enrolling in an inpatient facility not only gives you medical care, but also a supportive atmosphere necessary to achieve recovery.
Dual diagnosis
More often than not, alcohol use disorder or AUD is triggered or accompanied by underlying mental health disorders. Without addressing this condition, the person will have a higher risk of relapse and prolonged withdrawal symptoms.
This is why dual diagnosis is part of our initial diagnostics at LA Wellness Home. It’s important for us to determine our clients’ underlying mental health issues so we can provide them with personalized care. This will also help us understand the root cause of their alcoholism and what could trigger potential relapse.
We’re here to help you overcome alcohol addiction and withdrawal
Alcohol withdrawal syndrome is a serious and potentially life-threatening condition without medical attention. So, if you or a loved one is committed to quitting alcohol, LA Wellness Home is here to help.
In our addiction treatment center, we provide a comprehensive alcohol detox designed to help you overcome withdrawal symptoms safely. We also have a team of medical doctors, registered nurses, RADTs, and more who will closely monitor you throughout your stay. With our help, you can finally take your life back from alcohol use and start your road to recovery.
Contact us today to learn more about our alcohol rehab and medical detox. Our helpline is open 24/7 for your questions or inquiries wherever you are in the United States.
