Alcohol Drug Detox

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Symptoms of Alcohol Detox

Alcohol Detox Symptoms

Anxiety is one of the symptoms of alcohol detox.

The symptoms of alcohol detox or alcohol withdrawal may range from minor to severe and can even be deadly if they go untreated. Alcohol detox symptoms are most often uncomfortable and difficult for the addict to deal with which is why most alcoholics continue to drink despite realizing the negative consequences that result from their drinking each day. Alcohol detox symptoms can begin as soon as just a few hours after the individual takes their last drink but are most prevalent during the second and third day following the abrupt quitting of alcohol use.

One may think that alcohol detox symptoms are only present for those who drink heavily every day but this is not the case. Many of the symptoms of alcohol detox affect individuals who have only had a few drinks occasionally and those who have a few each day or those who drink heavily but not everyday. Alcoholism and the symptoms of alcohol detox can affect any individual from any walk of life, rich or poor, young or old, heavy drinker or mild to moderate drinker.

Beginning Symptoms of Alcohol Detox

When an individual who is physically dependent on alcohol abruptly stops drinking they are subject to a range of alcohol withdrawal symptoms that can be mild to moderate or may even become severe. The beginning symptoms of alcohol detox may include the following mild symptoms of alcohol detox:

  • nausea
  • headaches
  • anxiety
  • shakes
  • sweats

These alcohol detox symptoms are mostly not life threatening but they can be rather uncomfortable for the individual and the headaches, shakes and nausea especially may cause the individual to start drinking again in an effort to stop the uncomfortable symptoms. Some additional symptoms of alcohol detox that could become life threatening include increased heart rate and increased blood pressure. These symptoms can all be treated when an individual is properly monitored for alcohol detox symptoms in an alcohol detox center.

Alcohol Detox Symptoms: The Most Common Symptom that Goes Unnoticed

There is one very common alcohol detox symptom that tends to go unnoticed or untreated and for some reason does not alert the individual to seek help—the hangover. When an addict feels hungover they are not thinking about the fact that a hangover is a very common alcohol detox symptom. Hangovers may include nausea, vomiting, sweats, and shakes, all the symptoms of alcohol detox. Hangover is the number one alcohol detox symptom that does not get recognized as alcohol detox but the morning after hangover is a mild to moderate form of what an individual will feel when they abruptly stop drinking and begin to detox from alcohol.

Serious Alcohol Detox Symptoms

Although it is rather rare that alcohol detox symptoms get so severe that medical intervention is required to assure the safety of the addict it is possible. Alcohol detox symptoms, in rare cases, can become so severe that without medical intervention and special medications the alcohol withdrawal symptoms can result in death. The most severe alcohol detox symptoms include:

  • hallucinations
  • convulsions
  • seizures
  • fever

When these alcohol detox symptoms are not properly treated the end result can be very dangerous for the addict. Because of the potential for alcohol detox symptoms to become so severe it is recommended that all addicts who try to stop drinking seek the help and medical care of an inpatient alcohol detox center that can provide around the clock medical supervision and intervention when necessary to assure the utmost safety of the addict.