Why do I need to be in the ICU for alcohol withdrawal?
Alcohol withdrawal happens when someone who drinks large amounts, stops abruptly or even decreases from their usual amount. Symptoms can start as soon as 5 hours from the last drink. Some people don’t have any symptoms for 7-10 days. When withdrawal is severe, delirium tremens (“the DTs”) can occur. One out of every five people can die without treatment.
What are common symptoms?
- Shakiness
- Nausea and vomiting
- Anxiety
- Problems sleeping
- Irritability
- Fast heartbeat
- Tiredness
- Fever
- Problems thinking clearly
- Confusion and hallucinations
- Headache
- Seizures
- Sweating
How is it treated?
- Sedatives (sometimes called “benzos”)
- Blood pressure medicine
- IV fluids
- Vitamins
- Medicine to treat and prevent seizures
- If you have liver disease (cirrhosis) you may need other medicine like lactulose
What should I expect?
Sometimes high doses of sedatives are needed. This can cause breathing problems. You may need to have a breathing tube in the throat to assist with breathing which will be connected to a breathing machine. Some people need very high levels of sedative medicine (like ativan or tranxene) and are on the breathing machine for many days. People that may have used other substances (tobacco, cocaine, heroin, meth or prescription meds) along with alcohol can be very sick. You will receive counseling to stop drug and alcohol use or addiction. You may need to see a psychiatrist. If you have any questions about programs to help people stop using drugs, ask to speak with a social worker. We or care team members can give you names and phone numbers of groups that help people stop using drugs.