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Professional care from a specialized alcohol rehab facility is highly recommended for those attempting to quit drinking as withdrawal can be extremely dangerous. National Library of Medicine, around 2% of individuals with alcohol use disorder also experience Delirium Tremens (DTs) during alcohol withdrawal. Delirium Tremens is a severe form of alcohol withdrawal syndrome that causes body tremors, high blood pressure, hallucinations, paranoia, fever, and alcohol withdrawal seizures. DTs is a life-threatening condition that requires immediate medical attention. When people ask how to stop alcohol shakes, medication is often the answer given.
Does alcohol make you less shaky?
Alcohol whether that is beer, wine or spirits is a depressant. In small amounts it can reduce feelings of anxiety and inhibitions, making people more sociable and can be part of a healthy, enjoyable lifestyle. For people with tremor alcohol will temporarily improve symptoms of tremor.
Medical Director Dr. Elizabeth Drew graduated from Hahnemann University School of Medicine and completed her family practice residency at Lehigh Valley Hospital in Allentown PA. In 2005, she opened her family medicine office in Doylestown, and in 2008 she treated her first patient for opiate addiction. She understands that addiction is a chronic disease that no one would choose to have, and her treatment philosophy is based on respect, compassion, and empowerment. She is excited to be the Medical Director of MPower Wellness and work to provide superior addiction treatment in Chester County. One of the most important things to do when addressing alcohol withdrawal is to distance yourself from enablers and any drinking advocates that are in your life.
Additional Alcoholism Treatment Options
These treatments can help ensure that you are able to detox safely and minimize the withdrawal symptoms that you will experience. Benzodiazepines (tranquilizers) are the main treatment for symptoms of withdrawal, like the shakes, and are also key to preventing serious complications such as delirium tremens (DTs). If you are experiencing symptoms of delirium tremens (DT), contact emergency services immediately. Symptoms of DT include confusion, changes in blood pressure, excessive sweating, fever, hallucinations, and seizures. You may have tried to quit drinking alcohol and discovered that the symptoms you experienced were more severe than you anticipated. Maybe you decided to go back to drinking just to relieve those symptoms.
- Some people can have serious side effects from the withdrawal process.
- By design, alcohol affects our sympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for our motor function.
Elevate’s holistic drug rehab center in California can be your first step toward recovery and a tremor-free life. If alcohol shakes have become a regular occurrence, you may find that your work, family time, and social life are affected—especially if other symptoms are involved. Alcohol dependence can be a serious problem, and tremors are often just the tip of the iceberg. When researching alcohol shakes, you may have also seen that a potential cause is the severe, sometimes deadly complication known as delirium tremens (DTs). It’s true that DTs can cause tremors, as well as confusion, hallucinations, and seizures. The wobbly, quivering sensation that sometimes comes after a day or night of heavy drinking is known as alcohol shakes.
Ways to Help Deal with Alcohol Withdrawal
Someone that’s been shaking for a year—in a way that’s noticeable to others—is going to have a different experience treating the shakes than someone who only just noticed a slight tremor. Alcohol is a depressant, meaning it works to suppress the CNS (central nervous system) and lower brain activity. That means, when ingested, alcohol works to lower heart rate, slow the respiratory system, and halt communication between certain neurons. Over time, the brain and the central nervous system become accustomed to this “lower standard” of operating.
Historically, several mechanisms have been suggested to play a role in the development (i.e., etiology) of AW. The person that drinks once a year can awake the following morning with an unpleasant tremor in their hand, and the alcoholic can shake daily. By design, alcohol affects our sympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for our motor function. When asking how to stop alcohol shakes, many clients often wonder why they can’t detox at home. The truth is that detoxification does come with some serious side effects, a few of which can be life-threatening. As such, medical professionals should always supervise anyone who wishes to withdraw from alcohol or other illicit substances.
Linking Withdrawal to Alcoholism Treatment
Medication may be provided for those with pre-existing conditions and to alleviate the unsettling withdrawal symptoms. For example, staff might prescribe a benzodiazepine such as Xanax to a patient experiencing anxiety and restlessness during detox. For example, researchers still must clarify the exact molecular and genetic mechanisms responsible for the varied manifestations of withdrawal. Other studies should address the clinical significance of kindling and the risk factors for more severe withdrawal (Fiellin et al. 1998).
Consequently, the clinician’s initial assessment also serves to exclude other conditions with symptoms similar to those of AW. Examples of such conditions include subdural hematoma (i.e., the collection of blood in the space between the membranes surrounding the CNS), pneumonia, meningitis, https://ecosoberhouse.com/article/8-tips-on-ow-to-spend-holidays-sober/ and other infections. Similarly, seizures and DT’s may be confused with other conditions that should be excluded during initial assessment. Thus, a diagnosis of DT’s and AW seizures should be made only after other reasonable causes for these complications have been excluded.
While alcohol shakes can be both scary and uncomfortable, in the situation of someone who does not suffer from AUD, they usually subside. With that being said, drinking to the point of inducing shakes is an unhealthy behavior and can be a sign of alcohol dependence. Take the time to self-reflect upon your drinking habits to discern whether or not you have a problem. To that end, alcohol shakes are not interchangeable with delirium tremens but can be a subset symptom. Still, alcohol shakes can be a warning sign that something more than just an overstimulation of the CNS is occurring.
- Alcohol withdrawal symptoms can range from slightly uncomfortable to being an extreme nuisance.
- Researchers do not yet know whether the choice of detoxification method has an impact on long-term patient outcomes.
- If you or someone you know is struggling with their alcohol use, seeking professional help can make a difference.
- Similarly, many neurotransmitters and mechanisms probably are involved in AW.
If you begin to have withdrawal symptoms during your taper, this is a sign that your taper may be going too fast and that you need to slow it down. In particular, it alters the neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). When you drink a lot over a long period, your brain reduces the amount of GABA it makes. This means that if you quit drinking cold turkey, your brain will not have enough GABA.