Overview
Incidence
Symptoms
Evaluation
Treatment
delirium tremens
questions for doctor
specialist
Home Care
diet
stress
vomiting
warning signs
Outlook
Complications
Underlying Cause
Alcohol Withdrawal Symptoms
Alcohol withdrawal symptoms tend to peak about 72 hours after the last drink of alcohol.
Initial symptoms of alcohol withdrawal include:
- Anxiety
- Insomnia
- Nausea
- Diarrhea
- Poor appetite
- Indigestion
- Irritability
- Mood swings
- Restlessness
- Tremors
- Numbness and tingling:
- Leg numbness (bilateral)
- Numbness of the feet
- Hand numbness (bilateral)
- Tingling of both arms
- Tingling arms and legs (both sides)
- Tingling of both legs
- Tingling of both hands
- Tingling of the feet (bilateral)
- Flushing
- Hot flashes
Delirium tremens is a term used to describe severe alcohol withdrawal symptoms.
Symptoms of severe alcohol withdrawal include:
- Abdominal pain:
- Clumsiness
- Confusion
- Chest pain
- Dizziness
- Difficulty walking
- Poor balance
- Fever
- Hallucinations:
- False perception of something that does not exist
- Visual hallucinations: seeing things that do not exist
- Auditory hallucinations: hearing sounds or voices that do not exist
- Tactile hallucinations: feeling bugs crawling on the skin that do not exist
- Delusions
- High blood pressure
- Muscle aches
- Muscle cramps
- Palpitations
- Loss of consciousness
- Seizures
- Severe tremors
- Vomiting
Continue to Alcohol Withdrawal Evaluation
Last Updated: Jan 24, 2011 References
Authors: Stephen J. Schueler, MD; John H. Beckett, MD; D. Scott Gettings, MD
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PubMed Alcohol Withdrawal References
- Addolorato G, Balducci G, Capristo E: Gamma-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB) in the treatment of alcohol withdrawal syndrome: a randomized comparative study versus benzodiazepine. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 1999 Oct; 23(10): 1596-604. [10549990]
- Castaneda R, Cushman P: Alcohol withdrawal: a review of clinical management. J Clin Psychiatry 1989 Aug; 50(8): 278-84. [2569456]
- Mayo-Smith MF, American Society of Addiction Medicine Working Group on Pharmacology: Pharmacological management of alcohol withdrawal: A meta-analysis and evidence-based practice guideline. JAMA 1997; 278: 144-151. [9214531]
- O'Connor PG, Schottenfeld RS: Patients with alcohol problems. N Engl J Med 1998 Feb 26; 338(9): 592-602. [9475768]
- Olmedo R, Hoffman RS: Withdrawal syndromes. Emerg Med Clin North Am 2000 May; 18(2): 273-88. [10767884]
- Turner RC, Lichstein PR, Peden JG Jr, et al: Alcohol withdrawal syndromes: a review of pathophysiology, clinical presentation, and treatment. J Gen Intern Med 1989 Sep-Oct; 4(5): 432-44. [2677272]