Alcohol abstinence syndrome: treatment, relief and symptoms

Alcohol abstinence is a condition that occurs in a person due to prolonged continuous use of alcoholic beverages. Abstinence is characterized by somatic, mental and nerve disorders. Another name for this pathology used in foreign medicine?- "withdrawal syndrome".

Alcohol withdrawal abstinence syndrome

Abstinence condition occurs due to discontinuation of alcohol intake after prolonged use. The use of a certain amount of alcohol relatively facilitates physical and mental well-being.

Drinking thus turns into a continuous daily process. The withdrawal syndrome occurs in the II and III stages of the disease, when the psychological dependence on alcoholism is joined by the physical.

The descriptive name of this phenomenon is a hangover. Sometimes abstinence is confused with the state of alcohol intoxication. The difference is that , that with ordinary alcohol intoxication caused by excess of alcohol consumption, repeated intake of alcohol does not cause relief, but on the contrary, aggravates the symptoms.

If there is a persistent dependence of the body on the chemicals included in the composition of alcohol, the reception of alcoholic beverages neutralizes the painful manifestations.

Causes of the disease

Cells of the body are not able to function in normal mode without the participation of alcohol. An attempt by a dependent person to restore the comfortable state that he experienced at the time of active drinking and causes the use of new doses.

Absence in the blood of chemicals of alcoholic origin is perceived by the patient as abnormal. This is caused by the habituation of the body's cells to a permanent functioning in the mode of alcohol poisoning. The absence of ethanol affects negatively on the metabolism, the work of the brain, the nervous system and other organs.

Symptoms of alcohol abstinence

The duration and intensity of the condition of abstinence depends on the stage of the disease.

If in the earlier stages of manifestation mainly concern physical well-being, then at a later stage of the disease, abstinence is manifested by serious mental disorders.

The general symptoms of withdrawal syndrome are as follows:

• thirst and constant dry mouth;
• intense sweating;
• heartbeat( tachycardia);
• headaches of varying severity;
• nausea, sometimes vomiting;
• weakness and general weakness of the body;
• irritability, depressed mood;
• lack of appetite;
• Hyperemia - redness of the eyes, face, other areas of the body due to high blood flow;
• sharp fall or increase in pressure;
• tremor( trembling) of the hands;
• facial swelling;
• movement coordination disorder;
• motor anxiety;
• insomnia;
• anxiety, panic, fear;
• other nervous and mental disorders - psychosis, epilepsy, alcoholic delirium;
• strong craving for alcohol;

Some of the symptoms are similar to those of alcohol poisoning( thirst, depressed mood).

Severe manifestations of the disease

In a state of secondary attraction, the human psyche is very unstable: the patient becomes quick-tempered, aggressive and unpredictable in their actions.

Gradually vegetative-somatic disorders reach such an extent that a person in a state of abstinence can not perform the simplest actions - dress up, leave the apartment, until he takes a dose of alcohol and does not "recover."The craving for alcohol becomes purely physical, not taking into account the arguments of the mind.

Severe manifestations of withdrawal symptoms can occur both immediately after taking excessive alcohol doses, and after 48-96 hours. Severe symptoms can occur in the form of alcoholic psychoses, such as:

• alcohol delirium;
• alcoholic hallucinosis( auditory and visual hallucinations);
• delusional psychosis( mania of persecution and harm, alcoholic delirium of jealousy, etc.);
• alcoholic encephalopathy( disorders of speech and motor functions);
• alcoholic dementia( dementia);
• epileptic seizures;
• amnesia;

In addition to mental disorders, prolonged use of alcoholic beverages in a state of drinking-bout and accompanying withdrawal can lead to exacerbation of existing diseases - peptic ulcer, diabetes, kidney failure.

Alcoholic hepatitis, cirrhosis, heart and vascular diseases, strokes and heart attacks can also develop against the background of regular consumption of ethanol.

Diagnosis

The diagnosis is made on the basis of a combination of symptoms that have already made themselves felt at the time of seeking help.

An important point in the diagnosis is the identification of cravings for alcohol during withdrawal.

Do not forget that the earlier the patient will be provided with qualified medical care, the faster the complete cure will come.

To accurately determine the stage and severity of the disease, the narcologist should find out the following circumstances in the process of interviewing the patient:

• Duration and amount of alcohol consumption;
• Presence of cravings for alcohol on the day after they are consumed - when there is a desire to drink alcohol again and how intense it is;
• Does the reception of alcohol bring relief after its excessive use the day before;
• Having a sense of guilt from alcohol abuse;

A physical examination of the patient is also carried out to identify clinical signs of abstinence - tachycardia, tremor, delayed reactions.

Excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages can lead to the development of such a disease as alcoholic polyneuropathy, which is also no less dangerous.

Why people with cravings for alcohol are suffering from neuropathic pain can be read here.

Disturbance of thinking in alcoholics with abstinence syndrome

A solid experience of alcoholism is characterized by:

• general inhibition of thought processes;
• easily emerging associations of delusional nature;
• unproductive thinking( inability to make important decisions, lengthy reasoning with a lack of logic);
• gloominess, the presence of constant apathy and depression, lack of humor;
• deformation of social and spiritual values;
• perception of alcohol and intoxication as the main roots of existence, the center around which the rest of reality revolves;
• lowered self-esteem;
• occurrence of suicidal moods;

Treatment of alcohol abstinence

Alcohol abstinence or withdrawal can be treated by a qualified narcologist after an accurate diagnosis and contraindications.

It is possible to hospitalize a patient( with his consent), or to provide assistance at home. To eliminate the abstinence, the detoxification procedure of the body is used - placing the patient under a dropper with an infusion solution.

In parallel, vitamin therapy and the introduction of other auxiliary substances into the body - nootropic drugs to protect the brain, hepatoprotectors for liver protection and drugs for the regulation of cardiac activity.

Also, when abstinence is stopped, the following medicinal substances are used:

• glucose;
• Relanium;
• sodium thiosulfate;
• panangin;
• antispasmodics;

Narcotic care at home involves an accelerated course of detoxification, followed by patient immersion in sleep. In the hospital, more effective and diverse methods are used:

• plasmapheresis( purification of blood plasma from toxic substances and the introduction of various salt and protein compounds into it);
• biological detoxification of the intestine;
• restorative treatment - dietotherapy, physiotherapy, psychotherapy;

One of the dangerous complications in people suffering from alcoholism is the sclerosis of the vessels of the brain. A constant companion of these diseases are headaches.

In this article, you can read about the causes of the cluster headache.

And, clicking on this link http: //gidmed.com/ bolezni-nevrologii / migren-golovnaja-bol / golovnaya-bol-v-viskah.html, you can find out about the causes of the headache in the temporal region.

Helping a patient with alcohol withdrawal syndrome

Self-help therapy at home can lead to complications and unpredictable consequences. A qualified combination of drugs and procedures can only be selected by a qualified narcologist on the basis of an accurate diagnosis.

Relatives and relatives can help the patient avoid dehydration and restore his strength with nutrient broths, vitamin preparations and standard pharmacy medicines to support cardiac activity.

Consequences of the disease

The consequences of the withdrawal syndrome, which was not stopped by medical means, can be very different and depend on the severity of alcoholism.

In the initial stages of the disease after withdrawal, the patient may experience insomnia, mild nervous breakdowns and general malaise: these symptoms last for a week, subject to sobriety.

In severe cases of , the consequences are quite different. There may arise:

• severe psychosis, requiring the patient's hospitalization;
• severe liver damage - hepatitis and cirrhosis;
• dangerous heart diseases, heart attacks;
• necrosis of extensive areas of the brain leading to dementia;
• cerebral edema;
• alcoholic coma;

The presence of an abstinence syndrome in an alcoholic is a serious sign of a progressive disease and the formation of a stable dependence. For a person who thinks about his future destiny, this is a direct reason for going to the clinic and undergoing a medical course.

A video that will help you figure out what the abstinence syndrome is all about from a simple hangover: