Duration of Alcohol Withdrawal Symptoms

People get into alcoholism for varied reasons that range from pressure, stress, trauma to escapism and more. To tackle the base issue of why alcohol addiction comes about in the first place is beyond the scope of this article. What we focus on instead is how some people decide to give up on this corroding habit and the alcohol withdrawal symptoms that they face, along with the duration of these. But what is alcohol withdrawal? Alcohol withdrawal comes about when there is a sudden discontinuation of alcohol. When alcohol is consumed, the brain produces certain enzymes to counter the ill effects of alcoholism and alcohol addiction on the body. When there is a sudden discontinuation of alcohol, the brain does not stop the production of these enzymes and it is these that lead to alcohol withdrawal symptoms. What are these symptoms and what is the duration that it stretches through? That is what we will be tackling in this following article.

Alcohol Withdrawal Duration and Symptoms

The alcohol withdrawal duration will depend on each individual person. The longer a person has been consuming alcoholic drinks, the symptoms will tend to be that much more severe and last longer. In the remainder of this article, we will focus on the duration of alcohol withdrawal and the effects of the same.

Tremors in the Body (2 Days)
One of the most common symptoms that comes about as a result of alcohol withdrawal is the tremors and shakes that start throughout the body. These shakes are most common in the hands. The first symptoms of tremors and shakes will make way in the time duration of 5 - 10 hours of the last drink that was consumed. They will not merely stop at tremors though, but will go on to include a number of other symptoms as a part of the earliest reactions that come about. These include irritability, restlessness, rapid heartbeat and pulse, increase in blood pressure, fast breathing, vomiting, nausea, profuse sweating, anxiety, insomnia, nightmares and a highly alert state. All these symptoms will continue to grow in intensity for over 2 days and reach their peak then. The duration of these tremors can be drawn at 2 days, after which the body will start adjusting to the non-alcohol and begin to heal.

Hallucinations (2 Days)
One of the main symptoms of alcohol withdrawal is that a person will start hallucinating about several things that will include sounds, smells and objects. The most common hallucinations have been reported as seeing moving and crawling objects and the feeling that one is falling from a height; there might also be symptoms of falling coins among others. This symptom will make way within 12 hours to a day of having the last drink. The hallucinations can be very, very vivid, thus making a person completely disillusioned. The duration that these last is usually 2 days.

Delirium Tremens (5 Days)
This is one of the more severe symptoms that alcohol withdrawal leads to. This condition is known to lead to dangerous rising and dropping of body temperature, breathing techniques and body circulation. Along with that it also leads to dramatic rise in blood pressure, racing of the heart as well dehydration. This condition also leads to anger, nervousness, hallucinations, sleep problems, profuse sweating, irrational beliefs, loss of concentration, confusion, reduction of blood flow to the brain and disorientation. Delirium tremens will begin within 2 - 3 days of the last drink and last for as long as 5 days.

Seizures (2 Days)
Seizures is another important symptom that develops as a part of alcohol withdrawal. There might be a presence of a single seizure or many at once. These usually begin after 6 - 48 hours after the last drink has been consumed. The duration will last till 2 days after the onset.

The most severe of the alcohol withdrawal symptoms will last for a maximum of 5 days, but if the condition is really bad then it can even prolong to more than a week. When a person begins to experience alcohol withdrawal, there needs to be immediate treatment undertaken so that the discomfort and pain can be eased and dealt with effectively.