The Dangers Of Quitting Alcohol Cold Turkey
Quitting alcohol cold turkey can have dangerous and possibly fatal effects on the body, including a decreased level of brain functioning and seizures.
Is It Dangerous To Quit Drinking Alcohol Cold Turkey?
If you are dependent on alcohol or have an alcohol use disorder (AUD), it can be dangerous and unsafe to stop drinking without medical supervision.
When you are dependent on alcohol and quit without the help of a medical professional and without tapering, you may activate the brain’s stress system, causing the onset of alcohol withdrawal syndrome (AWS). AWS is a syndrome with various symptoms that can range in presentation, depending on how physically dependent you are on alcohol; it can present as mild to severe symptoms.
The dangers of quitting alcohol cold turkey can include severe withdrawal complications, including electrolyte imbalances which can cause serious physiological effects like arrhythmias (irregular heartbeats), malnutrition, seizures, or even death.
What Happens To Your Body When You Stop Drinking?
Like other drugs, alcohol use significantly affects the brain. When you suddenly stop drinking alcohol after developing a dependance on it, there’s a significant decrease in the restrictive actions of your neurotransmitters, which can send the brain and central nervous system into a “panic,” leading to overactivity. This central nervous system hyperactivity may manifest as a more “excited” state, where you may experience common withdrawal symptoms, such as anxiety, agitation, hallucinations, tremors, high heart rate, and high blood pressure.
Alcohol use disorder, a medical condition impacting 29.5 million people in the United States, can make you feel like you can’t stop or control your alcohol use despite the negative effects or consequences on your life.
If you continue to drink heavily, it can negatively affect your brain by disrupting the natural balance of chemical messengers, or neurotransmitters. This may make progressive structural and functional changes to your brain, leading to a physical dependence on alcohol. When you quit drinking while your body is dependent on alcohol, you will experience withdrawal.
Alcohol Withdrawal Symptoms
Most symptoms of alcohol withdrawal are usually mild. However, severe symptoms may lead to fatal complications and could necessitate medical interventions and treatments.
After quitting alcohol, the most common immediate mild symptoms present as:
- Mild anxiety
- Headache
- Gastrointestinal discomfort
- Insomnia
These mild symptoms may progress further to more moderate to severe symptoms, such as:
- Visual hallucinations
- Auditory hallucinations
- Tactile hallucinations, such as numbness in your extremities
If you experience severe alcohol withdrawal, some severe symptoms that may occur include physiological changes, such as:
- Increased heart rate
- Increased blood pressure
- Sweating
- Agitation
- Disorientation
- Seizures
The severity of symptoms is dependent on many factors. Still, if you drink heavily and quit drinking alcohol cold turkey, you are more likely to experience severe withdrawal symptoms, such as delirium tremens (DTs).
What Is Delirium Tremens?
Delirium tremens, otherwise known as withdrawal delirium, is a severe disorder of specific alcohol withdrawal symptoms that typically occur within 48 hours after abruptly quitting the use of alcohol. DTs can last up to five days and can be fatal if not treated appropriately or promptly. Therefore, it is crucial to know and identify the early signs and symptoms of withdrawal and delirium tremens.
Typical signs and symptoms of DTs can first present as regular alcohol withdrawal symptoms but later become more severe as your brain gets overstimulated. DTs can cause serious physiological symptoms such as spikes in blood pressure, severe tremors, severe mood swings, and seizures. Complications from delirium tremens include kidney damage or failure, heart rhythm changes, respiratory failure, and death.
Alcohol Withdrawal Timeline
The alcohol withdrawal timeline can vary between people based on different factors. However, alcohol withdrawal symptoms typically start within six hours after your last drink and can last up to two weeks.
6-12 hours
Six to 12 hours after your last drink, you may start to experience uncomfortable mild withdrawal symptoms, including mild headache, insomnia, mild anxiety, stomachache, sweating, mild tremors, and a loss of appetite.
12-24 hours
Twelve to 24 hours after drinking, you may start to experience an increased severity in previously mild symptoms and may also experience other moderate symptoms such as hallucinations.
24-48 hours
The 24-48 hour time frame after your last drink is the most critical. During this time, the risk for severe symptoms of alcohol withdrawal is at its peak. These severe symptoms may include disorientation and seizures. You may also be at risk for developing DTs during this time frame.
48-72 hours
Two to three days after the onset of alcohol withdrawal, you will still be at high risk for developing DTs. During this time, you may experience peak withdrawal symptoms, including agitation, cloudy and disoriented thinking, high heart rate or palpitations, high blood pressure, and profuse sweating.
3-7 days
Three to seven days into your withdrawal from alcohol, you may continue to experience mild withdrawal symptoms, similar to the first 24 hours of withdrawal. You may begin to feel more normal, but your body may still exhibit mild physical withdrawal symptoms.
7-14 days
Up to two weeks after your alcohol withdrawal, you will likely be done with the physical withdrawal symptoms. However, as your brain continues to recover from physiological changes due to prolonged alcohol use, you may continue to struggle with psychological symptoms, such as brain fog, clouded thinking, insomnia, agitation, and anxiety.
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Factors Affecting Alcohol Withdrawal
Researchers believe that certain risk factors may impact alcohol withdrawal and its symptoms. These risk factors may increase vulnerability to experiencing symptoms, prolong the withdrawal timeline, and increase the risk of developing DTs or seizures during withdrawal.
The factors that may affect alcohol withdrawal include:
- The duration of alcohol exposure
- Higher amounts of alcohol intake
- Duration of alcohol dependence
- Prior development or experience of withdrawal symptoms
- Older age
- Polydrug use
These factors may contribute to a sooner onset of alcohol withdrawal symptoms or a prolonged withdrawal from alcohol. It is best to be medically supervised during your withdrawal if any of these risk factors apply to you.
Risk Factors For Life-Threatening Alcohol Withdrawal
Aside from the above factors that may impact your alcohol withdrawal and symptoms, it is crucial to be aware of the risk factors that can increase the chances of developing life-threatening complications. These risks include:
- History of decreased or abnormal liver function
- Past experience(s) of DTs or seizures
- History of neurological diseases or seizure disorders
- Co-existing infections
- Pre-existing electrolyte abnormalities
If these risk factors are relevant to you, speak with a medical professional before withdrawing from alcohol to make a plan to reduce your risk of a life-threatening complication.
Medical Detox For Alcohol Withdrawal
Going through alcohol withdrawal can be uncomfortable and intense. Because some severe risks and complications come with alcohol withdrawal, you or your loved one may benefit from detoxing and withdrawing in a professional environment, where medical professionals can assist and provide medications to alleviate withdrawal symptoms.
One option is to detox in an inpatient setting, such as in a hospital; this option is appropriate for someone who has experienced DTs, seizures, or has risk factors for developing complications during withdrawal. There are also outpatient medical detox programs, where you can receive medical care without checking into a facility. To find a detox program near you, contact a treatment provider today.
To ease and manage withdrawal symptoms and reduce the risk of alcohol withdrawal complications, doctors in these facilities may prescribe benzodiazepines, which typically prevent seizures. The most common benzodiazepines utilized by medical professionals for alcohol withdrawal include diazepam (Valium), chlordiazepoxide (Librium), and lorazepam (Ativan). Usually, health professionals will start you on these medications and gradually taper you off at fixed intervals.
Other medications that can be used during alcohol detox and withdrawal include those that can relieve other complications and symptoms of withdrawal, such as antipsychotics, beta-blockers, anxiolytics, fluids, and supplemental vitamins.
Find An Alcohol Detox Center Today
Quitting alcohol can prevent or even reverse alcohol’s adverse effects on your health, and having the desire to quit drinking may indicate you are ready for a permanent and positive life change. However, the dangers of quitting alcohol cold turkey are not worth the risks.
If you or your loved one wants to quit drinking and recover from a drinking problem, have a free, confidential conversation with a treatment provider today about available options to help you get and stay sober.