What is the alcohol withdrawal response?

  Withdrawal symptoms are the specific group of psychophysiological symptoms that occur after stopping the use of alcohol or reducing the dose of use or occupying the receptors with antagonists. In fact, withdrawal reactions occur mostly between 6 and 24 hours. This time is just about the time when morning drinking occurs. Many patients do not get comfortable drinking, but they also have difficulty not drinking.  There are many symptoms of discomfort in the body during the withdrawal reaction, such as: 1. Gastrointestinal tract: poor appetite; nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea (some have diarrhea for about 1 month after quitting drinking). Diarrhea can cause electrolyte deficiency thus leading to cardiac arrhythmia and cardiac arrest.  2. In the cardiovascular area, there is an increase in blood pressure and cerebral hemorrhage. We have seen blood pressure reach up to 200mmHg after quitting alcohol. 3, vegetative nerve function: hand trembling, sweating (the first 2 weeks can not write, hand trembling is very strong, some patients can not light a cigarette; some patients come overnight quilt are wet, cold sweat.) Sweating also easily causes infection and fever.  4, some patients will also have stomach pain.  As for psychiatric symptoms, patients who have been drinking heavily for a long time will experience many symptoms of hallucinations and delusions after sudden withdrawal.  In our clinical work, we have seen a nurse who had been beaten by a patient due to the patient’s delusions of victimization and hearing hallucinations. The patient would be very impulsive at this time. There is also the fact that the patient will have a lot of emotional problems at this time, the biggest one being depression. There is a risk of accidents when the patient suddenly cuts off alcohol, this is age related and some will have seizures. The most serious withdrawal reaction is delirium tremens. Delirium has a high mortality rate, which can be as high as 20%.