Alcohol detoxification and withdrawal symptoms management

People dependent on alcohol to function will benefit from seeking medical advice to manage their withdrawal.

If you are not a regular drinker and your symptoms are mild, you should be able to conduct an alcohol detox at home without using medication as your withdrawal symptoms should also be mild.

However, those who are heavy drinkers (more than 20 units a day) or experience regular withdrawal symptoms and find quitting alcohol difficult, may also be able to detox at home with medication to help ease withdrawal symptoms. A tranquiliser called chlordiazepoxide (Librium) is usually used for this purpose.

Patients with severe alcohol dependence may require inpatient treatment. This is because withdrawal symptoms will also be severe and are likely to need specialised treatment for alcohol recovery. Your withdrawal symptoms will be at their worst for the first 48 hours. Inpatient alcohol detoxification usually takes three to seven days from the time of your last drink.

Usual alcohol withdrawal symptoms include:

• Shaky hands

• Sweating

• Mild anxiety

• Nausea

• Vomiting

• Headache

• Insomnia

An alcohol recovery programme gives you the medical and psychological support you need throughout the withdrawal process. We provide alcohol detox treatment to help you regain control of your life.

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