What do I do about Delirium Tremens? I am a scared.?
I have been a habitual alcohol abuser for a long time. This current binge of 1 pint of whiskey and 7 beers every night for the last 5 months needs to end but I am afraid of Delirium Tremens. Any suggestions? Thank you.
As a nurse my recommendation would be that you need to be admitted to the hospital to do this. With your alcohol history you are at high risk of having withdrawl seizures. In my opinion alcohol withdrawls are probably the worst drug to come off of. It is NOT something you should attempt on your own. Most hospitals have a protocol with specific orders to assist you with these symptoms. A dose range of tranquilizers like ativan or librium will be used over a period of 2-4 days that will minimize DT’s and seizures. After you are considered "medically stable" you will need to get into an outpatient recovery program. Good luck and I hope this helps.
November 5th, 2009 at 5:42 pm
You need to talk to your doctor about this. Alcohol withdrawal has many side effects.
"The DT’s
However, within six to 48 hours after not drinking, hallucinations may develop. These usually are visual hallucinations but they can also involve sounds and smells. They can last for a few hours up to weeks at a time.
Also within this time frame after quitting, convulsions or seizures can occur, which is the point at which alcohol withdrawal can become dangerous, if not medically treated. The symptoms may progress to delirium tremens (DT’s) after three to five days without alcohol. The symptoms of DT’s include profound confusion, disorientation, hallucinations, hyperactivity, and extreme cardiovascular disturbances.
Once DT’s begin, there is no known medical treatment to stop them. Grand mal seizures, heart attacks and stroke can occur during the DT’s, all of which can be fatal.
Getting Treatment
The good news for those who are extremely alcohol dependent, and who wish to quit drinking, all of these symptoms can be alleviated and even eliminated with proper medical treatment.
Typically, for those who are mildly dependent doses of vitamins (Thiamin) and a proper diet will prevent most of the mild withdrawal symptoms from occurring. For the severely dependent, medication can be administered, but only by a physician. One approach is to substitute Valium for alcohol and gradually reduce the dosage until the patient is drug free.
If you are a heavy drinker and want to quit, consult a trained medical professional, and be honest about your usual alcohol intake. The psychological withdrawal is enough to deal with, without also having to fight the physical symptoms.
You don’t have to do it "on your own" to prove anything to anyone. Help is available, take advantage of it."
References :
http://alcoholism.about.com/cs/withdrawal/a/aa000125a.htm
November 5th, 2009 at 6:30 pm
you need medical treatment before stopping cold turkey -DT’s can be fatal esp. the 3rd time around –hav always heard the 3rd time is fatal
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November 5th, 2009 at 6:44 pm
DT’s occur because your nervous system has sped itself up in order to compensate for being in a continuous state of depression caused by etoh abuse. when you stop drinking suddenly, your nervous system doesn’t at first realize that it can slow back down. your nertvous system then goes haywire, firing neurons way too quicky, causing hallucinations, tremors, seizures and even death. if you planning on quitting drinking after a long period of abuse, you need to seek medical help first. contact your doctor, he can reccomend medication to prevent the seizures and tremors, or may even reccomend an inpatient detox center. good luck. your life will greatly improve in ways you can not even image.
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November 5th, 2009 at 7:34 pm
As a nurse my recommendation would be that you need to be admitted to the hospital to do this. With your alcohol history you are at high risk of having withdrawl seizures. In my opinion alcohol withdrawls are probably the worst drug to come off of. It is NOT something you should attempt on your own. Most hospitals have a protocol with specific orders to assist you with these symptoms. A dose range of tranquilizers like ativan or librium will be used over a period of 2-4 days that will minimize DT’s and seizures. After you are considered "medically stable" you will need to get into an outpatient recovery program. Good luck and I hope this helps.
References :
November 5th, 2009 at 8:14 pm
2 things that are dangerous to detox on your own, 1 alcohol, 2 benzo’s (like valium etc). You pretty much need medical observation when doing that. DT’s can be avoided by a Dr prescribing a long acting benzo for a few days, as well as thiamine and vit B co, this is normally done as an inpatient in a rehab center or hospital. The danger is that you could have a convulsion, which needs immediate treatment. Other drugs is tough to detox, with lots of with drawl symptoms but not ,dangerous to go it alone, so my advice is, check yourself into a facility that runs detox programs, you will get all the treatment and support there. Good luck!
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