Alcohol Detox

Can You Quit Drinking Cold Turkey?

Heavy drinkers who stop drinking suddenly are likely to experience a range of withdrawal symptoms. Quitting cold turkey is never recommended because the symptoms can be life-threatening. It is important to experience withdrawal in an alcohol detox center that is medically assisted. Quitting cold turkey can create serious health issues for an individual.

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Alcohol Withdrawal Symptoms

The symptoms of alcohol withdrawal can be quite severe. They often increase in severity over a short period of time, an aspect that often pushes alcoholics back to drinking rather than seeing the treatment through to the end.

Some of the symptoms of alcohol withdrawal can include:

Delirium tremens (DTs) characterized by severe and uncontrollable shaking, sweating, fever, chills, irregular heartbeat, and confusion

Seizures and convulsions

Elevated blood pressure and pulse

Onset of cold or flu symptoms

Severe stomach pain, nausea, vomiting

Anxiety, panic attacks

Detoxing Off Alcohol

Alcohol Withdrawal Timeline

Generally, alcohol withdrawal can be broken down into these three stages. The exact withdrawal timeline and symptoms can vary depending on the severity of dependency on alcohol.

1. Begins 8 hours after last drink: anxiety, insomnia, nausea
2. Begins 24- 72 hours after last drink: confusion, high blood pressure, increased body temperature
3. Begins 2-4 days after last drink: hallucinations, agitation, seizures

All alcohol withdrawal symptoms tend to taper off within 5-7 days. With a more severe case, it can take up to a couple of weeks, depending on the intensity of symptoms and other mitigating factors, such as co-occurring disorders. Once the patient has successfully completed detox, they are ready to move on to a recovery program that is suitable for them.

Medication For Alcohol Withdrawal

In a medically assisted detox, there are a few medications that are used to help the individual withdrawal symptoms become less severe and more tolerable. Some of these medications could include:

ANXIOLYTICS
These can promote the relief of stress and anxiety, and also allow the individual to sleep.

SEDATIVES
Sedatives to dull senses, create a sense of calmness and allows them to sleep. Most of the time FDA approved Benzodiazepines are used.

ANTABUSE & VIVITROL
Antabuse makes one sick if they ingest alcohol, and Vivitrol removes the ‘reward’ sensation from the alcohol.

CAMPRAL
Mitigates cravings

Our Alcohol Detox

Stages Of Alcohol Detox

At Peaks Recovery, our medical detox stages can look like this:

Evaluation

Within the first 24 hours of admission, you will meet with our primary care physician and psychiatrist for a health and physical screening and full psychiatric evaluation.

Stabilization

To address any primary drug and alcohol substance use disorder; including any underlying mental health concerns requires medical stabilization to ensure every patient’s safety and well-being so that they can focus on their recovery goals.

Rehabilitation

Medical Detox addresses the acute physiological and psychiatric concerns. Like the removal of a cast, the real rehabilitation begins after medical detox.

Therapy After Our Colorado Drug & Alcohol Detox Center

Detoxing from drugs and alcohol is the first step toward recovery. However, the evidence is clear that the longer a person distances themselves from their last use of drugs and alcohol, the greater chance of recovery. At Peaks Recovery Centers, the next step in our recovery process is transitioning into our residential inpatient rehab.

Our Inpatient Rehab

Admissions

Peaks Recovery Centers exclusive approach to inpatient treatment empowers men and women to leave drugs and alcohol behind them. Whether you are looking for alcohol rehab, drug rehab, our rehab program helps individuals learn and invest in new life practices, therefore they can restore and reclaim their lives.

If you are interested in Peaks Recovery Centers for yourself or a loved one, please don’t hesitate to call or fill out our form today.

Admissions Line

855-222-1610

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