Question by hevz: How to control alcohol cravings?
I have given up alcohol but would like something to help reduce the cravings I am getting in the evenings. I have read about kava, st johns wort, gaba etc. Do any of these really work or can anyone recommend any other products? I have had finished a course of diazapam from my gp but the withdrawal in the evenings is still such a battle. I am attending a rehab group but just want something to take the edge of the cravings. Should I see a different doctor as many others at my group seem to have been given various forms of medication to see them over the next few weeks?

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Article by Alphonser Warner

Alcohol detoxification therapy is going to be a rigorous type of involvement each clinically and psychologically which will last for around 3 to 7 days. The administration intended for alcohol drawback will vary from one individual to another, taking into account the amount of alcohol the alcoholic takes in, the gravity of the addiction, and the patience for it.Intensive medical management will be very crucial particularly throughout drawback and among the most certain way that the interventions are performed correctly would be to carry out them at an in-patient program. During rehabilitation, the medical experts will likely be available to provide the patients the proper aid they need. Prescription drugs and other treatments as maintained on track along with other vital details like vital signs, nourishment and fluid intake.Throughout the time of treatment, There’ll be a lot of struggles an alcoholic would typically face. After all, getting back on track does not occur right away. Even probably the most motivated people encounter a period of doubt in the event the manifestations of alcohol drawback comes about. Common alcohol brought on manifestations like nausea, vomiting and anxiety is an extremely complicated thing to undergo on a daily basis. This is the reason why acquiring the most effective support there is prior to undergoing alcohol cleansing program is essential.Withdrawal symptoms begin to show itself within 1 to 2 days right after drinking and examining in to an alcohol detox program. Usually, episodes transpire once alcohol- induced anxiety begins most importantly when the medical team is not available. Just like any type of substance abuse, the alcoholic will most likely look for the type of relief from the symptoms that will be consoled through drinking alcohol.In order to treat the manifestations of alcohol withdrawal, medical doctors are using medicinal means to control the symptoms the alcoholic is going through. Some of these might consist of anxiolytics to chill the patient, and also anti convulsants may be required to counteract life-threatening conditions like seizures. Security from the individual will always be the top consideration especially throughout these types of situations.Aside from the medical therapy and the application of different drugs, there will also be a need to seek emotional support. You can always get advice as well as proper counseling through the medical group and you can as well get the support you need from close significant others like loved ones, friends and colleagues. Support groups such as the Alcoholics anonymous can provide available support and encouragement you will need to get through with the effects of alcohol.

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Article by Luis Perdomo

Studies have shown that almost 95% of the people who have undergone programs at the alcohol treatment center face some withdrawal symptoms which can range from mild to moderate. These symptoms can affect the treatment provided at the healthcare centers thus it is important to understand these withdrawal symptoms and how they can be handled depending on the individual and his conditions.Some of the most common withdrawal symptoms faced by alcohol addicts include feelings of jumpiness, anxiety, emotional violation, irritability, bad dreams, difficulty in concentrating, emotional turmoil, fatigue and depression. The following few steps ensure effective treatment:.Firstly it is important to be a good observer. The people who are facing symptoms need to be kept under constant observation at the alcohol treatment center. This is essential to ensure that the symptoms are not having a negative impact on the patient’s health. The individual’s heart beat, pulse, body temperature, breathing rate, and blood pressure are regularly monitored.The next important thing is sedation. This is mainly important for people who are facing severe symptoms and need special care. Sometimes medication and sedatives have to be given to such patients to control their body and save their life. Different drugs to calm the body and control the nervous system are required at times. Besides sedatives, tranquilizers may also be given to alcohol addicts at the alcohol treatment center. Tranquilizers are a special class of medication, which is used to reduce the severity of the symptoms like anxiety, nervousness and irritability. To reduce the severity of alcohol addiction treatment patients are often made to go through a drying out period where there are allowed no alcohol at all. This is basically done to see the effects on the patient when they do not take alcohol for some period of time. The experts watch the patient very closely during this time and observe every change in them. Hallucinations are yet another withdrawal symptom that may be faced by the addict from time to time. Hallucinations which occur without any symptoms or complications are very uncommon. Antipsychotic drugs are used to treat these rare cases of hallucinations.Before any of the medication or treatment can be given to the patient the first thing to do is to learn about the medical history of the patient. There are several tests that should be done before progressing with any program. This is essential to know in order to identify the problems associated with the patient especially the problems that have occurred because of alcohol consumption like liver disorder, kidney problem, heart disorder, nutrition and neuropathy related issues.Withdrawal symptoms are common and expected in a patient undergoing therapy and alcohol treatment centers recognize these symptoms and implement therapy to handle and control such conditions. Depending on the severity of the addiction, the right treatment is selected for the patient. Once the basic condition of the patient is known the other treatments are chosen. If the patient has the will to recover, 3 to 6 months is but a brief span of his life time needed to get over his problem and become whole.

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Question by maddogg: My girlfriend is battling depression and has recently spent more time on her own in her withdrawal stage.?
Hello everyone. First off, let me begin by apologizing for such a long explanation of what my girlfriend and I are going through but I really am in a bind and wished to share the entire story. My girlfriend whom I love dearly is experiencing depression and is suddenly shutting me out. I’ve tried to do as much research as possible and know that at times, part of the illness is withdrawal from everyone so I’m trying to be as understanding and patient as possible. She truly is a great person and it kills me knowing that my baby is going through such torment. She thanks me and tells me that she’s lucky that I’m in her life but I honestly feel like I’m not doing anything/enough for her; I would truly do anything in order for her to feel some relief but just don’t know what to do. I try to listen to her as much as I can, I’m there for her whenever she may need me, and although she hasn’t allowed me yet to see her when she’s at her lowest – crying and sobbing – she tells me that she wants it to be me that she’s able to call and hug her through the night. I text her throughout the day saying hello and pretty much telling her how my day is going and reminding her that although she may need to be alone for now, I’m always thinking of her. The only thing that concerns me is the fact that when I text her, let’s say early in the morning, it takes a very long time for her to reply. I know that what she’s going through now is a terrible thing and I truly am willing to give her her time, but the only thing that I would ask for is that she at least text me – when she’s going through her depressive stage; she doesn’t want to talk on the phone – and tell that “she doesn’t wish to speak at the moment.” I would have no problem with giving her her space but I would like to be able to text her and her texting back to at least say that she doesn’t wish to speak at the moment; rather than hours of no communication. Next time I speak with her I’m gonna share that information with her and hope she doesn’t get offended by it. She thanks me endlessly that I’m being so understanding and patient but I honestly don’t think it’s such a bad thing that all I ask is for her to at least reply if she wishes for me to leave her alone. But on the other hand, if you feel that I should just continue and let her take care of herself on her own and text when she feels most comfortable, I would wholeheartedly take that into consideration. But I do believe I’m at least due that much since I’m being as compassionate as I can be in every other aspect of the illness.
I would like to know what you think of my situation but most importantly if you have any suggestions of what else I can do to show support. I’ll be honest and say that the only thing that truly is taking a toll is just the fact that I text her and it literally takes hours for a reply. Like I said, if she needs her time I am completely ok with that, all I ask for is some form of communication and for her to let me know that she wishes to be left alone.
She was recently prescribed Lithium but after much research on my own with other doctors, they all agree that she should NOT be on that medication therefore she is changing over to a therapist rather than a pill-pusher; especially since what she is suffering from is depression – not schizophrenia nor is she bi-polar. I’ve noticed that she’s not at her best the day after we go out to special events and there is any form of alcohol involved. After research on my part, I’ve found that alcohol + lithium is the worst combination. I hope this new therapist would take her off the lithium but I’m not her therapist but her boyfriend. Also, she is repeatedly asking me why I would want to put myself through such hardships with her. She repeatedly tells me that it’s not fair to me and she just can’t understand why I’m willing to put myself through this. I’ve told her every single reason – honest reasons – of why I can’t be without her but simply don’t know what else to say. It came to the point where yesterday I simply told her that no matter how hard she may try, she will not push me away and that I will not allow her to take my happiness away – which is her.
Could you please give me any other recommendations as to what else I can try to do to make her happy. Or if you have any experiences which may relate to my situation would you mind sharing them with me so I can perhaps get some ideas.
By no means am I mad at her for her illness, nor do I wish to blame for anything. But yes, whenever I’m left in the air, at that point I feel like I’m not her boyfriend. But regardless, I’m willing to do anything for her to recuperate; however long it may take. Thank you all so much for taking the time to read such long story and I appreciate all – serious – replies. Bless you all.

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Article by JimWH

Alcohol withdrawal treatment is provided after a person develops withdrawal symptoms after having quit alcohol. Almost 95% of the men or women who have quit alcohol will experience either mild or moderate withdrawal symptoms, which can include mild shaking, convulsions, hallucination, etc. These symptoms can be controlled or removed through a detoxification treatment that includes abstinence of alcohol in the controlled environment of a health care facility. In some cases the detox treatment can include the administering of benzodiazepines or tranquilizers like Librium, Valium, or Ativan.

The alcohol withdrawal treatment takes anywhere from 3 to 7 days after which, the dependency on alcohol will be mostly psychological and not physical. The main goal of the treatment is to prevent a relapse. There are many facilities in the US that offer treatment for alcoholism as well as for alcohol withdrawal. These can be short-term residential treatments, in-patient hospitalization, outpatient counseling & therapy and long-term treatment depending on the severity of the symptoms. The main goal is to help an alcoholic to remain sober as well as resist the urge for consuming alcohol.

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Article by Angel CH

Treatments for a recovering alcoholic includes detoxification, alcohol detox medications, emotional and psychological counselling, healthy diet and of course, the love and support of family and friends.

Detox SymptomsThe process of detoxification causes unpleasant side effects called withdrawal symptoms. Some of the common symptoms include nausea, headaches, and anxiety while the more serious symptoms are hallucination, seizures and high blood pressure. Without alcohol detox medications to alleviate the pain, withdrawal can be very dangerous. At some cases, it has been recorded to cause death. Not all alcohol detox medications serve to relieve pain, there are also detox medication given to the person to help keep him off alcohol.

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Question by Megan: Can short-term Tramadol use lead to withdrawal symptoms?
I was prescribed Tramadol (generic for Ultram) after my wisdom teeth surgery. I ended up getting dry socket so I had to take Tramadol for the pain for a couple of weeks afterwards. I was taking one or two 50 mg tablet once every 4 hours for about 3 weeks. My pain is gone now so I stopped taking it 2 days ago. But since then, I’ve been experiencing the worst withdrawal symptoms! Is this even possible since I was only taking the medication for a short amount of time?

I’ve been having a lot of trouble sleeping, which is the main complaint I have. I keep waking up about every hour, tossing and turning, and sweating like crazy. I also have terrible chills and goosebumps even though I feel hot and sweaty. I’ve been feeling quite anxious and depressed during the day (I have no history of anxiety, depression, or drug/alcohol abuse). I just feel weird in general; I’m not enjoying this at all. How long is this going to last? It’s horrible! Is there anything I can do to help these symptoms go away faster?

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Article by JimC

When an alcoholic tries to quit drinking, he can expect unpleasant withdrawal symptoms to go along with purging of the alcohol from the body. These symptoms can get really painful and a person experiencing it may have to undergo an alcohol withdrawal treatment.

* What Is an Alcohol Withdrawal Treatment and Where Does One Get It?

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Article by Randy Kimbrell

Alcohol withdrawal treatment is a very important step in an alcoholic’s recovery. It consists of weaning the alcoholic from his or her addictive substance, in this case alcohol. Sometimes people will want to go through this phase alone, but that is never recommended. Alcohol withdrawal treatment is available as either inpatient or outpatient, but should never be attempted without some sort of medical oversight.

Alcohol withdrawal can have severe side effects, and these cannot be predicted. The last thing you want is to be home alone and go into convulsions. Go through alcohol withdrawal treatment under medical supervision! If you choose to proceed through treatment as an outpatient, a support person or persons will be needed to monitor you and get medical help if your withdrawal symptoms worsen.

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Article by Ed Philips

Most people who give up alcohol suddenly end up experiencing mild to moderate alcohol withdrawal symptoms as a result of the body reacting to the sudden withdrawal of something that it was used to or dependent on. The term alcohol withdrawal syndrome is used for describing the whole group of symptoms that occur as a result of sudden withdrawal from alcohol after a prolonged period of consumption.

Hardly anyone will escape either part of extensive alcohol withdrawal symptoms and not only alcoholics but even heavier or frequent drinkers will suffer the effect when they stop drinking alcohol overnight.

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