What happens to the body in complete withdrawal from alcohol? Answered by a doctor

medical practitioner at LabQuest + Q-Clinica medical company

“Alcohol is an extremely common way to ‘drown out’ problems. And when isolated episodes turn into a habit, alcohol dependence is on the horizon. Giving up alcohol invariably improves a person’s life and health, but rebuilding the body is a slow and far from pleasant process. I will tell you what exactly happens in the process of getting rid of a pernicious tendency”.

Phases of alcohol withdrawal

Regular consumption of alcoholic beverages inevitably affects the functioning of systems and organs. For this reason, abandoning it triggers a whole cascade of physiological and mental reactions, which are especially pronounced at the extreme stages of addiction.

The first thing a person faces after refusal is withdrawal syndrome. This condition is similar to a hangover, but it is much heavier and longer in duration. Along with headache, nausea, photophobia, dizziness, pressure spikes and tremors of the limbs, the patient feels a strong desire to drink – because before it was a dose of alcohol that brought relief.

This condition can be observed up to a week in a row, during which the person does not sleep or eat well, feels irritable, anxious and may be prone to outbursts of aggression for minor reasons. For example, the ticking of a clock or the sound of dripping water can be very irritating.

In addition, during this period there is a risk of developing life-threatening alcoholic delirium, popularly known as “squirrel” – this is manifested by hallucinations, tachycardia and fever.

For the above reasons, the first week of alcohol withdrawal is usually the most difficult – the risk of relapse is extremely high, and the patient can be dangerous to themselves and others.

If the refusal occurred at the third stage of alcoholism, in most cases, the person will no longer be able to overcome addiction without outside help.

Independently get rid of the habit is easier at earlier stages, when the withdrawal syndrome takes place in a mild form and lasts from six hours to two days.

Physiological changes

After the “hell week” the condition of a person improves. To understand exactly what damage the body needs to “patch up,” it is important to take a closer look at the effects of alcohol on a person from a physiological standpoint.

Despite individual differences, in the long run alcohol affects everyone in a similar way, which is what causes the appearance of characteristic symptoms and the severity of withdrawal.

Alcohol is known for its ability to suppress central nervous system activity, which often leads to hyperactivity after withdrawal. Auditory and visual hallucinations, seizures, nightmarish dreams – these are signs of the central nervous system (CNS), which begins to restore its former functionality.

The main disorders in the CNS in alcoholism are:

• inadequate behavior;
• impaired coordination – alcohol negatively affects the cerebellum;
• paralysis – can occur due to poisoning of the centers of the medulla oblongata;
• heart attack, stroke or respiratory arrest in severe cases.

Psychological and emotional aspects

Another “sledgehammer” with which alcohol hits a person is associated with the production of beta-endorphins – this is a neuropeptide that, among other things, has an anti-stress and analgesic effect.

Alcohol actively stimulates its production – this feature leads to the fact that the use of alcohol causes euphoria and relaxation. Deprived of the usual dose of beta-endorphins, a person may begin to feel stress and anxiety, which complicates all efforts to abandon the bad habit.

The same factor in some cases may cause hereditary alcoholism – the level of beta-endorphins is “inherited”, and if it is reduced, the intake of alcohol compensates for this deficiency. Hence the effect of “filling the emptiness in the soul” in some drinking patients.

Liver disorders also make themselves known. The fact is that it is this organ that metabolizes the absolute majority of alcohol – about 90%. The process does not pass without a trace, because it produces acetaldehyde – a toxic substance that affects liver cells, hepatocytes. And regular alcohol consumption gradually leads to their necrosis (premature death).

Liver cirrhosis is a serious disease, as a result of which the liver tissue is replaced by connective tissue and the organ ceases to fulfill its function. The disease is a chronic progressive disease and can lead to the most serious, life-threatening consequences.

Acetaldehyde negatively affects the kidneys, provoking tissue damage and inflammation in them – the so-called alcoholic nephropathy.

Will not thank the alcoholic and his cardiovascular system. When drinking alcohol, ethanol causes vasodilation and vasoconstriction of blood vessels – dilation and constriction. These processes are abnormal and interfere with normal blood circulation, and in the long run they disturb the overall tone of the vessels and lead to atherosclerosis (lesions of the vessel walls).

In addition, this feature of alcohol is combined with its effect on the nervous system, which can be manifested by a violation of the heart rhythm.

Another “surprise” – ethanol dissolves the lipid shell of red blood cells, due to which they begin to stick together and form thrombi – atherosclerotic lesions of blood vessels, alcoholic cardiomyopathies. And this is not a complete list of what alcohol abuse can lead to.

In addition, the strongest alcoholic blow is experienced by the endocrine system – toxins affect the thyroid gland and disrupt the secretion of hormones responsible for the regulation of virtually every process in the body.

This has many consequences: increased risk of diabetes due to increased insulin release, impaired reproductive function, adrenal glands and much more.

An additional blow to the general condition of the body is inflicted and disturbed functioning of the digestive system. Alcohol affects every element of it: it irritates the mucous membrane of the stomach and increases acidity in it, depresses the production of enzymes necessary for digestion and leads to pancreatitis, slows down intestinal motility and affects its microbiota.

There are gastritis, steatohepatitis, pancreatitis, varicose veins of the esophagus, which is a prerequisite for cirrhosis of the liver, described above; cancer: cancer of the stomach, esophagus, rectum.

All these diseases are dangerous for the body. They are able to provoke both bleeding and lead to tissue necrosis.

Pancreonecrosis is a disease of the pancreas, which is a consequence of acute pancreatitis and without timely treatment leads to the appearance of multi-organ failure. A lethal outcome is possible.

Of course, all the above symptoms are not repeated – much depends on heredity, the general state of the body, alcoholic experience and individual characteristics. Nevertheless, there is always one thing in common – long-term alcohol consumption causes damage, sometimes irreparable. The process of recovery can never be easy and painless.

Rehabilitation

Let’s get back to the good news – after the “hell week” described above, a person’s condition begins to improve every day, week, month:

• headaches stop;
• heart rate and blood pressure return to normal;
• anxiety decreases;
• the psycho-emotional background normalizes;
• immune defenses and organ function are restored, sometimes only partially;
• the quality of sleep increases – it becomes deeper and longer.

When to consult a doctor

A person is not always able to achieve these positive effects on their own, so there are rehabilitation programs to help people with alcohol dependence. They often combine medical supervision, psychotherapy, and group therapy.

The duration of the program depends on the patient – it can range from a few weeks to several months. The nature of the rehabilitation also depends on the patient – it is usually conducted on an outpatient basis, but in particularly severe cases inpatient supervision is required.

Outpatient rehabilitation is sufficient for most patients. How long patients remain involved in programs varies usually from a few weeks to a few months, but longer if necessary.

It’s worth noting that work needs to be done not only with the patient, but also with their immediate environment – the support of family and friends is incredibly important. In addition, the alcoholic and his relatives should be warned that in a few weeks after refusal he may want to drink again. This should never be done on any pretext – any amount of alcohol will sooner or later lead to a loss of control.

Giving up alcohol is an incredibly difficult, long and painful process. Nevertheless, it is always beneficial for the body, even if the result of the habit was irreversible health consequences. And, no matter how hard it may be for a person addicted to alcohol, quitting is always the right decision.