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ENCYCLOPEDIA INDEX
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A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Alcohol withdrawal

Overview Symptoms Treatment Prevention
Symptoms:

Mild to moderate psychological symptoms:

  • Jumpiness or nervousness
  • Shakiness
  • Anxiety
  • Irritability or easy excitability
  • Rapid emotional changes
  • Depression
  • Fatigue
  • Difficulty thinking clearly
  • Bad dreams

Mild to moderate physical symptoms:

Severe symptoms:

  • Delirium tremens -- a state of confusion and visual hallucinations
  • Agitation
  • Fever
  • Convulsions
  • "Black outs" -- when the person forgets what happened during the drinking episode
Signs and tests:

The health care provider will check for:

  • Rapid heartbeat (tachycardia)
  • Rapid breathing (tachypnea)
  • Elevated temperature
  • Abnormal eye movements
  • Shaky hands
  • General body shaking
  • Abnormal heart rhythms
  • Internal bleeding
  • Liver failure
  • Dehydration

A toxicology screen may be performed as well as other blood tests.

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