How Long Does it Take to Detox from Alcohol?
How long does it take to detox from alcohol?
If you are counting the hours until this is over, that is the first thing worth knowing. Alcohol detox can take several days or several weeks, depending…
If you are counting the hours until this is over, that is the first thing worth knowing. The detox process for alcohol can take several days or several weeks, depending on the person. Alcohol detox is different for everybody, but there are common symptoms to expect.
What is alcohol detox?
Alcohol detox is an important step in treating an alcohol use disorder. The body clears the alcohol out, and withdrawal symptoms often come with that. When your body has depended on alcohol for a long time, your brain stops making some of the chemicals the alcohol was supplying. That is where the dependence comes from.
Deciding to stop drinking is hard. It is also the decision that does the most for your health. Heavy drinking over a long period leaves toxins and waste products in the body. Detox is where treatment starts, as the body clears them out.
Alcohol detox is different for everyone
No two people go through alcohol detox the same way. How long you have been drinking matters. So does tolerance, which climbs as an alcohol use disorder changes the body. The path into alcoholism differs by person, and so do the stages of alcohol withdrawal and detox.
For some people, symptoms last a few days. For others, weeks. Because you cannot know in advance which it will be, it is safer to seek professional medical treatment during this time. You do not know how your body will react, or how the symptoms of alcohol withdrawal syndrome will affect you.
Mild to moderate alcohol addiction
It is estimated that 50% of people experience withdrawal symptoms if they have an alcohol use disorder and stop drinking. Early on, the body is still building tolerance. With mild to moderate alcoholism, withdrawal can start within eight hours of the last drink. Symptoms usually peak after 72 hours and ease within a week.
Severe alcohol misuse
Among people with an alcohol use disorder, three to five percent of people are estimated to have severe withdrawal symptoms. Detox runs longer for them, and the symptoms are more intense. Late-stage alcoholism can bring delirium, hallucinations and tremors. Delirium tremens is uncommon but needs immediate medical attention. Symptoms can last several days and can lead to death.
Symptoms of alcohol withdrawal
Detox belongs in a controlled setting, like a medical treatment center. Alcohol withdrawal can be severe and it can be life-threatening, so it needs monitoring by medical staff. Cutting off the body’s alcohol supply all at once can send it into shock and do damage to the body and the brain.
Alcohol relaxes you because it depresses the central nervous system. The body answers by making extra neurotransmitter receptors to keep its balance. When you stop drinking, those extra receptors are still there and the central nervous system is overactive.
Common symptoms of alcohol withdrawal include:
- Anxiety
- Irritability
- Nausea & Vomiting
- Sweating
- Rapid heart rate
- Tremors & Shaky hands
- Headache
- Insomnia
- Mood swings
- Changes in appetite
- Nightmares
- Exhaustion
- Depression
Symptoms of delirium tremens
Delirium tremens, or DTs, are the most severe form of alcohol withdrawal. They can start 48 to 72 hours after the last drink and last two to three days, sometimes longer. DTs can be fatal, which is why detox belongs under medical care. Symptoms include:
- Paranoia
- Seizures
- High body temperature
- Hallucinations or illusions
- Confusion
- High blood pressure
- Heavy sweating
- Racing heart
General timeline for detoxing from alcohol
Timelines vary, but there is a common shape to them. Withdrawal can begin within hours of the last drink and run for days or weeks depending on how severe it is. Someone who has been drinking for years usually has a longer detox than someone a few months in.
6 hours after the last drink
In the first hours after the last drink, cravings start. Some people know this stage already, because they feel it any time they go several hours without drinking. The need for a drink is strong, especially first thing in the morning.
Hands shake. There is a general feeling of unease, along with anxiety and restlessness. Heavy drinkers, and people with a longer history of alcoholism, can have worse symptoms this early, including seizures.
12 to 24 hours after the last drink
Anxiety and nausea are common symptoms of withdrawal within 12 to 24 hours after the last drink. People may experience abdominal pain and a loss of appetite. Symptoms move from mild to moderate, including mental confusion. Breathing difficulties, irregular heartbeat, and increased blood pressure are also possible during this time.
In severe cases, hallucinations are possible. Only a small number of people see or hear things that are not there at this stage. It is frightening, but under proper medical care it is not considered serious.
24 to 48 hours after the last drink
With minor withdrawal, symptoms peak in this window and start to drop off. For others, mild to moderate symptoms carry through the second day. Fever and sweating are common, along with an irregular heartbeat and irritability. Vital signs go abnormal more often now, including blood pressure and respiration.
48 to 72 hours after the last drink
Severe symptoms can come 48 to 72 hours after the last drink. Delirium tremens puts a person at risk of things getting worse. Seizures are possible, along with fever, a high heart rate and confusion. Hallucinations and agitation are also possible.
DTs and seizures arrive without warning, and delirium tremens can be fatal. That is why detox belongs somewhere a medical professional is watching your symptoms.
After 72 hours
After a few days without drinking, symptoms ease for most people. They usually drop back to mild or moderate and settle within five to seven days. Depending on how much and how long someone has been drinking, symptoms can linger for days or weeks.
Factors that influence the detox process
Plenty of things change the timeline and the severity. The two biggest are tolerance and how severe the addiction is. Past detoxes and the length of the dependency matter too. What tends to affect the length and severity of alcohol detox:
- Tolerance to alcohol
- Severity of addiction
- How long someone has been dependent on alcohol
- Average amount of alcohol consumed
- Binge drinking vs. drinking at a steady rate
- Age
- Weight
- Sex
- Genetics
- Tobacco use
- Drug use or drug addiction
- Mental health
- Physical health
- Approach to detox
For the three to five percent with severe symptoms, delirium tremens has known risk factors. DTs can be life-threatening and need medical supervision. Common risk factors for DTs include:
- History of past DTs
- History of seizure during alcohol withdraw
- Low platelet counts, potassium levels, or sodium levels
- Older patients going through withdrawal
- Dehydration
- Brain lesions
- Abnormal liver function
- Drug use
Treatment for alcohol use disorder
People do try to detox from alcohol at home. It is safer under medical supervision. Symptoms are unpredictable and differ for every person, and the severe ones, DTs included, can be fatal. Alcohol withdrawal is dangerous enough that it is worth getting treatment at a medical facility or care from a doctor.
Some people need medication for moderate to severe symptoms. Doctors can prescribe drugs that lower the chance of seizures, calm the central nervous system and take the edge off symptoms generally. There is also medication for afterward, to reduce cravings and extend the periods of abstinence.
Treatment centers also carry the support and care that keep alcohol treatment going after detox. There are support groups and medication, among other options to help a person avoid relapse. What works is specific to the person, and that call is best made by trained medical professionals.
Related content
