Severe and complicated alcohol withdrawal requires treatment in a hospital — sometimes in the ICU. While receiving treatment, healthcare providers will want to monitor you continuously to make sure you don’t develop life-threatening complications. Substance abuse treatment can vary depending on the severity of the addiction. People with severe withdrawal symptoms may need interventions that involve medications. Treatment of alcohol withdrawal is usually based on the severity of withdrawal.
How Alcohol Withdrawal Can Cause Seizures
Addiction treatment often involves cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), family therapy, group and individual therapies, and therapies to address co-occurring mental health issues. Detox is an inpatient setting with medical staff available at all times. You may be given anxiolytic and sedative medications to help overcome the anxiety and insomnia that is common with alcohol withdrawal.
Health Challenges
The current American Epilepsy Society Guidelines published in 2016 show 3 choices for second-line therapy, including fosphenytoin, levetiracetam, and valproic acid. Its use is typically when high doses of benzodiazepines have failed to stop the seizure activity. However, great caution is required when administering intravenous phenytoin as alcohol withdrawal seizure it can cause arrhythmias, hypotension, and even cardiac arrest if the dose is greater than 50 mg per minute.
Mixing Weed and Alcohol: Effects and Risks
ED visits related to alcohol withdrawal have increased across the world during the COVID-19 pandemic. Published guidelines for alcohol withdrawal are largely limited to the primary care and outpatient settings, and do not provide specific guidance for ED use. The purpose of this review was to synthesize published evidence on the treatment of alcohol withdrawal syndrome in the ED.
That means you (or your loved one) won’t have to worry about covering the cost of treatment. Instead, all of your energy and focus can be spent where it’s really needed, which is on overcoming addiction. This is what causes the signs of alcohol intoxication, such as sedation (calmness, relaxation, sleepiness) and disinhibition. Chronic alcohol use leads to neuroadaptive changes in the brain when the body tries to restore the balance in neurotransmitters.
Managing Alcohol Seizures Through Lifestyle Adjustments
Evidence-based treatments like cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) help modify thinking and behavior related to alcohol use. Benzodiazepines like diazepam or lorazepam are commonly used for their soothing and anticonvulsant properties, providing rapid seizure control. Long-term management may involve antiseizure medications such as phenobarbital or gabapentin to maintain stable brain activity.
- Abruptly stopping alcohol use after prolonged heavy drinking can trigger alcohol withdrawal seizures due to changes in brain chemistry.
- Evidence-based treatments like cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) help modify thinking and behavior related to alcohol use.
- Laboratory tests and imaging studies are critical in diagnosing alcohol seizures and providing appropriate care.
- As a response to chronic alcohol misuse or abuse, your body will adapt by tilting your chemical balance toward more excitatory chemicals.