Alcohol detox can be defined as a period of medically monitored treatment, were a person is helped to overcome their physical dependence on alcohol. The objective of alcohol detox is to help the patient achieve an alcohol free state. Detox is intended to relieve the physical symptoms of withdrawal. Detox helps prepare the patient for entry into treatment and rehab. Therefore, the ultimate goal of detox is preparation for long term recovery from alcoholism. Alcohol detox is most commonly completed in an inpatient, medical setting. Alcohol detox can cause a variety of major and/or minor physical, sometimes psychological, manifestations. The process of alcohol detox can be traumatic. Alcohol detox has the potential for triggering any number of side effects. These can range from mild to quite severe. Mild reactions to alcohol detox can include tremors (the shakes), headaches, vomiting, perspiration, restlessness, lose of appetite and insomnia. More serious effects of alcohol detox can be Delirium Tremors (DT’s), autonomic hyperactivity and seizures (convulsions). It has been estimated that 1 in 4 patients are at high risk of a withdrawal seizure if not medically treated during alcohol detox. The time necessary for alcohol detox is about 5 days. A variety of medications and procedures are used to detox from alcohol in a medical environment. Buprenophex, certain benzodiazepines and anticonvulsant medication are some of the medications used.
