Alcohol withdrawal syndrome

Short description: Medical condition

Alcohol withdrawal syndrome

Ethanol
Specialty| Toxicology, addiction medicine, intensive care medicine, psychiatry
Symptoms| Anxiety, shakiness, sweating, vomiting, fast heart rate, mild fever[1]
Complications| Seizures, delirium tremens, death
Usual onset| Six hours following the last drink[2]
Duration| Up to a week[2]
Causes| Reduction or cessation of alcohol intake after a period of excessive use[1]
Diagnostic method| Clinical Institute Withdrawal Assessment for Alcohol (CIWA-Ar)[3]
Treatment| Benzodiazepines, thiamine[2]
Frequency| ~50% of people with alcoholism upon reducing use[3]
Table from the 2010 DrugScience study ranking various drugs (legal and illegal) based on statements by drug-harm experts. This study rated alcohol the most harmful drug overall, and the only drug more harmful to others than to the users themselves.[4]

Alcohol withdrawal syndrome (AWS) is a set of symptoms that can occur following a reduction in or cessation of alcohol use after a period of excessive use.[1] Symptoms typically include anxiety, shakiness, sweating, vomiting, fast heart rate, and a mild fever.[1] More severe symptoms may include seizures, and delirium tremens (DTs); which can be fatal in untreated patients.[1] Symptoms start at around 6 hours after the last drink.[2] Peak incidence of seizures occurs at 24 to 36 hours[5] and peak incidence of DT is at 48 to 72 hours.[6]

Alcohol withdrawal may occur in those who are alcohol dependent.[1] This may occur following a planned or unplanned decrease in alcohol intake.[1] The underlying mechanism involves a decreased responsiveness of GABA receptors in the brain.[3] The withdrawal process is typically followed using the Clinical Institute Withdrawal Assessment for Alcohol scale (CIWA-Ar).[3]

The typical treatment of alcohol withdrawal is with benzodiazepines such as chlordiazepoxide or diazepam.[2] Often, the amounts given are based on a person's symptoms.[2] Thiamine is recommended routinely.[2] Electrolyte problems and low blood sugar should also be treated.[2] Early treatment improves outcomes.[2]

In the Western world, about 15% of people have problems with alcoholism at some point in time.[3] Alcohol depresses the central nervous system, slowing cerebral messaging and altering the way signals are sent and received. Progressively larger amounts of alcohol are needed to achieve the same physical and emotional results. The drinker eventually must consume alcohol to avoid the physical cravings and withdrawal symptoms. About half of people with alcoholism will develop withdrawal symptoms upon reducing their use, with four percent developing severe symptoms.[3] Among those with severe symptoms up to 15% die.[2] Symptoms of alcohol withdrawal have been described at least as early as 400 BC by Hippocrates.[7][8] It is not believed to have become a widespread problem until the 1700s.[8]

## Contents

* 1 Signs and symptoms
* 1.1 Progression
* 1.2 Protracted withdrawal
* 2 Pathophysiology
* 2.1 Kindling
* 3 Diagnosis
* 4 Treatment
* 4.1 Benzodiazepines
* 4.2 Vitamins
* 4.3 Anticonvulsants
* 4.4 Prevention of further drinking
* 4.5 Other
* 5 Prognosis
* 5.1 Substances impairing recovery
* 6 References
* 7 External links

## Signs and symptoms

Signs and symptoms of alcohol withdrawal occur primarily in the central nervous system. The severity of withdrawal can vary from mild symptoms such as insomnia, musle aches, trembling, and anxiety to severe and life-threatening symptoms such as alcoholic hallucinosis, delirium tremens, and autonomic instability.[9][10][11]

Withdrawal usually begins 6 to 24 hours after the last drink.[12] Symptoms are worst at 24 to 72 hours, and improve by seven days.[2][3] To be classified as alcohol withdrawal syndrome, patients must exhibit at least two of the following symptoms: increased hand tremor, insomnia, nausea or vomiting, transient hallucinations (auditory, visual or tactile), psychomotor agitation, anxiety, generalized tonic–clonic seizures, and autonomic instability.[13]

Several factors dictate the severity of symptoms, the most important of which are the degree of alcohol intake, the length of time the individual has been using alcohol, and the previous history of alcohol withdrawal.[13][14] Symptoms are also grouped together and classified:

* Alcohol hallucinosis: patients have transient visual, auditory, or tactile hallucinations, but are otherwise clear.[13]
* Withdrawal seizures: seizures occur within 48 hours of alcohol cessation and occur either as a single generalized tonic-clonic seizure or as a brief episode of multiple seizures.[15]
* Delirium tremens: hyperadrenergic state, disorientation, tremors, diaphoresis, impaired attention/consciousness, and visual and auditory hallucinations.[13]

### Progression

Acute confusional state caused by alcohol withdrawal, also known as delirium tremens

Six to 12 hours after the ingestion of the last drink, withdrawal symptoms such as shaking, headache, sweating, anxiety, nausea or vomiting may occur.[16] Twelve to 24 hours after cessation, the condition may progress to such major symptoms as confusion, hallucinations[16] (with awareness of reality), while less severe symptoms may persist and develop including tremor, agitation, hyperactivity and insomnia.[14]

At 12 to 48 hours following the last ethanol ingestion, the possibility of generalized tonic–clonic seizures should be anticipated, occurring in 3–5% of cases.[14] Meanwhile, none of the earlier withdrawal symptoms will typically have abated. Seizures carry the risk of major complications and death for individuals with an alcohol use disorder.[17][14]

Although the person's condition usually begins to improve after 48 hours, withdrawal symptoms sometimes continue to increase in severity and advance to the most severe stage of withdrawal, delirium tremens. This occurs in 5–20% of patients experiencing detoxification and one third of untreated cases,[15][14] which is characterized by hallucinations that are indistinguishable from reality, severe confusion, seizures, high blood pressure, and fever that can persist anywhere from 4 to 12 days.[16]

### Protracted withdrawal

A protracted alcohol withdrawal syndrome occurs in many with Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) when withdrawal symptoms continue beyond the acute withdrawal stage, but usually at a subacute level of intensity and gradually decreasing in severity over time. This syndrome is sometimes referred to as the post-acute-withdrawal syndrome. Some withdrawal symptoms can linger for at least a year after discontinuation of alcohol. Symptoms can include a craving for alcohol, inability to feel pleasure from normally pleasurable things (known as anhedonia), clouding of sensorium, disorientation, nausea and vomiting, or headache.[18]

Insomnia is a common protracted withdrawal symptom that persists after the acute withdrawal phase of alcohol. Insomnia has also been found to influence relapse rate. Studies have found that magnesium or trazodone can help treat the persistent withdrawal symptom of insomnia in AUD recovery. Insomnia can be difficult to treat in these individuals because many of the traditional sleep aids (e.g., benzodiazepine receptor agonists and barbiturate receptor agonists) work via a GABAA receptor mechanism and are cross-tolerant with alcohol. However, trazodone is not cross-tolerant with alcohol.[19][20][21] The acute phase of the alcohol withdrawal syndrome can occasionally be protracted. Protracted delirium tremens has been reported in the medical literature as a possible but unusual feature of alcohol withdrawal.[22]

## Pathophysiology

Chronic use of alcohol leads to changes in brain chemistry, especially in the GABAergic system. Various adaptations occur, such as changes in gene expression and downregulation of GABAA receptors. During acute alcohol withdrawal, changes also occur, such as upregulation of alpha4-containing GABAA receptors and downregulation of alpha1 and alpha3-containing GABAA receptors. Neurochemical changes occurring during alcohol withdrawal can be minimized with drugs that are used for acute detoxification. With abstinence from alcohol and cross-tolerant drugs, these changes in neurochemistry may gradually return towards normal.[23][24] Adaptations to the NMDA system also occur as a result of repeated alcohol intoxication and are involved in the hyper-excitability of the central nervous system during the alcohol withdrawal syndrome. Homocysteine levels, which are elevated during chronic drinking, increase even further during the withdrawal state, and may result in excitotoxicity.[25] Alterations in ECG (in particular an increase in QT interval) and EEG abnormalities (including abnormal quantified EEG) may occur during early withdrawal.[25] Dysfunction of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis and increased release of corticotropin-releasing hormone occur during both acute and protracted abstinence from alcohol and contribute to both acute and protracted withdrawal symptoms. Anhedonia/dysphoria symptoms, which can persist as part of a protracted withdrawal, may be due to dopamine underactivity.[26]

### Kindling

See also: Medicine:Kindling (sedative–hypnotic withdrawal)

Kindling is a phenomenon where repeated alcohol detoxifications lead to an increased severity of the withdrawal syndrome. For example, binge drinkers may initially experience no withdrawal symptoms, but with each period of alcohol use followed by cessation, their withdrawal symptoms intensify in severity and may eventually result in full-blown delirium tremens with convulsive seizures. Alcoholics who experience seizures during detoxification are more likely to have had previous episodes of alcohol detoxification than patients who do not have seizures during withdrawal. In addition, people with previous withdrawal syndromes are more likely to have more medically complicated alcohol withdrawal symptoms.[27]

Kindling can cause complications and may increase the risk of relapse, alcohol-related brain damage, and cognitive deficits. Chronic alcohol misuse and kindling via multiple alcohol withdrawals may lead to permanent alterations in the GABAA receptors.[28] The mechanism behind kindling is sensitization of some neuronal systems and desensitization of other neuronal systems, which leads to increasingly gross neurochemical imbalances. This in turn leads to more profound withdrawal symptoms including anxiety, convulsions, and neurotoxicity.[27]

Binge drinking is associated with increased impulsivity, impairments in spatial working memory, and impaired emotional learning. These adverse effects are believed to be due to the neurotoxic effects of repeated withdrawal from alcohol on aberrant neuronal plasticity and cortical damage. Repeated periods of acute intoxication followed by acute detoxification have profound effects on the brain and are associated with an increased risk of seizures as well as cognitive deficits. The effects on the brain are similar to those seen in alcoholics who have detoxified repeatedly, but not as severe as in alcoholics who have no history of prior detox. Thus, the acute withdrawal syndrome appears to be the most important factor in causing damage or impairment to brain function. The brain regions most sensitive to harm from binge drinking are the amygdala and prefrontal cortex.[29]

People in adolescence who experience repeated withdrawals from binge drinking show impairments of long-term nonverbal memory. Alcoholics who have had two or more alcohol withdrawals show more frontal lobe cognitive dysfunction than those who have experienced one or no prior withdrawals. Kindling of neurons is the proposed cause of withdrawal-related cognitive damage. Kindling from repeated withdrawals leads to accumulating neuroadaptive changes. Kindling may also be the reason for cognitive damage seen in binge drinkers.[30]

## Diagnosis

Many hospitals use the Clinical Institute Withdrawal Assessment for Alcohol (CIWA) protocol to assess the level of withdrawal present and therefore the amount of medication needed.[13] When overuse of alcohol is suspected but drinking history is unclear, testing for elevated values of carbohydrate-deficient transferrin or gamma-glutamyl transferase can help make the diagnosis of alcohol overuse and dependence clearer. The CIWA has also been shortened (now called the CIWA-Ar), while retaining its validity and reliability, to help assess patients more efficiently due to the life-threatening nature of alcohol withdrawal.[31]

## Treatment

Benzodiazepines are effective for the management of symptoms as well as the prevention of seizures.[32] Certain vitamins are also an important part of the management of alcohol withdrawal syndrome. In those with severe symptoms, inpatient care is often required.[12] In those with lesser symptoms, treatment at home may be possible with daily visits with a healthcare provider.[12]

Cohort studies have demonstrated that the combination of anticonvulsants and benzodiazepines is more effective than other treatments in reducing alcohol withdrawal scores and shortening the duration of intensive care unit stays.[33]

### Benzodiazepines

Benzodiazepines are the most commonly used medication for the treatment of alcohol withdrawal and are generally safe and effective in suppressing symptoms of alcohol withdrawal.[34] This class of medication is generally effective in symptom control, but needs to be used carefully. Although benzodiazepines have a long history of successfully treating and preventing withdrawal, there is no consensus on the ideal one to use. The most commonly used agents are long-acting benzodiazepines, such as chlordiazepoxide and diazepam. These are believed to be superior to other benzodiazepines for the treatment of delirium and allow for longer periods between doses. However, benzodiazepines with intermediate half-lives like lorazepam may be safer in people with liver problems.[35] Benzodiazepines showed a protective benefit against alcohol withdrawal symptoms, in particular seizure, compared to other common methods of treatment.[36]

The primary debate between the use of long-acting benzodiazepines and short-acting ones is that of ease of use. Longer-acting drugs, such as diazepam, can be administered less frequently. However, evidence does exist that "symptom-triggered regimens" such as those used when treating with lorazepam are as safe and effective, but have decreased treatment duration and medication quantity used.[35]

Although benzodiazepines are very effective at treating alcohol withdrawal, they should be used carefully. Benzodiazepines should only be used for brief periods in alcoholics who are not already dependent on them, as they share cross-tolerance with alcohol. There is a risk of replacing an alcohol addiction with benzodiazepine dependence or adding another addiction. Furthermore, disrupted GABA benzodiazepine receptor function is part of alcohol dependence, and chronic benzodiazepines may prevent full recovery from alcohol-induced mental effects.[37][38] The combination of benzodiazepines and alcohol can amplify the adverse psychological effects of each other, causing enhanced depressive effects on mood and increasing suicidal actions, and is generally contraindicated except for alcohol withdrawal.[39]

### Vitamins

People who consume excessive alcohol are often deficient in various nutrients, which can cause severe complications during alcohol withdrawal, such as the development of Wernicke syndrome. To help prevent Wernicke syndrome, these individuals should be given a multivitamin preparation with sufficient thiamine and folic acid. During alcohol withdrawal, the prophylactic administration of thiamine, folic acid, and pyridoxine intravenously is recommended before starting any carbohydrate-containing fluids or food. These vitamins are often combined into a banana bag for intravenous administration.[40]

### Anticonvulsants

Very limited evidence indicates that topiramate or pregabalin may be useful in the treatment of alcohol withdrawal syndrome.[41] Limited evidence supports the use of gabapentin or carbamazepine for the treatment of mild or moderate alcohol withdrawal as the sole treatment or as combination therapy with other medications; however, gabapentin does not appear to be effective for treatment of severe alcohol withdrawal and is therefore not recommended for use in this setting.[41][42] A 2010 Cochrane review similarly reported that the evidence to support the role of anticonvulsants over benzodiazepines in the treatment of alcohol withdrawal is not supported.[43] Paraldehyde combined with chloral hydrate showed superiority over chlordiazepoxide with regard to life-threatening side effects and carbamazepine may have advantages for certain symptoms.[43] Long term anticonvulsant medications are not usually recommended in those who have had prior seizures due to withdrawal.[44]

### Prevention of further drinking

There are three medications used to help prevent a return to drinking: naltrexone, acamprosate, and disulfiram. They are used after withdrawal has occurred.[45]

### Other

Clonidine may be used in combination with benzodiazepines to help with some of the symptoms.[13] No conclusions can be drawn concerning the efficacy or safety of baclofen for alcohol withdrawal syndrome due to the insufficiency and low quality of the evidence.[46]

Antipsychotics, such as haloperidol, are sometimes used in addition to benzodiazepines to control agitation or psychosis.[13] Antipsychotics may potentially worsen alcohol withdrawal as they lower the seizure threshold. Clozapine, olanzapine, or low-potency phenothiazines (such as chlorpromazine) are particularly risky; if used, extreme caution is required.[47]

While intravenous ethanol could theoretically be used, evidence to support this use, at least in those who are very sick, is insufficient.[48]

Hypertension is common, and some doctors also prescribe beta blockers during withdrawal.

## Prognosis

Failure to manage the alcohol withdrawal syndrome appropriately can lead to permanent brain damage or death.[49] It has been proposed that brain damage due to alcohol withdrawal may be prevented by the administration of NMDA antagonists, calcium antagonists, and glucocorticoid antagonists.[50]

### Substances impairing recovery

Continued use of benzodiazepines may impair recovery from psychomotor and cognitive impairments from alcohol.[51] Cigarette smoking may slow down or interfere with the recovery of brain pathways in recovering alcoholics.[52]

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 National Clinical Guideline Centre (2010). "2 Acute Alcohol Withdrawal" (in en). Alcohol Use Disorders: Diagnosis and Clinical Management of Alcohol-Related Physical Complications (No. 100 ed.). London: Royal College of Physicians (UK). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK65581/. Retrieved 21 October 2016.
2. ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 "Psychiatric Emergencies for Clinicians: Emergency Department Management of Alcohol Withdrawal". The Journal of Emergency Medicine 51 (3): 269–73. September 2016. doi:10.1016/j.jemermed.2016.03.027. PMID 27319379.
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 "Recognition and management of withdrawal delirium (delirium tremens)". The New England Journal of Medicine 371 (22): 2109–13. November 2014. doi:10.1056/NEJMra1407298. PMID 25427113. http://www.escholarship.org/uc/item/08b9z9th.
4. ↑ "Drug harms in the UK: a multicriteria decision analysis". Lancet 376 (9752): 1558–1565. November 2010. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(10)61462-6. PMID 21036393.
5. ↑ Liu, Grant T.; Volpe, Nicholas J.; Galetta, Steven L. (2019-01-01), Liu, Grant T.; Volpe, Nicholas J.; Galetta, Steven L., eds., "12 - Visual Hallucinations and Illusions" (in en), Liu, Volpe, and Galetta's Neuro-Ophthalmology (Third Edition) (Elsevier): pp. 395–413, ISBN 978-0-323-34044-1, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780323340441000122, retrieved 2023-06-12
6. ↑ Helmus, Christian; Spahn, James G. (September 1974). "Delirium Tremens in Head and Neck Surgery" (in en). The Laryngoscope 84 (9): 1479–1488. doi:10.1288/00005537-197409000-00004. ISSN 0023-852X. PMID 4412722. http://doi.wiley.com/10.1288/00005537-197409000-00004.
7. ↑ (in en) The SAGE Encyclopedia of Alcohol: Social, Cultural, and Historical Perspectives. SAGE Publications. 2014. p. Alcohol Withdrawal Scale. ISBN 978-1-4833-7438-3. https://books.google.com/books?id=R9i5BgAAQBAJ&pg=PT156.
8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 (in en) The Biology of Alcoholism: Volume 3: Clinical Pathology. Springer Science & Business Media. 2013. p. 192. ISBN 978-1-4684-2937-4. https://books.google.com/books?id=hp7TBwAAQBAJ&pg=PA192.
9. ↑ Theisler, Charles (2022-05-17). "Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome". Adjuvant Medical Care. New York: CRC Press. pp. 6–7. doi:10.1201/b22898-7. ISBN 978-1-003-29138-1.
10. ↑ Rahman, Abdul; Paul, Manju (2022), "Delirium Tremens", StatPearls (Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing), PMID 29489272, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK482134/, retrieved 9 February 2022
11. ↑ "Muscle Pain During Alcohol Detox | Alcohol Detox in New Hampshire" (in en-US). 2024-02-27. https://libertyhealthdetox.com/rehab-blog/muscle-pain-during-alcohol-detox/.
12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 "Outpatient management of alcohol withdrawal syndrome". American Family Physician 88 (9): 589–95. November 2013. PMID 24364635.
13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 13.4 13.5 13.6 "Alcohol withdrawal syndrome". American Family Physician 69 (6): 1443–50. March 2004. PMID 15053409. http://www.aafp.org/afp/20040315/1443.html.
14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 14.4 Perry, Elizabeth C. (30 April 2014). "Inpatient Management of Acute Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome". CNS Drugs 28 (5): 401–410. doi:10.1007/s40263-014-0163-5. ISSN 1172-7047. PMID 24781751.
15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 "Alcohol withdrawal". Southern Medical Journal 105 (11): 607–12. November 2012. doi:10.1097/smj.0b013e31826efb2d. PMID 23128805.
16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 "Alcohol Withdrawal: Symptoms of Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome". WebMD, LLC. http://www.webmd.com/mental-health/addiction/alcohol-withdrawal-symptoms-treatments?page=2#1.
17. ↑ McKeon, A.; Frye, M. A.; Delanty, Norman (1 August 2008). "The alcohol withdrawal syndrome" (in en). Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry 79 (8): 854–862. doi:10.1136/jnnp.2007.128322. ISSN 0022-3050. PMID 17986499. https://jnnp.bmj.com/content/79/8/854.
18. ↑ "Alcohol protracted withdrawal syndrome: the role of anhedonia". Substance Use & Misuse 43 (3–4): 271–84. 2008. doi:10.1080/10826080701202429. PMID 18365930.
19. ↑ "Magnesium treatment of primary alcohol-dependent patients during subacute withdrawal: an open pilot study with polysomnography". Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research 28 (11): 1702–9. November 2004. doi:10.1097/01.ALC.0000145695.52747.BE. PMID 15547457.
20. ↑ "Double-blind, placebo-controlled study of the efficacy of trazodone in alcohol post-withdrawal syndrome: polysomnographic and clinical evaluations". Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology 23 (4): 377–83. August 2003. doi:10.1097/01.jcp.0000085411.08426.d3. PMID 12920414.
21. ↑ "Successful treatment of alcohol withdrawal with trazodone". Pharmacopsychiatry 39 (6): 232. November 2006. doi:10.1055/s-2006-951385. PMID 17124647.
22. ↑ "Protracted alcohol withdrawal delirium". Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment 11 (2): 127–30. March–April 1994. doi:10.1016/0740-5472(94)90029-9. PMID 8040915.
23. ↑ "Changes in GABA(A) receptor gene expression associated with selective alterations in receptor function and pharmacology after ethanol withdrawal". The Journal of Neuroscience 23 (37): 11711–24. December 2003. doi:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.23-37-11711.2003. PMID 14684873.
24. ↑ "The pentylenetetrazol-like interoceptive stimulus produced by ethanol withdrawal is potentiated by bicuculline and picrotoxinin". Neuropsychopharmacology 2 (2): 115–22. June 1989. doi:10.1016/0893-133X(89)90014-6. PMID 2742726.
25. ↑ 25.0 25.1 "Alcohol withdrawal seizures". Epilepsy & Behavior 15 (2): 92–7. June 2009. doi:10.1016/j.yebeh.2009.02.037. PMID 19249388.
26. ↑ "Acute withdrawal, protracted abstinence and negative affect in alcoholism: are they linked?". Addiction Biology 15 (2): 169–84. April 2010. doi:10.1111/j.1369-1600.2009.00194.x. PMID 20148778.
27. ↑ 27.0 27.1 "Kindling in Alcohol Withdrawal". Alcohol Health & Research World 22 (1): 25–33. 1998. PMID 15706729. PMC 6761822. http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/arh22-1/25-34.pdf.
28. ↑ "GABA systems, benzodiazepines, and substance dependence". The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry 64 (Suppl 3): 36–40. 2003. PMID 12662132.
29. ↑ "Review. Cognitive and emotional consequences of binge drinking: role of amygdala and prefrontal cortex". Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences 363 (1507): 3169–79. October 2008. doi:10.1098/rstb.2008.0097. PMID 18640918.
30. ↑ "Binge drinking in young adults: Data, definitions, and determinants". Psychological Bulletin 135 (1): 142–56. January 2009. doi:10.1037/a0014414. PMID 19210057.
31. ↑ "Assessment of alcohol withdrawal: the revised clinical institute withdrawal assessment for alcohol scale (CIWA-Ar)". British Journal of Addiction 84 (11): 1353–7. November 1989. doi:10.1111/j.1360-0443.1989.tb00737.x. PMID 2597811.
32. ↑ "Benzodiazepines for alcohol withdrawal". The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2010 (3). March 2010. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD005063.pub3. PMID 20238336.
33. ↑ Qu, L; Ma, XP; Simayi, A; Wang, XL; Xu, GP (1 May 2024). "Comparative efficacy of various pharmacologic treatments for alcohol withdrawal syndrome: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.". International Clinical Psychopharmacology 39 (3): 148–162. doi:10.1097/YIC.0000000000000526. PMID 38170803.
34. ↑ "Alcohol withdrawal: what is the benzodiazepine of choice?". The Annals of Pharmacotherapy 28 (1): 67–71. January 1994. doi:10.1177/106002809402800114. PMID 8123967.
35. ↑ 35.0 35.1 "The alcohol withdrawal syndrome". Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry 79 (8): 854–62. August 2008. doi:10.1136/jnnp.2007.128322. PMID 17986499.
36. ↑ "Efficacy and safety of pharmacological interventions for the treatment of the Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome". The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2011 (6). June 2011. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD008537.pub2. PMID 21678378.
37. ↑ "Changes in GABAA receptor function and cross-tolerance to ethanol in diazepam-dependent rats". Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research 20 (1 Suppl): 40A–44A. February 1996. doi:10.1111/j.1530-0277.1996.tb01726.x. PMID 8659687.
38. ↑ "Chronic ethanol produces a decreased sensitivity to the response-disruptive effects of GABA receptor complex antagonists". Pharmacology, Biochemistry, and Behavior 44 (4): 943–50. April 1993. doi:10.1016/0091-3057(93)90029-S. PMID 8385785.
39. ↑ "Alcohol use and anxiety". The American Journal of Psychiatry 164 (8): 1270; author reply 1270–1. August 2007. doi:10.1176/appi.ajp.2007.07020291. PMID 17671296. http://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/content/full/164/8/1270.
40. ↑ "Treatment of Alcohol Withdrawal". Alcohol Health & Research World 22 (1): 38–43. 1998. PMID 15706731. PMC 6761817. http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/arh22-1/38-43.pdf.
41. ↑ 41.0 41.1 "Anticonvulsants for the treatment of alcohol withdrawal syndrome and alcohol use disorders". CNS Drugs 29 (4): 293–311. April 2015. doi:10.1007/s40263-015-0240-4. PMID 25895020.
42. ↑ "The role of gabapentin in the management of alcohol withdrawal and dependence". The Annals of Pharmacotherapy 49 (8): 897–906. August 2015. doi:10.1177/1060028015585849. PMID 25969570.
43. ↑ 43.0 43.1 "Anticonvulsants for alcohol withdrawal" (PDF). The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2010 (3). March 2010. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD005064.pub3. PMID 20238337. PMC 12318632. https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD005064.pub3/full. Retrieved 22 April 2010.
44. ↑ "American Epilepsy Society Choosing Wisely". 14 August 2018. http://www.choosingwisely.org/societies/american-epilepsy-society/.
45. ↑ "Acamprosate: A New Medication for Alcohol Use Disorders". 2005. https://store.samhsa.gov/shin/content/MS974/MS974.pdf.
46. ↑ Liu, Jia; Wang, Lu-Ning (20 August 2017). "Baclofen for alcohol withdrawal". The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 8 (8). doi:10.1002/14651858.CD008502.pub5. ISSN 1469-493X. PMID 28822350.
47. ↑ "Alphabetical presentation of drugs". Desk Reference for Clinical Pharmacology (2nd ed.). USA: CRC Press. 23 October 2007. p. 512. ISBN 978-1-4200-4743-1. https://books.google.com/books?id=ihxyHbnj3qYC.
48. ↑ "Intravenous ethanol for the treatment of alcohol withdrawal syndrome in critically ill patients". Pharmacotherapy 24 (11): 1578–85. November 2004. doi:10.1592/phco.24.16.1578.50945. PMID 15537562.
49. ↑ "Treatment of alcohol dependence". The Ceylon Medical Journal 54 (2): 63–5. June 2009. doi:10.4038/cmj.v54i2.877. PMID 19670554.
50. ↑ "Are binge drinkers more at risk of developing brain damage?". Alcohol 10 (6): 559–61. November–December 1993. doi:10.1016/0741-8329(93)90083-Z. PMID 8123218. https://zenodo.org/record/1258557.
51. ↑ Substance Use Disorders: A Practical Guide (2nd ed.). USA: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins. 1 October 2006. pp. 95–96. ISBN 978-0-7817-6998-3. https://books.google.com/books?id=rbrSdWVerBUC.
52. ↑ "Neurobiological and neurocognitive effects of chronic cigarette smoking and alcoholism". Frontiers in Bioscience 12 (8–12): 4079–100. May 2007. doi:10.2741/2373. PMID 17485360. http://www.bioscience.org/2007/v12/af/2373/fulltext.htm.

## External links

Classification|

* ICD-10: F10.23, F10.23(0-9)
* ICD-9-CM: 291.81
* DiseasesDB: 3543

|

External resources|

* MedlinePlus: 000764

* CIWA-Ar for Alcohol Withdrawal
* Alcohol Detox Guidelines Example

* v
* t
* e

Psychoactive substance-related disorder (F10–F19, 291–292; 303–305)

General|

* SID
* Substance intoxication / Drug overdose
* Substance-induced psychosis
* Withdrawal:
* Craving
* Neonatal withdrawal
* Post-acute-withdrawal syndrome (PAWS)
* SUD
* Substance abuse / Substance-related disorders
* Physical dependence / Psychological dependence / Substance dependence

Combined
substance use|

* SUD
* Polysubstance dependence
* SID
* Combined drug intoxication (CDI)

Alcohol|

| SID|

| Cardiovascular diseases|

* Alcoholic cardiomyopathy
* Alcohol flush reaction

|

Gastrointestinal diseases|

* Alcoholic liver disease (ALD):
* Alcoholic hepatitis
* Auto-brewery syndrome

Endocrine diseases|

* Alcoholic ketoacidosis (AKA)

Nervous
system diseases|

* Alcohol-related dementia (ARD)
* Alcohol intoxication
* Hangover

Neurological
disorders|

* Alcoholic hallucinosis
* Alcoholic polyneuropathy
* Alcohol-related brain damage
* Alcohol withdrawal syndrome:
* Alcoholic hallucinosis
* Delirium tremens (DTs)
* Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD)
* Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS)
* Korsakoff syndrome
* Korsakoff psychosis
* Positional alcohol nystagmus (PAN)
* Wernicke–Korsakoff syndrome (WKS)
* Wernicke encephalopathy (WE)

Respiratory tract diseases|

* Alcohol-induced respiratory reactions
* Alcoholic lung disease

SUD|

* Alcoholism (alcohol use disorder (AUD))
* Binge drinking

Caffeine|

* SID
* Caffeine-induced anxiety disorder
* Caffeine-induced sleep disorder
* Caffeinism
* SUD
* Caffeine dependence

Cannabis|

* SID
* Cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome (CHS)
* SUD
* Amotivational syndrome
* Cannabis use disorder (CUD)
* Synthetic cannabinoid use disorder

Cocaine|

* SID
* Cocaine intoxication
* Prenatal cocaine exposure (PCE)
* SUD
* Cocaine dependence

Hallucinogen|

* SID
* Acute intoxication from hallucinogens (bad trip)
* Hallucinogen persisting perception disorder (HPPD)

Nicotine|

* SID
* Nicotine poisoning
* Nicotine withdrawal
* SUD
* Nicotine dependence

Opioids|

* SID
* Opioid overdose
* SUD
* Opioid use disorder (OUD)

Sedative /
hypnotic|

* SID
* Kindling (sedative–hypnotic withdrawal)
* benzodiazepine: SID
* Benzodiazepine overdose
* Benzodiazepine withdrawal
* SUD
* Benzodiazepine use disorder (BUD)
* Benzodiazepine dependence
* barbiturate: SID
* Barbiturate overdose
* SUD
* Barbiturate dependence

Stimulants|

* SID
* Stimulant psychosis
* amphetamine: SUD
* Amphetamine dependence

Volatile
solvent|

* SID
* Sudden sniffing death syndrome (SSDS)
* Toluene toxicity
* SUD
* Inhalant abuse

* v
* t
* e

Alcohol and health

Alcohol use|

| Alcohol-related crimes|

* Drunk drivers
* Alcohol-related traffic crashes in the United States)
* Driving under the influence (DUI)
* Drunk driving in the United States
* Public intoxication
* Rum-running
* Adulterated moonshine/Denatured alcohol
* List of methanol poisoning incidents

|

Alcoholism|

Note: see Template:Psychoactive substance use for diagnoses, and Category:Psychiatric instruments: alcohol abuse for treatment evaluation instruments.

* Alcohol and Native Americans
* Alcoholism in adolescence
* Alcoholism in family systems
* Collaborative Study on the Genetics of Alcoholism
* College student alcoholism
* Disease theory of alcoholism
* High-functioning alcoholic (HFA)
* Seeing pink elephants

Chemistry|

* Beer chemistry
* Congener (Alcohol congener analysis)
* Ethanol (Blood alcohol content, Breathalyzer)
* Fusel alcohol
* Wine chemistry

Effects|

* Effects of alcohol consumption
* short-term
* long-term
* On memory
* Subjective response to alcohol

Interactions|

* Aging
* Brain
* Cancer
* breast cancer
* Cortisol
* Pregnancy
* Sleep
* Tolerance/intolerance
* Weight
* Beverage-specific
* Beer: Potomania
* Red wine: Red wine headache

Social issues|

* Alcohol advertising
* on college campuses
* Sex
* Alcohol myopia
* Alcohol abuse among college students
* Binge drinking
* Epidemiology
* Blackout (alcohol-related amnesia)
* Blackout Wednesday
* Drinking games (list) / pregaming
* Drinking in public
* Drunk dialing
* Drunk walking
* Drunkorexia
* Dry drunk
* French paradox
* Hair of the dog
* Nightcap
* Passive drinking
* Binge drinking devices
* Beer bong
* Yard of ale
* Routes of administration
* Alcohol enema
* Alcohol inhalation
* Sconcing
* Surrogate alcohol
* Related issues
* Balconing
* Suicide

History|

* Dionysian Mysteries
* Dipsomania
* Gin Craze
* List of deaths through alcohol
* Rum ration
* Speakeasy

General|

* Beer day
* Drinking culture
* Apéritif and digestif
* Hangover remedies
* Health effects of wine
* Wine and food matching
* Long-distance race involving alcohol
* List of countries by alcohol consumption per capita
* Alcohol consumption by youth in the United States
* Nip joint

Alcohol control|

| Alcohol law|

* Administrative license suspension (ALS)
* Alcohol packaging warning messages
* Drunk driving law by country
* DWI court
* Field sobriety testing
* Hip flask defence
* Ignition interlock device
* Legal drinking age
* Legal drinking age controversy in the United States
* Underage drinking in America
* List of alcohol laws of the United States

|

Alcohol prohibition|

* List of countries with alcohol prohibition
* Neo-prohibitionism
* Temperance movement

Sobriety|

* Alcohol detoxification
* Alcohol-free zone
* United States open-container laws
* Designated driver
* Alcohol rehabilitation
* Drunk tank
* Managed alcohol program
* Non-alcoholic drink
* List of non-alcoholic cocktails
* List of non-alcoholic mixed drinks
* Non-alcoholic spritzer
* Non-alcoholic malt drinks
* Teetotalism
* Temperance bar
* Twelve-step groups
* Al-Anon/Alateen
* Alcoholics Anonymous (AA):
* Adult Children of Alcoholics (ACA)

Alcohol limitation|

* 0-0-1-3
* Alcohol education
* Alcohol server training
* FRAMES
* Dry January
* Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility
* Campaigns
* Get Your Sexy Back
* Low-alcohol drinks
* Fermented tea
* Low-alcohol beer
* Low-alcoholic malt drinks
* Small beer
* Measurement
* Alcoholic spirits measure
* Standard drink
* Recommended maximum intake of alcoholic beverages

Addiction medicine|

* Disulfiram-like drugs: disulfiram, calcium carbimide, cyanamide. [[Chemistry:Sulfonic Sulfonic acid]]s: Acamprosate

Religion and alcohol|

* Christian views on alcohol
* alcohol in the Bible
* Islam and alcohol

History|

* Bratt System

Related|

* Index of alcohol-related articles
* Austrian syndrome
* Ban on caffeinated alcoholic beverages
* Brief intervention
* Gateway drug effect
* Mood disorder
* Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
* Self-medication
* Spins
* Sober companion
* Sober living houses
* Sobering center
* Town drunk

* Category

0.00

(0 votes)

Original source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcohol withdrawal syndrome. Read more

|

Retrieved from "https://handwiki.org/wiki/index.php?title=Medicine:Alcohol_withdrawal_syndrome&oldid=4304951"
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template