Alcohol Detoxification

Many patients experience mild to moderate symptoms during withdrawal and can undergo detoxification without medications if they receive supportive care and monitoring. Alcohol is a very addictive substance and it can be difficult to stop drinking without support and help.

Alcohol detoxification can assist an indiviual through the weaning of the body off the dependency to alcohol. Alcohol Detoxification treatment should be followed up with a drug rehabilitation program or addiction counseling program in order to assist the individual in overcoming a mental addiction. Following up with addictional treatment also lowers the changes of relapse.

There are different types of detoxification programs such as inpatient, outpatient, medical, and sauna type detox programs.

Inpatient medical detoxification services are appropriate for alcoholics at risk for serious complications of withdrawal or those with co-existing medical conditions. These patients and those with previous alcohol withdrawal seizures, delirium tremens, or moderate to severe withdrawal symptoms should receive benzodiazepines to reduce the risk of adverse events. Other medications have also been used in the detoxification process including clonidine, an alpha-adrenergic agonist, and carbamazepine, an anticonvulsant used to prevent seizures or delerium.

More recently, outpatient detoxification has been shown to be as effective as inpatient treatment and less costly for people with less severe alcoholism. This requires daily follow-up and monitoring.

Outpatient detoxification is commonly performed by using a tranquilizer such as chlordiazepoxide 50 mg, oxazepam 15 to 30 mg, diazepam 10 mg, or lorazepam 2 mg every 6 hours for the first 24 hours. Additional medication can be provided as medically necessary and doses can be decreased as symptoms resolve. Supportive care for patients undergoing detoxification includes providing treatment for nutritional and electrolyte deficiencies, monitoring withdrawal severity and abstinence, and providing referrals to alcoholism recovery programs and self-help meetings.