What are delirium tremens? Getting the answer to this question can help you understand one of the more challenging and misunderstood aspects of alcohol withdrawal.
What Are Delirium Tremens?
What are delirium tremens? They are a set of particularly severe, potentially life-threatening symptoms that can occur when someone who is addicted to alcohol abruptly stops drinking.
This set of symptoms, which is also known as the DTs, is relatively rare. Studies suggest that about 2%-12% of people with alcohol use disorder (alcoholism) will go through delirium tremens during withdrawal.
A person’s risk of the DTs can be influenced by several factors, such as:
- Drinking heavily over an extended period, such as several months or years
- Having previously attempted to complete alcohol withdrawal, especially if that experience also included delirium tremens
- Having certain co-occurring conditions
- Abusing other addictive substances
- Being over age 30
For those who develop delirium tremens, the experience can be both distressing and dangerous. Some sources have reported that, without treatment, delirium tremens would have an expected mortality rate of 37%. While other experts have questioned that number, no one would argue that the DTs don’t pose a considerable health risk.
The potential damage that the DTs can inflict underscores the importance of professional treatment during alcohol withdrawal. Research indicates that more than 95% of patients who receive timely, appropriate care for delirium tremens survive the experience.
Delirium Tremens Symptoms
Since so few people experience the DTs, how can you recognize when someone develops this condition. In other words, what are delirium tremens symptoms?
The “delirium” part of delirium tremens refers to cognitive and sensory disruptions such as:
- Profound confusion or disorientation
- Hallucinations, which can include hearing, seeing, or feeling things that aren’t really there
- Anxiety, irritability, panic, and paranoia
“Tremens” refers to the tics, tremors, and shakiness that is characteristic of this condition. Other physical symptoms of the DTs include:
- Headaches
- Nausea and vomiting
- Racing heart rate (tachycardia)
- Abnormal heart rate (arrhythmia)
- High body temperature (hyperthermia)
- Excessive sweating
- Agitation and restlessness
- Seizure
Symptoms of delirium tremens typically begin within 48 to 96 hours (two to four days) after a person’s last drink. These symptoms will usually persist for three to five days, though that can vary depending on a host of individual factors.
Treatment for the DTs
Treatment for the DTs may focus on several concerns, such as
- Managing agitation and restlessness, so patients don’t accidentally harm themselves or a member of their treatment team
- Minimizing the patient’s risk of seizure
- Identifying and addressing co-occurring medical or mental health conditions
- Monitoring other withdrawal symptoms to protect the patient’s health
To accomplish these objectives, treatment for someone who is going through the DTs may include:
- Benzodiazepines: Medications in this category can alleviate anxiety and minimize seizure risk. Most experts consider benzos to be the first line of defense against the symptoms of delirium tremens.
- Antipsychotics: Meds from this category may minimize the risk or impact of hallucinations and other perceptual distortions.
- Intravenous (IV) infusions: These may be necessary to prevent dehydration or to offset deficiencies in certain vitamins, minerals, or electrolytes.
- Sedation: In extreme cases, patients may need to be put under general anesthesia.
Given the degree of damage that the DTs can cause, an inpatient detoxification facility can be an ideal treatment environment for someone who is going through alcohol withdrawal.
Benefits of Detox for Alcohol Withdrawal
Even if you don’t have the DTs, alcohol withdrawal can be an extremely difficult process to get through on your own. If you do experience the DTs, having immediate access to quality care can literally make a life-or-death difference.
In either case, there are many benefits to starting your recovery journey in a detoxification, or detox, program. For example:
- Detox is a safe, closely supervised environment where you won’t be able to access alcohol or other recreational substances. If you try to get through alcohol withdrawal at home, the intensity of your symptoms – and the knowledge that you can alleviate them by using alcohol again – can quickly overwhelm your desire to stop drinking. In detox, this risk of immediate relapse is eliminated.
- Reputable detox programs are staffed by professionals who are familiar with all aspects of the alcohol withdrawal process. They can help you understand why your body is reacting the way that it is, how long specific symptoms are likely to last, and what you can expect in the days to come. This can eliminate fear of the unknown and be a source of considerable peace of mind.
- If you do develop delirium tremens, your detox treatment team will be able to recognize and begin treating these symptoms before they inflict substantial harm. As we noted earlier, a timely response can be essential for managing the DTs. If you were to develop these symptoms at home, you might not realize what’s happening, or you may not be able to summon help, until it’s too late.
- Depending on your physical and psychological health, you may be able to start participating in psychotherapy (talk therapy) while you are still in detox. This type of therapy can be vital for your long-term recovery, and it will likely be a significant part of the post-detox phase of your treatment. Beginning therapy while you’re in detox can give you a head start on the effort to build a healthier future for yourself in recovery.
As you approach the end of your time in detox, your caregivers can discuss follow-on treatment options with you and help you identify the programming that’s best for you.
Getting additional care after detox can be extremely important. In a residential or outpatient program, you can develop the skills and strategies that will help you resist relapse and make sustained progress in your recovery.
Find Detox for Alcohol Withdrawal in Atlanta
If you’re ready to rid your body of alcohol or other addictive substances, Peachtree Detox is here for you.
When you choose our alcohol detox program in Atlanta, Georgia, you can receive personalized services and therapeutic support from a team of skilled and experienced professionals. We can help you get through withdrawal safely and with as little discomfort as possible, then determine which types of follow-on treatment are right for you.
To learn more about how we can help you get through alcohol withdrawal, or to schedule a free assessment, please visit our Admissions page or call us today.