The Dangerous Business of Detoxing from Alcohol Alone

Amy Winehouse death  on July 23rd, brings to surface the eye opening fact of the dangers of alcohol detox. It also discloses to those who still don’t think alcoholism is a disease, that getting off of alcohol is a dangerous business.

Alcohol detox is a common recommendation for severe alcohol addiction. It saves and has saved many lives. However, one thing that many people don’t realize is that, the detox process itself is a painful and potentially a dangerous process. Alcohol detox can in fact kill the addict, if not closely supervised. 

According to the 2008 National Survey on Drug Use and Health an estimated 15.2 million Americans battle alcohol abuse and addiction each year. About 5 percent of untreated patients going through acute alcohol withdrawal have seizures, according to a report published in Alcohol Health & Research World. Between 5 and 25 percent of patients who are going through the severest stage of alcohol withdrawal die from delirium tremens (DT's), the report said. Alcohol withdrawal requires careful monitoring and taking a drug such as Librium to help.

Dr. Philip Gilly, medical director of the Maplegrove Center at Henry Ford Health System in West Bloomfield, Mich., says a seizure can be caused after 24 hours of alcohol withdrawal or withdrawal from long-term use of the medication, part of a class of benzodiazepines which includes other prescription drugs such as Ativan, Klonopin, Xanax and Valium.

Librium can become addictive and can cause medical issues such as dependence, agitation, disorientation, hypertension, anxiety and anorexia if it’s taken much longer than a week. In severe cases, seizures can occur during sudden Librium withdrawal.

“If someone were going to have a benzo withdrawal seizure because of the Librium, it means they were taking it improperly,” Dr. Gilly says. “They were taking it longer and more than they would need for alcohol withdrawal. They would have to be taking it every day for more than a month or two.”

“Your blood pressure gets really high. You’ll get agitated, hyperactive, anxiety-filled and you will actually get depressed because of all that’s going on," she said. "You can get jaundice and turn yellow from hepatitis inflammation in your liver, and have hallucinations and seizures.”

Drugs and alcohol affect the brain, says Dr. Gilly, and seizures are a short circuit in the brain’s electrical circuits. The brain goes through changes when a person starts taking drugs, or comes off them, causing overactive or irritated nerves that can lead to seizures.

As it is suspected that Amy Winehouse died from alcohol detox seizure related complications, one need to understand that medical attention is necessary to go through this process, otherwise the person going through the process is running a grave risk. Dr. Gilly's advice is, don't stop drinking until you get medical attention, which is needed immediately because between 48 and 72 hours is when you have seizures from an acute withdrawal.” 

For more information on Alcohol Abuse, Use and Alcohol Addiction Treatment visit Cove Center for Recovery