Alcohol Detox: Symptoms And What To Expect

Alcohol detox is the first step on the journey to recovering from alcohol addiction. Detox is a necessary first step because before you start treatment, you must rid your body of the toxins it has received from drinking too much alcohol. The detox stage of recovery does just that: It rids your body of all alcohol-related poisons so you are ready to begin your treatment in a sober state.

The detox process has multiple stages, each of which comes with a variety of symptoms. In this article, we outline a typical alcohol detox timeline and symptoms that accompany each stage. 

Alcohol Detox Timeline: Symptoms and What to Keep in Mind

As we discuss in our article about how to detox from alcohol at home, you can expect the following timeline for your alcohol detox process:

• Day 1: Symptoms usually start off mild and then become more severe. Symptoms include headaches, anxiety, nausea, and more. More serious cases may include symptoms such as disorientation, hand tremors, and/or seizures.

• Day 2: Symptoms are generally the same as the first day, but some patients may also start to experience hallucinations and/or panic attacks.

• Days 3-7: The symptoms of the first two days come and go throughout this period. Patients with more severe cases may be at risk of more life-threatening symptoms, such as delirium tremens (DT), but this is rare.

• After One Week: Symptoms usually start to taper off after a week, but you may still feel some of them. At this point, you should be focusing on finishing your detox and beginning the next phase of your recovery, which is usually long-term treatment at a treatment center.

While going through your detox, it is important to stay healthy, as this will help mitigate some of the worst symptoms. Try to keep the following in mind:

• Eat Well and Stay Hydrated: Your body will go through a lot while detoxing, so it is important to stay as healthy as possible so you have the energy to fight off the withdrawal symptoms. This means eating well, drinking lots of water, and consuming lots of electrolytes.

• Prioritize Relaxation: Detoxing can be difficult, so prioritize relaxation techniques to reduce your overall stress. Examples of ways to relax yourself during detox include:
  • Practicing meditation and deep breathing
  • Taking warm showers
  • Anything that can help lower your blood pressure and keep you calm

Detox at Home with Kinkaid:

If you or your loved one needs help with detox, please visit our at home alcohol detox page to see how we can help. Kinkaid Private Nursing Care offers premium in-home services to patients looking for the best and most intensive care on the market. We only take on a few clients at a time, so we always provide specialized care to meet the needs of each client.

For more information, please visit our homepage and learn about our values and the array of services we provide. These services include home detox throughout California, as well as in-home nursing care and the coordination of a variety of at-home medical services in the Los Angeles area. We also offer at-home Covid-19 testing.