Understanding the Use of
Alcohol Detox Medication

Learn how detox medication plays a crucial role in managing and alleviating withdrawal symptoms in this comprehensive article.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Table of Contents

Overview of Alcohol Detox Medication Options

Reducing or stopping alcohol intake – especially when one stops all at once, often referred to as stopping “cold turkey” – can cause mild to severe withdrawal symptoms. One of the ways to manage those symptoms is by administering alcohol detox medication.

At Skyline Recovery Center (SRC), we understand the risks that come with alcohol withdrawal. That’s why we ensure the proper use of medication to fit your tailored recovery goals.

There are several alcohol detox medication options depending on the individual’s needs, goals, and response to the medications. Proper medication management helps prevent complications and alleviates symptoms like anxiety, insomnia, and seizures. This improves comfort during detox.
alcohol detox medication

Understanding Alcohol Detox Medication

Understanding alcohol detox medication can help you make an informed decision and also actively participate in the treatment process. It gives you insight into why we chose our approach at Skyline Recovery Center to ensure complete healing.
Here’s how alcohol detox medication plays a crucial role in alcohol detoxification:

Ensuring Safety Against Severe Symptoms

Alcohol withdrawal comes with severe symptoms that may include hallucinations, seizures, and delirium tremens, some of which can be life-threatening.1
Alcohol detox medication, such as benzodiazepines, can help manage these symptoms and reduce the risks of severe medical emergencies during the withdrawal process.

Psychological Support

Prescribed alcohol detox medication like naltrexone targets neurobiological mechanisms that help reduce cravings and block the rewarding effects of alcohol.
It does this by inhibiting the release of dopamine in response to alcohol. By blocking previous alcohol-related cues, there’s a reduced probability of relapse.

Improving Chances of Treatment Compliance

Alcohol detox medication provides biological support during healing, which enhances treatment compliance. Since they reduce the withdrawal discomfort and the risk of relapse, people are more likely to show up throughout their detoxification program and engage in further treatment.

Preventing Complications

By controlling cravings and reducing the severity of withdrawal symptoms, alcohol detox medication can help prevent complications that may occur.
Examples of some of these complications include:
  • Seizures: Chronic alcohol intake typically suppresses the central nervous system (CNS) and leads to adaptive changes in neurotransmitter systems. When a person suddenly stops alcohol intake, there’s an increase in the excitability of CNS, increasing the chance for seizures.2
  • Cardiac arrhythmias: When a person drinks alcohol, there’s a disruption in the normal functioning of the autonomic nervous system, which plays a role in heart rate and blood pressure. Once the person stops intake, they experience autonomic dysregulation that causes fluctuation in the heart rate and cardiac rhythm. 
  • Electrolyte imbalances: When a person frequently consumes alcohol, they may also have a deficiency in essential nutrients and electrolytes like potassium, calcium, and magnesium. 

Individualized and Tailored Care With Medication

Alcohol detox medication prescription is always tailored to the individual’s needs, level of alcohol dependence, medical history, and the presence of co-occurring mental health disorders.

At Skyline Recovery Center, we offer tailored care by providing:
  • Comprehensive Assessment: Before beginning medication management, we conduct a comprehensive assessment of your alcohol use pattern, severity of dependence, and other medical conditions. This assessment helps us identify your specific needs and factors that may influence medication selection and dosing.
  • Development of Treatment Plan: Based on our comprehensive assessment, we develop a treatment plan that addresses your unique needs and circumstances. This plan may include a combination of alcohol detox medication or psychosocial interventions.
  • Dosing Optimization: We refer you to a detox center that will provide the most suitable dose based on factors like age, weight, liver function, renal function, and the severity of alcohol dependence.

Types of Alcohol Detox Medication

Depending on the individual’s specific treatment needs, here are some of the most common alcohol detox medications:

Benzodiazepines

This class of sedative medications is a common choice among mental health professionals. It’s typically the first line of alcohol detox medication for reducing risks of seizures for individuals experiencing alcohol withdrawal symptoms.3

Depending on the individual’s level of dependence, health professionals may prescribe either short-acting or longer-acting benzodiazepines.

Anticonvulsants

Aside from benzodiazepines, physicians may prescribe seizure medications to manage acute alcohol withdrawal symptoms. This class of drugs is commonly used for the prevention of seizures and can also help reduce cravings for alcohol.

Barbiturates

Barbiturates are typically prescribed for managing anxiety symptoms and may also help as alcohol detox medication in reducing the occurrence of seizures and delirium tremens. They are also commonly used in the emergency department of intensive care units.

Naltrexone

Naltrexone is commonly used in helping individuals who have stopped the intake of narcotics. However, it’s also commonly used to help individuals during recovery from alcohol use disorder.
It’s important to note that naltrexone is not a cure for addiction or recovery. However, it works to help ease symptoms that come up during withdrawal.

Disulfiram

Disulfiram inhibits an enzyme responsible for metabolizing alcohol. When a person uses this drug, they experience unpleasant symptoms when they consume even small amounts of alcohol, such as nausea, headaches, and seizures.

Acamprosate

Acamprosate helps restore the balance in the central nervous system between:
  • The glutamate and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)
  • Excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitters

Adjusting Medication as Required

Some alcohol detox medications can cause adverse effects or complications, especially when administered in high doses. So, monitoring can help in adjusting the medication or dosage based on the individual’s specific needs.
Mental health professionals may also adjust medication when vital signs are off to prevent complications.

Medical Supervision During the Detox Process

Medical supervision plays a fundamental role in the success of alcohol detoxification. At Skyline Recovery Center, the detox programs we refer our patients out to ensure constant supervision during recovery.
Alcohol withdrawal can be unpredictable and potentially life-threatening when done unsupervised. Proper supervision involves medical experts monitoring vital signs to ensure the safety of those undergoing detox.
Some of the important vital signs the health professionals check for are:

Heart Rate

To avoid or control autonomic hyperactivity, medical professionals constantly check the heart rate. Monitoring the heart rate is important because alcohol withdrawal can lead to dysregulation of the autonomic nervous system and lead to dysregulation.

Blood Pressure

During alcohol detox, medical professionals check this to prevent high or low blood pressure, which can be dangerous depending on other health concerns of the patient.

Respiratory Rate

Your respiratory rate is the number of breaths taken per minute. Changes in respiratory rate may occur during alcohol withdrawal, which can be dangerous if breathing or respiration becomes too low.

Temperature

Body temperature is an indicator of metabolic activity and may fluctuate during alcohol withdrawal. An increased temperature could be due to several reasons like autonomic hyperactivity, inflammatory response, infection, or dehydration.

Oxygen Saturation

This measures the percentage of oxygen bound to hemoglobin in the blood. It’s important to monitor the oxygen saturation levels to reduce risks due to respiratory depression, aspiration, and co-occurring medical conditions

Level of Consciousness

Healthcare professionals may measure an individual’s level of consciousness by using standardized scales like the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) or the Richmond Agitation-Sedation Scale (RASS).

Hydration

The medical professional may assess hydration status based on signs like skin elasticity, the mucous membrane, and urine output.

Electrolyte Levels

Electrolyte levels can be assessed via laboratory tests when necessary. In most cases, low electrolyte levels are due to fluid loss, poor nutrition, or liver dysfunction, all of which may be the result of alcohol intake.

The Referral Process at SRC for Alcohol Detox Medication and Treatment

At Skyline Recovery Center, we don’t offer on-site alcohol detox medication. However, we follow a structured referral process that ensures you get the best support for your needs. We partner with various reputable and trusted providers for detox.
Here’s a typical breakdown of how we handle referrals:
  1. Initial Assessment: During the initial assessment, we find out the best approach to your care from your answers to our questions.
  2. Collaborative Treatment Plan: Once we establish an approach, we set up a collaborative plan based on your unique needs.
  3. Identification of Referral Options: We identify trusted medical professionals or facilities based on your needs, our experiences with them, and their track record of quality care.
  4. Facilitation of Referral: We provide you with a list of recommended referral options and help in scheduling appointments.
  5. Follow-up and Support: Once you get engaged with the mental health professional or facility, we help provide any needed help or support throughout the detox process.
alcohol detox medication

Skyline Recovery Center: Providing Comprehensive Care

At SRC, we avoid only scratching the surface of the healing process. Our team of experts goes deeper to discover your unique needs and how our approach to comprehensive care can make a difference.

Our Outpatient Services

We are a leading provider of outpatient services for alcohol use disorders. Our outpatient care setting is easily accessible for people with work, school, and family commitments.

Thanks to flexible scheduling and less disruptive treatment options, you can enjoy our outpatient services and carry on with your day-to-day life.

Therapy Plans for Healing

We collaborate closely with you to develop personalized evidence-based therapy approaches that may include:
  • Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy: This approach to therapy teaches individuals to identify negative patterns of thinking that cause unhelpful behavior and replace them with positive thoughts for improved mental health.4 
  • Dialectical Behavioral Therapy: During this therapy, we work together with you to balance change with acceptance by teaching mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness.
  • Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR): Even though EMDR wasn’t specifically designed for alcohol detox, it could be a part of a comprehensive treatment program for individuals who have also experienced trauma and adverse life events.
  • Art Therapy: Our comprehensive art therapy offers a unique and versatile approach to supporting individuals undergoing alcohol detox by promoting emotional expression, self-exploration, and stress reduction.

Support Groups During Recovery

We encourage individuals undergoing treatment to join helpful support groups to connect with peers who share similar experiences, challenges, and goals related to alcohol detox and recovery.
Here’s how support groups help in recovery:
  • Support and Validation: Support groups provide a sense of belonging and empathy that lets you know your challenges and struggles are valid. It reduces the feeling of shame, stigma, and isolation, making you feel confident.
  • Encouragement and Motivation: Listening to the success stories of others in the support group gives you hope that if you stay on track with your medication, you can also overcome difficult times.
  • Accountability and Monitoring: Support groups provide shared accountability and insights about recovery. This supportive environment ensures you make informed decisions and stay true to yourself.
  • Education and Resource Sharing: Your peers in the support group openly share resources that will give insights into different medications or therapies.

Holistic Wellness Activities

We understand that a person’s health is made up of physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual aspects. That’s why we encourage holistic wellness activities that promote healing.

Here are some of these activities:
  • Mindfulness Meditation: Practicing mindfulness encourages individuals to stay aware of their thoughts and emotions, reducing stress associated with alcohol detoxification.
  • Yoga: Yoga combines physical postures and meditation to promote relaxation and flexibility. With yoga, individuals can reduce tension, improve overall sleep quality, and manage stress.
  • Exercise: Our team encourages regular exercise like walking, jogging, swimming, or cycling to promote physical wellness, and reduce stress and anxiety.

Complete Recovery Starts Here

Managing the uncomfortable and potentially dangerous symptoms of alcohol detox can be daunting, especially when you’re doing that unsupervised. You need a detailed and tailored plan that not only reduces the severity of withdrawal symptoms but also promotes safety and comfort.
At Skyline Recover Center, our alcohol detox medication referral programs and holistic wellness activities work together to reduce cravings and decrease the chances of relapse.
It incorporates a holistic approach to healing by addressing co-occurring mental health conditions like depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder, which can complicate recovery.

Start Your Alcohol Detox Journey With Us — the Sky’s the Limit!

Regardless of the common obstacles that may seem daunting during the healing process, recovery is possible. At Skyline Recovery Center, we equip you with all the tools that bring you closer to a complete wellness experience.

Contact us to take the first step to healing with our compassionate and supportive team today. We will be by your side every step of the way.