(1) Alcohol Medical Detox Centers in Eureka, California, United States
Alcohol use disorder creates serious and lasting changes in the brain’s chemistry that can lead to physical and psychological withdrawal symptoms. This requires expert, medically supervised detoxification from trained doctors and nurses. Many treatment centers offer medical detox onsite or can coordinate care with a nearby hospital or clinic.
Once alcohol abuse has gotten to the point of dependency, it’s advisable to seek detox from a medical team rather than trying to go through withdrawal on your own. It’s easy to dismiss alcohol withdrawal as “no big deal” or “something you just have to get through” but it’s actually a complex medical procedure that should be managed accordingly.
What Happens in Medical Alcohol Detox?
Medical alcohol detox usually lasts around three to seven days, depending upon the scope and severity of your withdrawal symptoms. During the process, you will have the benefit of managing your acute withdrawal symptoms in a comfortable, stable, and clean environment and get round-the-clock care for your symptoms. While everyone’s alcohol withdrawal experience will be different, based on how long and how much they’ve been drinking, some of the more common symptoms include:
- Trouble Sleeping
- Headaches
- Lack of Energy
- Excessive Perspiration
- Confusion
- Delirium Tremens (DTs)
- Elevated Blood Pressure
- Anxiety and Irritability
- Shaking and Tremors
- Nausea and Vomiting
- Heart Palpitations
Your detox program may also be able to provide medications to help you battle the worst of your withdrawal symptoms, as well as FDA-approved meds to help with your overall addiction.
How Do I Know I Need Medical Alcohol Detox?
When your withdrawal symptoms are too much to take, and you’re unable to stop drinking on your terms, that’s when it’s time to seek medical detox for alcoholism. Alcohol detox is covered by private insurance, Medicare, and Medicaid as it’s a medical procedure outlined in the Affordable Care Act. The process is best administered in an inpatient setting where you can be monitored and cared for in the event of a medical emergency.
Medications used in alcohol detox for withdrawals include:
- Acamprosate (Campral): Increases abstinence rates in patients with alcohol use disorder.
- Antabuse (disulfiram): There is inconsistent evidence supporting the use of disulfiram (Antabuse) to decrease alcohol intake in patients with alcohol use disorder.
- Naltrexone (Revia): Decreases alcohol consumption in patients with alcohol use disorder.
- Topiramate (Topamax): May decrease alcohol intake in patients with alcohol use disorder.
- Ondansetron (Zofran): May decrease alcohol intake in patients with alcohol use disorder.