For people who experience mild alcohol withdrawal symptoms, there are safe ways to detox at home. People who experience tremors, shakes or confusion when they quit drinking should consider medically supervised detox. You should talk to a doctor about the safest way to detox if you experience any withdrawal symptoms when you stop drinking.
How To Detox from Alcohol Safely
It is possible to safely detox from alcohol at home without medical supervision. But extra caution should be taken if you’re detoxing on your own. Alcohol withdrawal can cause serious health issues that require medical treatment.
To avoid severe alcohol withdrawal symptoms, you should slowly reduce alcohol consumption. Cautious tapering may take longer than medically supervised detox, but it will help you avoid major health problems.
Tapering can help you overcome alcohol dependence, which is a side effect of chronic alcohol use that causes cravings and withdrawal. Detox doesn’t treat addiction, which is a disease characterized by compulsive behaviors, such as chronic alcohol use.
If you’re addicted to alcohol, it’s unlikely that you’ll be able to recover without some form of addiction treatment. You may be able to detox at home and recover from alcoholism with the help of support groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous. However, medically supervised detox and professional rehab are more likely to help you maintain long-term sobriety.
Nanci Stockwell of Advanced Recovery Systems discusses the risks of detoxing at home and the benefits of detoxing from alcohol and other drugs in a safe environment.
If you’ve been unable to quit on your own, you should consider attending an alcohol rehab center. Alcoholism treatment allows you to detox in a safe environment. It teaches you healthy ways to cope with stress and techniques for overcoming the underlying causes of alcohol addiction. It also prepares you for life without alcohol.
You may be able to detox at home and still attend outpatient therapy or support group meetings. But beware that severe alcohol withdrawal can kill you. Alcohol relaxes the brain. The brain compensates for the depressive effects of alcohol by increasing its activity. When people who are dependent on alcohol drink, they feel normal.
When they suddenly quit drinking, the brain continues its hyperactivity, but alcohol no longer suppresses the effects. This can cause seizures and delirium tremens, a severe form of withdrawal marked by tremors and hallucinations. Both complications can be life-threatening. If you taper off alcohol slowly or with medical supervision, the brain has time to adapt without causing severe side effects.
Find out if you’re addicted to alcohol by taking this 11-question quiz
How to Taper Off Alcohol at Home
The purpose of tapering off alcohol is to avoid major withdrawal symptoms so you can achieve sobriety safely. The time it takes to taper will depend on how long you’ve been drinking, how much you’ve been drinking and a variety of personal factors.
You should start by determining how much alcohol you drink per day in terms of standard drinks.
- 12 ounces of beer with 5 percent alcohol content
- 5 ounces of wine with 12 percent alcohol content
- 1.5 ounces of liquor with 40 percent alcohol content
The alcohol content in specific beer, wine and liquor products differs. You can use the guidelines to get an idea of how many standard drinks you’re used to. Experts at The HAMS Harm Reduction Network, which comprises doctors, social workers, therapists and other experts, recommend using beer to taper because it’s easier to get drunk from liquor or wine.
You should plan to taper for between three and seven days depending on how much you’re used to drinking. Slowly reduce the amount of alcohol you consume each day until you reach sobriety. If you begin to experience serious withdrawal symptoms, drink enough to make the symptoms subside.
If you’re unable to reduce how much you drink, you may have a disease called alcoholism that requires professional addiction treatment. Alcohol rehab helps you taper off alcohol, and it treats other side effects and causes of alcoholism.
Learn more about the alcohol rehab process
Sample Alcohol Tapering Schedules
Before beginning a tapering schedule, speak with your doctor about the risks of detoxing at home. Tapering off alcohol may complicate other medical conditions or co-occurring mental health disorders.
- Day one
- One beer per hour for a total of 16 beers
- Day two
- One beer per 90 minutes for a total of 10 beers
- Day three
- Eight beers consumed throughout the day
- Day four
- Six beers consumed throughout the day
- Day five
- Four beers consumed throughout the day
- Day six
- Two beers consumed throughout the day
- Day seven
- Zero beers
If you’re used to drinking less than 20 beers per day, HAMS recommends reducing your alcohol consumption by two beers per day until you achieve sobriety.
- Day one
- 10 beers consumed throughout the day
- Day two
- Eight beers consumed throughout the day
- Day three
- Six beers consumed throughout the day
- Day four
- Four beers consumed throughout the day
- Day five
- Two beers consumed throughout the day
- Day six
- Zero beers
Your tapering schedule should be flexible. Expect to feel some discomfort, including anxiety, sweating or irritability. If you feel more severe symptoms, such as paranoia, increased pulse, or tremors sometimes called alcohol shakes, you should taper more slowly and consider seeking professional help. If you feel severe symptoms, such as hallucinations, rapid heartbeat or disorientation, call 911 immediately.
How Long Does it Take to Detox from Alcohol at Home?
The amount of time it takes to detox from alcohol depends on several factors, including whether you’re detoxing at home or with medical supervision. Detoxing at home usually takes longer because you should be cautious to avoid serious complications.
When you are detoxing from alcohol at a rehab center, nurses and doctors monitor vital signs, provide adequate nourishment and treat complications if they occur.
Alcohol can stay in your system for several hours depending on how much you drink. Once it begins to leave your body, early symptoms of withdrawal begin.
Early symptoms of alcohol withdrawal usually start about six hours after the last drink. They intensify for about a day before diminishing. Early symptoms include headache, sweating, tremors, vomiting and difficulty concentrating.
Seizures can occur within the first 24 hours, but seizures occur only in about 25 percent of patients, according to the NIAAA.
Late symptoms begin between two and four days after the last drink, and they usually include changes in heart rate, breathing and blood pressure. Serious symptoms caused by delirium tremens include hallucination and seizure. DTs occur in about 5 percent of patients.
- Early symptoms begin six hours after the last drink.
- Early symptoms intensify six to 24 hours after the last drink. Seizure may occur.
- Early symptoms diminish one to two days after the last drink.
- Late symptoms begin two to four days after the last drink. Delirium tremens may occur.
- Late symptoms diminish four to six days after the last drink.
Most people recover from alcohol withdrawal within a week, but people with severe dependency may experience withdrawal for multiple weeks. Alcohol causes serious changes in the brain, and prolonged symptoms such as sleep problems, mood changes and fatigue may take months to overcome, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
How to Deal with Alcohol Withdrawal at Home
Some people avoid medically supervised rehab because they prefer natural remedies for alcohol withdrawal. Slowly tapering off alcohol is the safest way to naturally overcome alcohol withdrawal, and many at-home remedies can help you cope with mild withdrawal symptoms. However, medical treatment is necessary to treat major symptoms of withdrawal.
- Water
- Nothing can replace the value of water. The body requires it to function. When you’re dehydrated, you can experience irritability, fatigue and confusion. Some people mistake symptoms of dehydration for symptoms of alcohol withdrawal.
- Drinks that Contain Electrolytes
- Water is important, but individuals should also consume beverages that contain electrolytes. Electrolytes are vital nutrients, including calcium, potassium and sodium. Alcohol intoxication and withdrawal can create electrolyte imbalances, which causes side effects such as muscle spasms, numbness and seizures.
- A Healthy Diet
- A healthy diet includes eating foods that contain the proper balance of carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, proteins and fats. These nutrients help the brain and other organs function. If a person is malnourished, the body doesn’t have the energy it needs to recover from alcohol dependence.
- Learn more about the role of nutrition during recovery
- A Shower
- Taking a shower doesn’t help you sober up, and it doesn’t help alcohol leave your body more quickly. But it can relieve some symptoms of alcohol withdrawal by helping you relax. Taking a shower that is too hot or too cold can cause dangerous changes to body temperature, but a lukewarm shower may distract you from some minor withdrawal symptoms.
- Controlled Breathing
- Breathing deeply can relieve stress that accompanies alcohol withdrawal. Deep breathing helps the body receive adequate oxygen, which can normalize heart rate and stabilize blood pressure, according to Harvard Medical School. In contrast, shallow breathing limits oxygen intake and can make you feel anxious
- Meditation
- In addition to helping you control your breathing, meditation can help you clear your mind and focus on the benefits of detoxing from alcohol. Some small studies have found that meditation techniques, such as yoga, may help treat alcoholism when used with other therapies. However, more research is needed to prove that yoga is an effective complement to treatment.
Overall, do whatever you can to make yourself as comfortable as possible. If you’re sweating, place a cold towel on your forehead or on the back of your neck. If you’re cold, bundle up in blankets. Prepare a playlist of your favorite songs or movies to pass the time.
Avoid taking prescription drugs that your doctor hasn’t prescribed to you. If withdrawal is so uncomfortable that you’re turning to drugs for comfort, you should contact your doctor or a rehab center to discuss medically supervised withdrawal.
Alcohol dependence and addiction are serious medical conditions. Minor symptoms of alcohol withdrawal can be overcome with rest and at-home remedies, and it is possible for some people to taper off alcohol without supervision. However, individuals who suffer from alcohol addiction require professional rehab.
Medical Disclaimer: DrugRehab.com aims to improve the quality of life for people struggling with a substance use or mental health disorder with fact-based content about the nature of behavioral health conditions, treatment options and their related outcomes. We publish material that is researched, cited, edited and reviewed by licensed medical professionals. The information we provide is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. It should not be used in place of the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider.
Author
Senior Content Writer,
DrugRehab.com
Chris Elkins worked as a journalist for three years and was published by multiple newspapers and online publications. Since 2015, he’s written about health-related topics, interviewed addiction experts and authored stories of recovery. Chris has a master’s degree in strategic communication and a graduate certificate in health communication.
Medical Reviewer
Psychiatrist,
Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health
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