Alcohol Tapering Avoiding the Symptoms of Alcohol Withdrawal

Ultimately, the purpose of alcohol tapering is to provide a safer and more controlled pathway toward sobriety, to minimize withdrawal symptoms and to reduce the likelihood of relapse. Slowly tapering Top 5 Advantages of Staying in a Sober Living House your alcohol use can help you manage mild withdrawal symptoms and decrease the risk of AUD. However, you may experience withdrawal symptoms or relapse if you’re not tapering correctly and safely.

Selecting a Tapering Schedule

If your BASELINE ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION is less than 20 drinks per day then we recommend reducing consumption by two standard drinks per day. For example, if you have been drinking an average of 12 drinks per day then your taper schedule can be 10 beers the first day, 8 the second, 6 the third, 4 the fourth, 2 the fifth and 0 the sixth day. Likewise if your average consumption is 6 standard drinks per day you can set a taper schedule of 4, 2, 0. The length of the tapering process can vary based on the needs of the person.

• There are a range of symptoms you can experience when you stop drinking.
• In outpatient settings, monitoring techniques and follow-up care are essential to ensure the safety and effectiveness of the tapering process.
• For others, simply cutting back the number of drinks can bring on alcohol withdrawal symptoms.
• When you are physically dependent on a substance like alcohol, your body adapts accordingly.
• Instead, you may be treated with benzodiazepines, a class of medications that are chemically similar to alcohol.

Decreased Risk of AUD

Alcohol withdrawal can cause many symptoms, some of which can be fatal.

Can people successfully use alcohol to taper off?

It is important in curbing the effects of anxiety and vigilance when it’s time for you to get some rest. The chemical binds to its receptors on your nerve cells and opens up a channel that allows a negative charge to shut down or slow your nervous system’s excitatory functions. You may also receive other medications or https://thepaloaltodigest.com/top-5-advantages-of-staying-in-a-sober-living-house/ treatments for related health issues, like IV fluids for dehydration and electrolyte imbalances or antinausea medicines if you experience vomiting. Alcohol (ethanol) depresses (slows down) your central nervous system (CNS). If you consistently consume significant amounts of alcohol, your CNS gets used to this effect.

Strategies for Tapering Off Alcohol

It’s always best to consult a physician on the best strategy, especially if you drink heavily. The main difference between tapering and quitting alcohol cold turkey is how fast you quit. Cold turkey is a common slang term for quitting alcohol (or any substance) all at once. Tapering or weaning means ramping down your alcohol use until you get to zero—or to a more moderate level of drinking that you prefer.

• BetterHelp offers affordable mental health care via phone, video, or live-chat.
• For those at risk for severe withdrawal symptoms, medically-supervised detox is often the safest choice for beginning their sobriety or moderation journey.
• However, it’s important to note that this is quite a broad definition of tapering alcohol use, and the process will be different for everyone.
• For people who depend on opioids, benzodiazepines, or antidepressants, it is typical to slowly reduce someone’s dosage as opposed to immediately cutting them off completely.

• Since alcohol depresses central nervous system activity, quitting drinking can cause an imbalance of an excitatory neurotransmitter called glutamate.
• If you go through a medical detox the people they may rehydrate you with an IV and may also give you vitamin shots.
• Based on your medical history, your doctor can advise you about the safety of the taper.
• How to break an alcohol or drug habit, including how to how to form new habits and handle cravings.
• In addition, social pressures can make it hard to quit drinking, especially if your friends or family also drink heavily.
• This might involve attending a local Alcoholics Anonymous group, regularly checking in with a doctor, or keeping loved ones in the loop and nearby during the early stages of detox.

Getting Through Time Between Drinks

• Only after you’ve been medically cleared and deemed high functioning enough for this route should you consider a cold turkey approach.
• Inpatient treatment may be an expensive option in terms of time and money.
• The most recent guideline states that we should all keep alcohol-centric harm to a minimum by drinking no more than 14 units each week.
• You see, if drinking was really just “all bad,” very few of us would ever get hooked.