Delirium Tremens: What It Is, Causes, Symptoms & Treatment

If your symptoms can’t be managed with sedatives, your doctor may prescribe anesthesia so you will be completely sedated until your symptoms end. You may also need intravenous fluids with vitamins and minerals to treat dehydration or bring your electrolytes back into balance. Delirium tremens, also called DTs or alcohol withdrawal delirium (AWD), is an uncommon, severe type of alcohol withdrawal. It’s a dangerous how to smoke moon rocks but treatable condition that starts about 2-3 days after someone who’s dependent on alcohol suddenly stops drinking.

Differential Diagnosis

Both the spectra of consciousness (agitation and stupor) can be encountered in DT. It has been found to have high reliability and validity for medico-surgical patients, patients with or without ventilator support.46 This instrument is useful for patients in ICU and for uncooperative patients. Delirium tremens (DT) is one potential side effect of alcohol withdrawal syndrome (AWS). DT is a potentially life threatening condition that can cause tremors, hallucinations, and seizures.

1. The fixed-dose treatment represents the recommended regimen in those patients at risk for complicated AWS, with history of seizures or DT (in whom drugs should be administered regardless of the symptoms) 60.
2. The main goal of the treatment is to minimize the severity of symptoms in order to prevent the more severe manifestations such as seizure, delirium and death and to improve the patient’s quality of life 6, 44.
3. Clinicians need to evaluate the severity of alcohol withdrawal based on history and clinical presentation.
4. It enhances the effect of inhibitory neurotransmitters while down-regulating excitatory neurotransmitters.
5. When you drink, the alcohol suppresses certain neurotransmitters in your brain.
6. Monitoring and treatment are directed by specific effects you are experiencing and will likely be adjusted as your condition fluctuates.

Symptoms of alcohol withdrawal delirium

The only way to prevent delirium tremens is to stop, or dramatically reduce, your alcohol intake. It’s hard to pinpoint an exact number for each person because everyone’s different. Some have genetic conditions that mean it’s very easy for them to experience intoxication from alcohol. Others may be more susceptible to intoxication and DTs because of medications they take, health conditions and other factors. Many people with DTs also have dehydration, electrolyte imbalances or mineral deficiencies.

Identifying Delirium Tremens Signs in Others

Up to 50% of AUD patients experience withdrawal symptoms 4, 5, a minority of whom requires medical treatment. Anyone concerned about their alcohol consumption can speak with a healthcare professional for further advice and treatment. With support, it is possible to stop drinking and improve overall health and well-being. A 2018 review explains that benzodiazepines are the mainstay treatment for DT. Like alcohol, benzodiazepines have a depressive effect, meaning they slow brain and bodily functions. Delirium tremens is a medical condition that occurs in response to alcohol withdrawal.

Today, healthcare professionals routinely screen for alcohol use in hospital and primary care settings. While delirium tremens is specifically caused by alcohol withdrawal, anyone who is having these signs and symptoms is experiencing a dangerous medical emergency—even if delirium tremens do not cause the symptoms. An estimated 50 percent of people who have an alcohol addiction will experience withdrawal symptoms if they abruptly stop drinking. Of those people, 3 to 5 percent will experience AWD symptoms like grand mal seizures and severe confusion. The best ways to prevent severe symptoms after you stop drinking alcohol are close supervision by your doctor and treatment that usually includes benzodiazepines.

The stimulation of GABAA receptors 10 and the inhibition of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors 10, 11 represents the most known mechanisms. If you have a drinking problem, it is best to stop drinking alcohol completely. Total and lifelong avoidance of alcohol (abstinence) is the safest approach.

The 2nd degree AWS symptoms are characterized by visual and tactile disturbances and generally start 24h after the last drink. Almost 25% of AWS patients show transient alterations of perception 27, 28 such as auditory (voices), or, less frequently, visual (zooscopies) or tactile disturbances 26. They may be persecutory and cause paranoia, leading to increased patient agitation 27. When these symptoms become persistent, the patient has progressed to alcoholic hallucinosis. However, the patient recognizes the hallucinations as unreal, as dysperceptions, and maintains a clear sensorium 26. Other medical co-morbidities which need special mention here are hepatic and cardiac diseases.