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Drugs Used in Alcohol Detox

Alcohol detox is the most physically difficult part of withdrawal. Side effects of alcohol detox include seizures, anxiety, nausea and vomiting. Because of the severity of some of the side effects, some physicians overseeing a patient's recovery prescribe medication to decrease the chance of seizures and alleviate withdrawals. These medications are only prescribed for the short time the patient is detoxing, because they have addiction potential when used for prolonged periods.

  1. Benzodiazepines

    • Benzodiazepines are used to treat anxiety and seizure thresholds in the patients. Seizures are especially common in alcoholics who binge several times a week. They are also more of a risk in patients who have failed at recovery multiple times. Benzodiazepines like Xanax or Valium increase the seizure threshold, reducing the chance for a medical emergency during detox. They also decrease the anxiety levels in patients. Because alcohol sedates the patient, abrupt cessation causes high levels of anxiety. In addition, benzodiazepines help reduce the amount of insomnia in recovering addicts. Insomnia exacerbates withdrawal side effects. Without proper sleep, patients have increased anxiety and fatigue leading to difficulty and frustration during recovery.

    Haldol

    • Haldol is an anti-psychotic used to treat dementia and schizophrenia. Alcoholics recovering from heavy use are at risk of alcohol induced delirium. It is also more common in alcohol detox patients who have failed several times in cessation of the drug. Delirium can lead to hallucinations, and a high mortality rate is associated with this side effect. Haldol helps lower the incidences of death in patients with delirium. Haldol also helps reduce the cravings associated with drug recovery. Even after detox, some patients have overpowering cravings that lead to failure and relapse.

    Beta Blockers

    • Beta blockers are used in alcoholics with heart disease. During detox, an increase in heart rate may occur. This may lead to cardiac arrest in patients with hypertension or coronary heart disease. Beta blockers are used to slow the heart rate. The decrease in heart rate is closely monitored during detox, but beta blockers alleviates the sudden increase in blood pressure. Drugs like Dilantin may be used in conjunction with beta blocker medication to help control autonomous nervous system side effects.

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