Delirium tremens is not like any other form of alcohol withdrawal symptoms. It can feel like torture, and you can die without immediate medical care. Even worse, it can happen suddenly. Although there’s a little chance you’ll experience this most severe form of alcohol withdrawal, it is better to be safe than sorry. This article will cover what you need to know about delirium tremens and how to survive it.
What Is Delirium Tremens?
Withdrawal delirium, also referred to as delirium tremens (DTs), is a brief, toxic, confused state accompanied by somatic disturbance. It typically occurs when someone who is extremely dependent on alcohol withdraws from it completely or partially. Delirium tremens can be fatal, with as high as 37% chance of death in the absence of treatment.
The syndrome is characterised by profound confusion and disorientation, accompanied by seizures, signs of autonomic overactivity, vivid visual, auditory, and tactile hallucinations, and even cardiovascular collapse.
Delirium tremens is the most severe type of alcohol withdrawal. It has been referred to as “the horrors” when it peaks because the patient experiences rapidly changing and dramatic images and the three hallmark symptoms of tremor, sensory distortion, and clouding of consciousness. It usually begins at night, accompanied by a prodrome of restlessness, insomnia, and anxiety. Symptoms may persist for up to a few months after treatment, although milder.
Causes and Risk Factors
Delirium tremens can occur when a person with a severe alcohol addiction cuts back on or stops drinking entirely. While not everyone will experience alcohol withdrawal symptoms, much less delirium tremens, heavy drinking is still the main cause of this condition. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) defines heavy drinking as:
- For men, five or more drinks a day or 15 or more per week
- For women, four drinks or more a day or eight drinks or more per week
Several factors raise the likelihood of getting delirium tremens. An adult man who has experienced seizures or alcohol withdrawal in the past, for instance, is more likely to experience DTs. So are people with pre-existing brain neurotransmitter disturbances or those who suffer from medical conditions like liver or cardiovascular disease. Another factor is age; the likelihood of developing DTs increases with age, particularly after age 30.
What Delirium Tremens Feels Like
The symptoms of delirium tremens typically appear 48 to 72 hours after your last alcoholic beverage. However, some symptoms might not appear for up to 10 days after cutting back or quitting. There are many different physical and psychological symptoms.
Physical symptoms include:
- Chest pain
- Dehydration
- Fever
- Heavy sweating
- Problems with eye muscles and movement
- Sensitivity to light, sound, and touch
- High blood pressure
- Deep sleep that lasts a day or longer
- Nausea or vomiting
- Body tremors
- Pale skin
- Rapid heartbeat
- Passing out
- Seizures
Psychological symptoms include:
- Confusion
- Agitation, irritability
- Excitability or anger
- Bursts of energy
- Getting startled more easily
- Nightmares
- Severe hyperactivity
- Quick mood changes
- Sleepiness, stupor, or fatigue
- Restlessness
Real-Life Example of Delirium Tremens Experience
You would rarely find stories of delirium tremens experiences, as this disorder only occurs in 3-5% of alcohol withdrawal patients. However, based on the firsthand accounts of those who have had this condition, the moderate alcohol withdrawal symptoms don’t compare.
To give an example, here’s what a user in a Reddit alcohol support group recounted his experience. The poster is travelling to Japan and is in his late 20s at the time of the event.
According to him, the first symptom is intense nausea, making him feel as though he could throw up at any moment, forever. Next is a bleeding nose. He then started to see all the rocks moving that night as he lay on the floor, like little creatures wriggling. Even though he could hear people calling his name, nobody was in the vicinity when he turned around. He would persistently hear voices, music, and other sounds, usually in just one ear.
After returning to his hostel, he could not sleep and had to walk to the closest bathroom, where he thought he would pass out, and then to another convenience store to buy a drink and some water.
Every time he tried to fall asleep, the nausea got 10 times worse. Furthermore, the hallucinations increased in frequency and intensity to the point where he saw people when his eyes were open. However, the hallucinations when he shut his eyes were eerily realistic. That night, he alternated between the shower floor and the toilet.
The shaking started early the following day. His hands would tremble so much that he could not type on his phone to look up locations or get assistance. He could not stop shaking uncontrollably. He appeared like a crazy person on the streets, unable to do anything at all and unable to walk straight due to vertigo. His entire body was quivering.
He described the entire ordeal as like being stuck on a bad drug trip with no way out and no ability to think clearly or even control his limbs.
He finished his story by saying, “I would not wish what I went through upon my worst enemy. It was like being physically and psychologically tortured with no end in sight.”
How to Survive Delirium Tremens
Although there is no cure for delirium tremens, there are treatments that can help you manage the symptoms, prevent complications, and, in extreme cases, even save your life. DTs symptoms can appear suddenly and usually start soon after you stop drinking. That’s why it’s advisable to consult your doctor or go into rehab before quitting alcohol so you can get professional assistance in creating a plan to control the symptoms.
Give the emergency service number a call if you have discontinued drinking, have not visited a doctor, and believe you may be experiencing symptoms of DTs. You will receive inpatient care because you require round-the-clock medical care. Medical professionals will manage your symptoms until they go away.
Treatment involves aggressively lowering autonomic arousal and lowering the risk of seizures with benzodiazepines, which may be injected intravenously if you are extremely agitated.
You will receive care in a solitary room with periodic assessments and minimal stimulation. You will be prescribed neuroleptics if high-dose benzodiazepines are unable to control your hallucinations. If you are dehydrated or need to balance your electrolytes, you might also require intravenous fluids containing vitamins and minerals.
To stabilise your health, you might have to spend up to a week in the hospital. After you have recovered from the symptoms of DTs, you should start long-term preventive treatment, which typically involves starting your lifelong sobriety journey. After all, delirium tremens is a result of alcohol abuse.
Overcome DTs in a 5-star Rehabilitation Centre
At HARP Private Rehab, you will receive the care and attention required to overcome delirium tremens safely. Our highly qualified and experienced professionals guarantee comprehensive clinical care. Our facility is also fully equipped with top-notch amenities, so you can enjoy the luxury you’re used to while recovering from alcohol addiction.
Find out more about what our facility has to offer. Tour HARP’s luxury alcohol retreat today.
