Delirium tremens: symptoms and treatment at home

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With delirium tremens, the patient's mental state is depleted. The brain suffers from intoxication and oxygen starvation. Other internal organs are also subject to heavy load. When this condition occurs, it is important to understand how to treat delirium tremens.

This state is expressed by hallucinations, motor agitation, disorientation, etc. If timely help is not provided to an alcoholic, there is a risk of self-harm and suicide.

Dangers of psychosis

An attack of delirium (delirium tremens) is an acute form of alcoholic psychosis. More than 30% of all alcohol addicts experience it. The manifestation of this condition is more common in people with stages II and III of addiction. This consequence of alcoholism leads to mental disorders of varying severity. In delirium, the sufferer can show aggression, experience fear, become hysterical, etc. This condition is dangerous not only for the patient himself, but also for those around him.

In alcoholic delirium, a person is capable of any unpredictable actions. He can injure himself, burn down his home, throw out things and furniture. The thinking center suffers from intoxication and lack of oxygen. The cardiovascular system, liver and other organs are in a negative state. Without timely assistance, a person may die.

According to doctors, death from delirium tremens occurs in 10-15% of cases. There is no such risk when providing specialized care. You can get rid of the pathology at home, but only with mild symptoms. It is also possible to get rid of delirium tremens at home if the patient himself understands his condition (controls himself) and strives to get out of it. In case of acute manifestations, treatment can only be carried out in a hospital setting.

What are the stages of alcoholism and at which of them is psychosis possible?

Alcohol dependence on ethyl alcohol develops in stages. At the first neurasthenic stage of the disease, a person gradually becomes psychologically attached to alcohol, begins to experience an irresistible urge to drink, and ceases to control the amount of alcohol taken. This stage is characterized by sudden changes in mood - from euphoria to a feeling of depression (depression), but it does not reach significant mental deviations.

At the 2nd drug addiction and 3rd encephalopathic stages, when alcohol has already fully entered into metabolism, it becomes a physical need. At these stages, periodic binges are observed, the exit from which occurs abruptly and quite dangerously. A hangover in the form of withdrawal syndrome lasts a long time and is accompanied by the development of alcoholic psychoses. Often such patients require urgent hospitalization. Therefore, knowledge of the main signs of incipient psychosis is necessary in order to react in time, help the patient, and protect others from his inappropriate actions.

Causes

In humans, delirium tremens most often begins after a long binge. It appears 2-3 days after stopping drinking alcohol. According to experts, alcohol addicts stop producing certain hormones. Alcohol becomes the only means of maintaining life. A sharp refusal of it is perceived by the body as stress, the strength of which can vary. In acute forms, after passing through a dangerous recovery period (4-7 days), pathological processes of the nervous system may develop, which in their manifestation are delirium tremens.

There may also be other reasons for the development of this pathological condition:

• excessive alcohol consumption;
• previous head injuries;
• chronic pathologies of internal organs and systems.

The pathogenesis of delirium tremens is poorly understood. Today, experts are of the opinion that in addition to the signs of intoxication of the body, disturbances in the connections of neurotransmitters of the central nervous system are added.

Consequences of delirium tremens

Having felt the consequences of delirium tremens, many recovered people try to limit their consumption or eliminate it altogether. It is rare to achieve complete recovery without consequences. As a rule, irreversible processes occur in the brain that affect the rest of a person’s life.

The consequences may be:

1. Various paralysis.
2. Speech dysfunction.
3. Development of chronic liver or kidney diseases.
4. Heart disorders. The risks of heart attack and heart attack increase.
5. Memory loss.
6. Circulatory disorders.
7. Development of mental disorders.

What consequences a patient will have after delirium tremens largely depends on the time of provision of first and professional medical care. The sooner it was provided, the fewer consequences there will be. Those who have recovered are strictly prohibited from drinking alcohol. Even if you take a small dose just once, the attack may recur, and this time the consequences will be irreversible.

Clinical picture

Symptoms of delirium tremens often do not appear until 70-72 hours after drinking alcohol. In traumatic circumstances, the time can be reduced to a day. Manifestations of delirium tremens can be both hallucinations and ordinary signs of intoxication (stomach upset, nausea, vomiting, elevated body temperature, etc.).

It is important to promptly notice the initial signs of this condition in order to avoid its further manifestation. In total, doctors distinguish 3 main stages of the development of delirium tremens, which correspond to their own clinical pictures.

Threatening stage

The first stage of delirium tremens has many similar symptoms to withdrawal syndrome. The patient's temperature rises (up to 40°C), headache and dizziness appear. Other symptoms may also be present:

• increased heart rate;
• disorientation in space;
• nausea and vomiting;
• convulsive attacks.

Often in the first stage, a person experiences problems with speech, suffers from trembling limbs and insomnia. There is a risk of developing hallucinations.

Acute stage

The second stage is characterized by a complete loss of control over one’s own condition. At such moments, the sufferer should be helped by his relatives, since the severity of the symptoms is constantly progressing. Added to the previous signs:

• nightmares that seem real to a person;
• increased hyperactivity;
• aggressiveness when exposed to external stimuli (bright light, loud sounds, etc.);
• acute manifestation of hallucinations (they become more real);
• panic attacks.

Often, those suffering from fever feel that someone is watching them or that they are being followed. Panic attacks can increase physical symptoms. With timely treatment, the severity of the clinical picture gradually decreases. If there is no action, a transition to the third stage of the disease is not excluded.

Dangerous stage

Without assistance, the transition to the third stage can put a person into a coma. The clinical picture of this condition is dangerous and unstable. It is characterized by:

• epileptic seizures;
• heavy, uneven breathing;
• severe trembling in the muscles;
• sudden attacks of aggression;
• inhibition of reactions.

At this stage there are hallucinations: visual, auditory and tactile. A person completely loses control over himself and does not feel the line between reality and illusions. Those phenomena or beings that the patient was wary of in a normal state will seem real in delirium.

In most cases, fictional mystical creatures want to kill a person. The terrible picture is complemented by the fact that the sufferer can not only see them, but also hear them, and also feel them with his own skin. In such a state, any methods and means will be useful. It is necessary to immobilize the patient as much as possible (tied, shackled to a bed, etc.), eliminating the risk of self-injury. At this stage, it is impossible to cure delirium tremens at home. It is necessary to hospitalize the patient.

How to recognize

Delirium tremens does not manifest itself in a drunk person - psychosis occurs 2–5 days after stopping alcohol consumption. Delirium is preceded by withdrawal symptoms:

• tremor of the limbs;
• headache;
• nausea;
• vomit;
• convulsions.

Signs of exacerbation of delirium are expressed in hallucinations. The nature of fever is always individual:

• Tactile “glitches” - it seems that someone is touching your arms and legs, non-existent insects are crawling on your skin.
• Visual delirium - a person sees strange creatures (“he’s drunk himself to hell”, “a meeting with a squirrel has begun”).
• Auditory hallucinations - the patient hears voices ordering him to do something or imposing ideas (for example, that a husband has a wandering wife or neighbors are spies).

Read also: Delirium tremens treatment at home

Against the background of hallucinations, persecution mania, increased aggressiveness, and attacks of jealousy appear. In this state, a person becomes dangerous to himself and others.

Post-alcohol fever is always accompanied by mental and somatic abnormalities. In addition to hallucinations, delirium is characterized by: insomnia, lack of appetite, increased nervousness, sweating, rapid heartbeat, increased blood pressure.

Delirium tremens is an unstable condition. Periods of hallucinosis occur suddenly and stop just as abruptly, aggression is replaced by increased friendliness, excitement is replaced by drowsiness. Periods of remission (when a person comes to their senses) last from a few minutes to a couple of hours.

First aid

If a person develops delirium tremens, doctors should be called to the home and provided with medical assistance before they arrive. The main thing is to protect the patient and his relatives from possible manifestations of aggression.

A person in delirium tremens is unpredictable. Therefore, the most effective first aid for delirium tremens is necessary. It comes down to the following actions:

1. it is necessary to put the person to bed (if attacks of aggression or hallucinations are observed, he should be tied up);
2. if the body temperature is elevated, the person can be given antipyretic medications;
3. The patient should be provided with plenty of fluids, as dehydration may occur due to intoxication;
4. If there are signs of psycho-emotional disorder, the associated person should be given sedatives or sedatives.

Until the doctors arrive, it is important to stay close to the sufferer, trying to talk to him quietly. The main task is to establish trusting contact. A person must realize that close people can help him.

Sometimes relatives refuse medical care, trying to prevent further development of the disease on their own. Doctors do not approve of such actions, but they cannot resist the wishes of the patient’s loved ones. The only recommendation is to monitor the person’s condition and, if it worsens, seek help.

What is alcoholic hallucinosis?

Alcoholic hallucinosis is typical for patients with true pension alcoholism, accounting for 62% of the number of psychoses occurring in this group. According to the type of course, it can be acute, subacute, chronic.

The acute form develops at the height of binge drinking or with a hangover. The onset is associated with sleep disturbances. When sleep is frequently interrupted, the patient hears noises and strange sounds that gradually acquire meaning. At first, sound illusions are neutral in nature, then they take the form of condemnation, accusations, threats, orders. Sometimes visual and tactile pseudo-sensations are added. The patient's behavior fully corresponds to his illusions. He tries to hide, run away, arm himself for protection, and may even attack others. Acute hallucinosis develops rapidly, its onset most often occurs in the evening and at night. Lasts several hours, sometimes a week or more.

The subacute form is more extended over time. Lasts for months, most often two or three. It has a relapsing course with a predominance of auditory and associated tactile illusions, anxiety, melancholy and fear. The illusions are quite realistic and bright. Self-awareness is partially preserved, but without a critical attitude towards visions. This form of hallucinosis can heal on its own or become chronic.

The chronic form of alcoholic hallucinosis develops as a consequence of an acute and subacute psychotic process. Has a blurry clinical picture, not bright, implausible illusions. The patient can critically assess his condition and be aware of the disturbance of his psyche. But the germs of sanity are mixed with delusional ideas, which often prevail over introspection. The chronic form of the disease lasts 6-12 months, sometimes several years.

In any course of this disease, even in the process of self-healing, supervision of a psychiatrist-narcologist is necessary. This is due to the patient’s suicidal tendencies and often aggressive behavior.

Features of home treatment

The most effective method of treating delirium tremens at home is to take anti-intoxication medications, as well as sedatives. It is best not to choose medications yourself, but to use the doctor’s recommendations.

Drug treatment for delirium tremens at home should be aimed at relieving symptoms. It is important to normalize the nervous system and protect the patient from the effects of mental disorder. Doctors do not recommend starting therapy on your own. This pathological condition is unstable and dangerous. Home remedies may not be effective.

Pavlov's method

To stop the progression of symptoms during delirium tremens, you should use only proven, reliable methods. One of these is Professor Pavlov’s method of relieving symptoms. Its recipe looks like this:

• 100 ml distilled water;
• 3 tablets of “Luminal” (you can use analogues of “Phenobarbital”, “Frisium”, etc.);
• 20 ml medical alcohol.

All components must be thoroughly mixed and given to a person suffering from delirium tremens to drink. This medicine will help relieve some of the symptoms of the disease and give the body the necessary rest.

Traditional methods

Traditional methods of treating delirium tremens can also be used. The following recipes are most often used at home.

1. Infusion of bay leaves. It is necessary to chop several bay leaves and lovage leaves, pour 30 ml of vodka into them. The product is infused for one week. Drink it with water, adding 3-4 drops of medicine to 50 mg of water.
2. Infusion of wormwood and millennium. 25 grams of crushed raw materials are poured with 100 ml of vodka. Infuse for 7-8 days, filter and give the patient a teaspoon for 10-12 days.
3. A decoction of thyme, wormwood and millennium. Use 20 grams of each component. The herbal mixture is poured with 100 ml of boiling water, infused for 1-2 hours, filtered and taken whole.

According to experts, most of the means used are ineffective. They cannot cope with acute symptoms, and are effective only at the initial stage of the body’s pathological reaction. The most effective option remains the help of a psychiatrist and other doctors.