This article discusses hangover shakes, what causes them, how to treat them, and when to see a doctor. Family and close friends who understand and support your recovery goals are an invaluable asset to recovery. Many of those recovering from substance use feel alone in their struggle for sobriety. The more people in your personal network that you trust to support your journey, the more likely you are to be successful. These groups include those who have had drinking problems in the past and now offer support to people wishing to overcome their drinking habits.

Social Support and Treatment Programs

If friends, family and other loved ones have commented on your shakes or tremors, or expressed concern about your use of alcohol, it may be time to consider getting help. Unfortunately, there is no miracle pill or medication that cures alcohol shakes. The shaking in itself is indicative of a bigger problem, one that needs to be addressed immediately.

Stress Management

Medical supervision, behavioral health treatment, and mutual-aid groups can help you through alcohol withdrawal and stay stopped. For most people, alcohol withdrawal symptoms will begin sometime in the first eight hours after their final drink. Delirium tremens happens when the brain is unable to adjust its chemical balance after you quit consuming alcohol. Heavy, chronic drinking interferes with the body’s ability to regulate the neurotransmitters gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and glutamate. Excessive drinking reduces GABA, making the brain more sensitive to glutamate. When you stop drinking alcohol, the brain doesn’t have enough GABA neurotransmitters to produce a calming effect.

Learning Center

This over-excitement can cause symptoms of withdrawal and delirium tremens. It’s not wise to try and stop using alcohol on your own if you are experiencing withdrawal symptoms. Instead, it is best to work with a treatment center that can help monitor your symptoms and provide you with medications or holistic care that may help you through the process. Alcohol shakes, or tremors, typically manifest as involuntary shaking of the hands or other parts of the body. They occur when the body, accustomed to regular alcohol intake, reacts to the sudden absence of alcohol. This reaction is part of the withdrawal process and can be distressing and uncomfortable for those experiencing it.

During DT, the brain may struggle to maintain basic functions such as breathing, circulation, and temperature control. As a result, less blood flows to the brain, which increases the risk of heart attack, stroke, or even death. One main and serious symptom is the occurrence of hallucinations, which need to be treated by a doctor.

Baclofen is a muscle relaxant that affects the central nervous system. It is generally prescribed to treat muscle spasticity in those suffering from multiple get rid of alcohol shakes sclerosis, cerebral palsy, and spinal cord injuries. Although it is not a narcotic, there are still possible side effects, which could be severe.

• Alcohol withdrawal is common, but delirium tremens only occurs in 5% of people who have alcohol withdrawal.
• This is one challenge to getting treatment for DTs — if you have hallucinations and confusion, you may not understand that you need to see a doctor.
• Taking medications and engaging in healthier lifestyle habits can improve tremors.
• It’s not wise to try and stop using alcohol on your own if you are experiencing withdrawal symptoms.
• While studies have shown baclofen may be effective in reducing symptoms of alcohol withdrawal, including tremors, it is an “off-label” use of the drug at this time.

These antioxidants could help protect against certain types of cancer, diabetes, and heart disease. Mulled wine pairs the antioxidants of red wine with a blend of spices and herbs that may boost the health-supporting properties of the drink, such as ginger. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an adult of legal drinking age can choose not to drink or drink in moderation. The CDC describes moderate drinking as two standard drinks or less a day for males and one standard drink a day or less for females. One drink can mean 12 ounces (oz) of beer, 5 oz of wine, or 8 oz of malt liquor.

• In a heavy, long-term drinker, the brain is almost continually exposed to the depressant effect of alcohol.
• The brain begins to restore its chemical balance, the central nervous system isn’t as “overstimulated,” and the shakes, even if they don’t subside, lessen in severity.
• Even when the intake of alcohol ceases, the brain stays in this state of high alert.
• Alcoholism can also lead to liver disease, which, in its advanced stages, can cause a characteristic flapping or shaking of the hands known as asterixis.
• While there is more that goes into aftercare, these two facets of it allow the client to fully mitigate their alcohol shakes.
• Older research may have overestimated the health benefits of moderate drinking.

For those who enjoy an occasional drink and still opt to consume alcohol, it can be challenging to understand which alcoholic beverages are preferable options. While there is no safe level of alcohol consumption, it is advisable to drink in moderation if drinking alcohol. If a person still chooses to consume alcohol in moderate amounts, certain types of alcohol may be healthier than others.

Are Tremors Dangerous?

It is believed to be caused by the toxic effects alcohol has on the brain plus nutritional deficiencies (particularly of the B vitamin thiamine) common in alcoholism. Other symptoms of alcohol-related cerebellar dysfunction can include poor coordination and balance, clumsiness, an unsteady walk and involuntary back-and-forth eye movements known as nystagmus. Some individuals also develop damage to the peripheral nervous system, which may cause muscle weakness, numbness, tingling and burning pain in their extremities known as peripheral neuropathy. Symptoms of alcohol withdrawal typically improve within five days, though a small number of patients may have prolonged symptoms, lasting weeks. Each day, take time to revisit your recovery goals and the reasons you decided to stop using alcohol. After discharge from treatment, follow-up aftercare is vital for successful long-term recovery.