If you’re experiencing severe symptoms of alcohol withdrawal, be sure to talk to a healthcare provider. In the short term, alcohol is processed through your liver in about an hour. Essentially, feeling “drunk” is when your liver becomes too overwhelmed to properly process alcohol, so it overflows temporarily into your bloodstream. This is what causes you to feel light-headed or tipsy after multiple alcoholic drinks. The primary benefits of enrolling in treatment are minimizing withdrawal symptoms and preventing complications. Medications like acamprosate, benzodiazepines, disulfiram, and naltrexone can help make withdrawal more manageable and sustain abstinence.
How Long Does Alcohol Stay in the Body?
The organ breaks down the alcohol into acetaldehyde, a chemical the body recognizes as toxic. Acetaldehyde metabolizes into what will remove alcohol from your system carbon dioxide, which the body can eliminate. The rate at that alcohol can stay in your system depends on various factors.
Figure out how much you actually drink
If you believe your post-alcohol discomfort is related to withdrawal, you should seek professional help from an alcohol detox program. Experiencing withdrawal when you stop drinking indicates a dependence on alcohol, and it may be difficult to quit drinking on your own. It can also be dangerous to quit cold turkey once you have developed an alcohol use disorder (AUD). The short-term effects of alcohol can be broken down into three areas. A small dose of alcohol (1 to 2 drinks) lowers inhibitions and the ability to concentrate. A medium dose (3 to 4 drinks) causes slurred speech, altered emotions, and poor vision.
Do I Need a Detox Program?
The time it takes to detox depends on a few factors, including how much you drink, how long you’ve been drinking, and whether you’ve experienced alcohol withdrawal before. There’s nothing wrong with celebrating with an alcoholic drink here and there. Your body naturally metabolizes alcohol and removes the toxins. However, long-term or excessive use can slow down that process and could damage your heart, liver, kidneys, and gut health. The long-term health risks of drinking include liver and heart disease, a weakened immune system and several types of cancer.
The Time For Help Is Now
It can range from mild to severe, depending on how many symptoms you have. The care you’ll need depends in part on where you fall in that range. Getting plenty of quality sleep is essential to supporting overall health.
- Withdrawal symptoms typically subside within approximately 1-2 weeks after starting detox; however, this could take longer depending on the severity of your AUD.
- Eating complex carbohydrates like toast, crackers, and bagels can help alleviate nausea and bring your blood sugar levels back up.
- The liver needs time to filter blood and remove alcohol from the system.
- When a person decides to quit drinking, they should consider seeking professional help.
- Addressing nausea is important to prevent vomiting that can further dehydrate you.
- Keep reading to learn more about how long it takes to detox from alcohol.
- Your primary care provider can advise you on where to seek care for the physical and mental symptoms of alcohol withdrawal.
- What matters most is your ability to maintain an open, curious outlook as you learn what does and doesn’t work for you.
- If you have been drinking heavily, alcohol can continue to show up in your urine for up to 72 hours or more.
- But a full detox is needed for the most benefit, and how much time that takes depends on a variety of personal factors.
