This means that if you quit drinking cold turkey, your brain will not be sensitive enough to GABA. This can cause your brain to become hyper-excitable and leads to withdrawal symptoms. Only people who are tapering down from very large quantities of alcohol such as a liter of vodka per day will need to start drinking in the morning in order to taper. If you are tapering from smaller quantities and feel no withdrawal symptoms until afternoon or evening then you can wait until then to consume your taper beers. Remember that you are not drinking for pleasure–you are drinking medicine–so only drink what is needed. If your BASELINE ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION is less than 20 drinks per day then we recommend reducing consumption by two standard drinks per day.
If you don’t like beers, drink beers (find ones with lower alcohol, some have high concentrations). You can also take break days, where you drink the same amount as the previous day to sort of level yourself off. For example, if you notice your tremors are getting pretty bad three days in, drink the same amount you drank on the third day for the following day.
Strategies For Tapering Off Alcohol
As the name suggests, this method involves gradually reducing the amount of alcohol you drink over time, so you consume less and less alcohol each day or week. The gradual reduction method can be difficult, as you must strictly control how much you drink daily. Seizures can also occur within the first 24 to 48 hours, although these are less likely to occur in people with less severe alcohol dependency. Withdrawal seizures can be a sign of delirium tremens, which can occur as soon as 48 hours after a person’s last drink.
Talk to your doctor or a drug treatment specialist about what to expect as you experience alcohol withdrawal. Ask your doctor whether any medications may help in the process. Identify a family member or friend who you can call on to provide emotional support. If you’ve been drinking for a long time, tapering off can cause withdrawal symptoms.
PTSD and Addiction: What’s The Connection?
If you need help figuring out how to taper off alcohol, or want to find alcohol detox services near you, our treatment specialists at Vertava Health can help. Aside from unavoidable triggers, tapering off alcohol can also have side effects which can be difficult to manage at home. A final strategy to assist with an alcohol taper is to get a good network of peer support.
- If withdrawal is so uncomfortable that you’re turning to drugs for comfort, you should contact your doctor or a rehab center to discuss medically supervised withdrawal.
- Understanding your habits and your motivations to quit drinking can help you understand the change you’re making in your life and reinforce why it’s important.
- People who have a severe reaction to quitting alcohol should seek emergency treatment.
- This can cause your brain to become hyper-excitable and leads to withdrawal symptoms.
- This can taper you off alcohol while still helping you keep up with your normal drinking routine, making the process easier.
We publish material that is researched, cited, edited and reviewed by licensed medical professionals. The information we provide is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. It should not how to taper off alcohol be used in place of the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare providers. Working with a medical professional to taper your alcohol consumption can help the likelihood and severity of alcohol withdrawal symptoms.
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