How Long Can an Alcoholic Go Without Drinking Before They Begin to Detox?
Question by Datura: How long can an alcoholic go without drinking before they begin to detox?
My father is a severe alcoholic and it has recently come to my attention that he is more than likely abusing prescription medications (opiates) as well. On average I have seen him drink a 6 pack of bud and 2 22oz bottles every day, sometimes starting as early as 10 am and never waiting till after 5 pm. The other day I noticed that he didn’t drink at all but showed no signs or symptoms of withdrawal, seeing as how he has had this habit for well over 15 years I am wondering how this was possible or what else he took to keep from exhibiting any signs of detox. I am concerned for him but have long since learned that I cannot control his abuse, and now I am 9 months pregnant and living with him due to the recent loss of my mother. I am more concerned about how out of hand his addiction overall is and what harm this could bring to my daughter once I bring her home. I have already started looking at alternate living situations due to these concerns but in the mean time I would really like to know about how much danger we are in. I have caught him using “bath salts” that he purchased online and I know he gets a prescription of hydrocodone on a regular basis, on top of all the medications he has stolen from me (I was on xanax and percocet and am still getting prescriptions for them due to my own disability, I have discontinued the frequent use of these medications under a doctors supervision but am still prescribed them as needed- which he steals). I am fortunate that I can control my own addictions as well as I have been and not take the medications habitually to the point of addiction, but I can clearly see this is not the case with him. I am pretty well educated on substance abuse issues after having been on such highly addictive medications for over 10 years and also have a degree in social science with a minor in chemical dependency. I just don’t have first hand knowledge of alcoholism to this extent and am still an undergraduate so I don’t know what the chances are that this wouldn’t affect him greatly (going without the constant heavy usage of alcohol unless under the influence of another substance) or what could possibly hide the withdrawal of the alcohol that well. Any help is appreciated.
Best answer:
Answer by justinfranksnj
The time before withdrawal symptoms start, as well as the severity, can vary greatly from person to person. Typically, the initial onset of alcohol withdrawal symptoms often start 5 – 10 hours (and peak 48 – 96 hours) after the last drink.
Benzodiazepines such as diazepam (Valium), alprazolam (Xanax), and clonazepam (Klonopin) work on the same receptors as alcohol, and will prevent alcohol withdrawal symptoms. Because alcohol withdrawal can be fatal, when an alcoholic goes into rehab, they are given benzodiazepines to prevent the most dangerous withdrawal symptoms such as seizures.
The Xanax your father is stealing from you could very well be why he did not show any withdrawal symptoms when he did not drink.
On a side note, mixing acetaminophen (Tylenol) with alcohol is extremely toxic to the liver. Percocet contains oxycodone and acetaminophen, while Vicodin / Lortab / Norco contains hydrocodone and acetaminophen. An alcoholic who takes these medications is putting themselves in extreme and lethal danger, not just from the combination of central nervous system depressants, but also from the liver toxicity of the combination of alcohol and acetaminophen.