Alcohol Shakes & Tremors: Causes & What to Do

We provide clients with the resources and support they need to sustain long-lasting sobriety and wellness and reclaim their lives. Alcoholism can also result in liver disease, which, in its advanced stages, can produce a characteristic flapping or trembling of the hands also known as asterixis. Frequent and excessive alcohol use can also cause damage to the cerebellum, an area located near the top of the brain stem that controls balance, coordination and fine motor movement. If you suspect you or someone else may be experiencing withdrawal, seek medical attention immediately. Our focus at BlueCrest is on solutions to addiction and mental health challenges, not living in the problem. Family and close friends who understand and support your recovery goals are an invaluable asset to recovery.

DT’s are especially common if you do not eat enough during your drinking binge or have a long history of alcoholism. Uncontrolled shaking and trembling of the hands or other parts of the body are common among those experiencing alcohol addiction. Much of the time, a person with a drinking problem who shakes is showing signs of alcohol withdrawal syndrome, but there are other reasons why someone dependent on alcohol might shake. Delirium tremens are similar to alcohol withdrawal shakes, but they affect your whole body and are much more severe. If you experience severe whole-body tremors after you stop drinking, along with other symptoms such as hallucinations, confusion, disorientation, and seizures, seek medical attention immediately.

Alcohol Shakes: What They Are & How to Get Rid of Them

The alcohol shakes and tremors usually peak between 24 to 72 hours after the person last consumed alcohol. Online programs like Ria Health can help you assess your drinking levels, and reduce or quit from the comfort of home. For many, drinking-related tremors tend to resolve themselves once detox from alcohol is complete. But in the case of alcohol-related shaking, part of the issue may be the sedative effects of drinking alcohol, and how that conditions your nervous system. The shakiness can be due to how your nervous system responds to the stress of the hangover.

If you have withdrawal symptoms from drinking, then you have consumed enough alcohol to damage other organs. Your doctor will evaluate your usual diet and check for vitamin deficiencies because poor nutrition is common when someone is dependent on alcohol. If the shakes are due to alcohol withdrawal, seek out professional help. You may need medication to help you navigate the withdrawal process and keep you safe. Comprehensive addiction treatment is also needed to help you stop drinking for good. If you repeatedly shake after drinking too much, it could be a sign of alcohol withdrawal too. Talk to a doctor or addiction treatment professional to assess whether you need help.

Alcohol Shakes from Liver Disease

A foundational study on the issue was published in 1985, and there, researchers said close to half of people with alcoholism had a tremor. Although hepatic encephalopathy can occasionally result in coma and death, fortunately, the disease usually resolves with treatment. Approximately half of all patients with liver cirrhosis die within one year of their first occurrence of HE, and 80% die of liver failure within five years.

Others report experiencing hangover https://ecosoberhouse.com/ in their arms, eyes, head, and even their voice. From day one, Ria Health has offered support for the Sinclair Method—a medication-based approach to moderate drinking or abstinence with a 78 percent success rate.

Does Drinking Too Much Alcohol Make You Shake?

In simple terms, these are fits of involuntary shaking that occur in a person’s body, either centralized to one area or throughout the whole body. Alcohol shakes can happen from both alcohol withdrawaland from excessive alcohol consumption. Uncontrolled shaking of the hands or other parts of the body is common among those suffering from an alcohol addiction. Most of the time, an individual with a drinking problem who shakes is exhibiting signs of alcohol withdrawal, but there are other reasons why an alcoholic might shake. In the Western world about 15% of people have problems with alcoholism at some point in time. Alcohol depresses the central nervous system, slowing cerebral messaging and altering the way signals are sent and received.

• Your doctor can use certain medications for mild withdrawal, but if your tremors are severe or progressing, your doctor may need to use more dangerous medications like benzodiazepines instead.
• It should not be used in place of the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare providers.
• The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism defines heavy drinking as over four drinks per day for men, and over three per day for women.
• Although hepatic encephalopathy can occasionally result in coma and death, fortunately, the disease usually resolves with treatment.
• My personal therapists helped me to discover where some of my deeper issues came from.