# Alcoholics: detox must be done under medical supervision

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcoholics-detox-must-be-done-under-medical-supervision/836440>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [July 3, 2019, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcoholics-detox-must-be-done-under-medical-supervision/836440 "2019-07-03T05:42:40Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\
**Post date:** [July 5, 2019, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcoholics-detox-must-be-done-under-medical-supervision/836440/21 "2019-07-05T17:48:17Z")

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Sorry. I mean what is it about alcohol withdrawal that makes it different, i.e. more dangerous, than withdrawal from other drugs?

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**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\
**Post date:** [July 5, 2019, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcoholics-detox-must-be-done-under-medical-supervision/836440/22 "2019-07-05T18:21:31Z")

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How the body responds to sudden withdrawal depends on how the drug of addiction has affected and changed the body.

Alcohol is chemically and physiologically different from both opioids and stimulants (which don’t tend to have fatal withdrawal syndromes). With opioids, the symptoms are due to the opioid receptors in the body suddenly not being stimulated, with resultant aches, pains, and physiologic dysfunction which is uncomfortable but not critical. Same for stimulants.

But barbs and alcohol when used chronically tend to rewire the central nervous system, and rapid withdrawal can result in autonomic instability; seizures, crashing blood pressure and generalized shock. Benzos can do similar, but are less likely to do so.

there are explanations that go much deeper, to the specific physiology. But it’s complicated and I’m not online long enough to grok it completely myself today,

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**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\
**Post date:** [July 5, 2019, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcoholics-detox-must-be-done-under-medical-supervision/836440/23 "2019-07-05T18:40:46Z")

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> [@Broomstick](#):
>
> It can be… but there are some remarkably cheap sources of alcohol out there.

I was going to say not in Canada.

> [@K364](#):
>
> Yes, close to $700 a month.

And there you go…

ETA: Picking up an extra $700 a month is a very nice bonus for quitting drinking.

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**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\
**Post date:** [July 5, 2019, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcoholics-detox-must-be-done-under-medical-supervision/836440/24 "2019-07-05T23:38:59Z")

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> [@Broomstick](#):
>
> But any alcoholic capable of holding down a job at some level (like **Cuckoorex** until he was caught drinking on the job) will have enough money to buy something cheap in the methanol category.

I hope you meant ethanol. Methanol will kill you toot sweet.

I had a friend who used to drink a half of a fifth every day. Plus maybe some wine with dinner. He was a full professor with a decent income. He went to a dryout center for a month and came out cured. That was over 35 years ago and now he drinks with care. He is 83.

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**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\
**Post date:** [July 6, 2019, 8:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcoholics-detox-must-be-done-under-medical-supervision/836440/25 "2019-07-06T08:34:36Z")

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Yes, yes, I meant ethanol. Not sure if that was a typo or autocorrect or both at work there.

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