Aspirin and Alcohol Withdrawal
Going through alcohol withdrawals can be a very painful experience for both the user and their loved ones. People will naturally want to do anything they can to help others or themselves when they’re in pain and will want to know which medications can be used to help. Can aspirin help with alcohol withdrawal?
First, let’s take a look at what aspirin is, and then we’ll explain a little bit about alcohol withdrawals. Finally, we’ll look at whether or not aspirin can be used to help treat pain associated with withdrawal associated with alcohol use.
What Does Aspirin Do?
Aspirin was invented by a German chemist named Felix Hoffman who worked for the Bayer Corporation. It was one of the first analgesic (pain relief) medications made available directly to consumers. Aspirin belongs to the class of drugs known as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), which work as a mild pain reliever and fever reducer by lowering inflammation or swelling in various parts of the body.
Although they all perform a similar function, aspirin, acetaminophen (also known as paracetamol outside the United States), naproxen sodium, and other over-the-counter (OTC) medications designed for mild pain relief are not the same. Some people find that they’re more responsive to some pain relievers than others.
The Science Behind Alcohol Withdrawals
Alcohol withdrawals are a potential side effect that can arise when someone consumes a large amount of alcohol over a long period of time. Their body adjusts to this consumption. Alcohol becomes physically addictive, and they develop what’s known as an alcohol use disorder. They can become unable to function in society due to their addiction and often consume alcohol at dangerous or inappropriate times. Some eventually spend the majority of their waking hours under the influence of alcohol as they begin to experience withdrawal symptoms every time they start to sober up.
Not everyone who consumes excessive alcohol will develop an alcohol use disorder, although there are patterns of behavior that can enter a person into the higher-risk group. The first risk factor is being a “heavy drinker,” which is defined as having more than four drinks per day or 14 drinks in a week for men or over three drinks per day or seven per week for women or people over the age of 65.
What Are the Symptoms of Alcohol Withdrawal?
The exact symptoms of alcohol withdrawal will vary from person to person, but they can range from mild to severe and potentially deadly, although the risk is death is significantly reduced after medical treatment.
Mild symptoms, which generally start within the first six hours after the last drink, include increased blood pressure, anxiety, heart palpitations, hyperreflexia, upset stomach, shaky hands, and headaches.
During the next stage, moderate symptoms generally appear between 12 and 24 hours after the last drink. These include seizures and auditory hallucinations, commonly referred to as “hearing voices.” A small number of people will experience epileptic seizures in this stage. Those who experience any type of withdrawal seizures at this stage are more likely to advance to the final stage.
Stage three features the most severe symptom, which is called delirium tremens, commonly called “The DTs.” It is fatal in some untreated cases. Fatalities are rare in those who seek proper medical treatment. DTs include stronger versions of all of the above symptoms as well as visual hallucinations. The DTs can last up to seven days after the last drink in severe cases.
Does Aspirin Help With Alcohol Withdrawal?
Unfortunately, there is no evidence to suggest that aspirin or any other over-the-counter pain reliever will help with alcohol withdrawal symptoms.
As vomiting is one of the first symptoms to present, when experiencing, alcohol withdrawal, you will generally not be able to hold down the aspirin tablets for any length of time before throwing them back up, which makes them rather ineffective.
Secondly, aspirin works to reduce inflammation in the body to relieve symptoms like fever, muscle aches, or other minor injuries. This means that, at best, it would only be able to treat the symptoms of alcohol withdrawal and not the underlying cause. For example, you might feel less pain from a headache by taking aspirin, but the pills wouldn’t be able to prevent the withdrawals from progressing to stage two or stage three.
The major reason that aspirin should not be taken to treat alcohol withdrawal, however, is that high doses of aspirin or acetaminophen can cause liver damage. As alcohol also causes liver damage, these issues can be made worse by combining the two, resulting in potential long-term and more serious medical conditions.
How to Treat Alcohol Withdrawal
The best course of treatment for alcohol withdrawal is to seek immediate medical attention. The reason for this is that the general course of treatment for alcohol withdrawal is with benzodiazepines or other forms of medication that are only available by prescription and cannot be obtained without first visiting a doctor.
In many cases, you might go through a medical detox procedure and spend a night or two at the hospital. Afterward, you might be transferred to a dedicated in-patient facility that allows you to convalesce until you’re ready to return home.
When going through alcohol withdrawal, you may benefit from what’s called a “banana bag,” which is an IV filled with fluids containing dextrose to raise blood sugar, and a multivitamin. This is especially important if the doctor suspects you may also have Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome, a vitamin B1 (thiamine) deficiency that is often associated with alcohol use disorder.
Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome generally presents with memory issues, confusion, impaired gait, ataxia (especially in the legs where tremors can develop), and hallucinations. It can result in permanent brain damage if not taken care of right away, although this risk is greatly reduced once it has been diagnosed.
As in-patient care is generally voluntary, some may decline the option and choose to return home for a variety of reasons. For some, they may feel that they’ve learned their lesson and will be disinclined to drink in the future. Others might not have insurance that covers detox and may not want to pay out-of-pocket for it.
In a few specific cases, the hospital may admit a person for in-patient detox. Generally, they will have a history of withdrawal seizures or abnormal laboratory results. They may also have other conditions like psychiatric issues or use other substances like narcotics. Additionally, they may not have adequate support systems at home. Those with suicidal ideations are also likely to be kept for further observations and treatment.
Post-Hospitalization Care
Once released from the hospital, there are several important things to do to help someone on their road to recovery. First, as people with alcohol use disorder tend to have nutritional deficiencies, they should be given vitamin and mineral supplements, specifically thiamine and folate. Some may also benefit from taking magnesium.
Next, medication can be taken to resolve the dependence on alcohol. Vivitrol, an opioid receptor antagonist, was originally designed to help with substance use disorder but has been shown to be effective in treating alcohol use disorder by reducing cravings.
This can be used in conjunction with or as an alternative to medications like Antabuse, which is a pill taken once daily that causes severe interactions with alcohol and can cause the user to become violently ill. This can add structure to the user’s life and serve as a daily motivation to abstain from alcohol; however, if the user stops taking it every day, they could be prone to relapse.
Additionally, support groups like Alcoholics Anonymous or similar organizations can help overcome urges to drink alcohol. Even those with good support systems made up of family and friends can benefit from regular support group visits as they can be free to share information that they’d rather not disclose to their family or friends. These organizations enforce a veil of secrecy around things said during meetings.
Finally, according to the Mayo Clinic, getting in touch with your spiritual side, either through organized religion or another method, can help with resisting the temptation to go back to drinking.
Determining the Cause of the Alcohol Use Disorder
Perhaps the most important step is to determine why someone developed an alcohol use disorder in the first place. If the cause is due to an underlying mental health condition like PTSD, depression, ADHD, or something similar, speaking with a therapist might help better understand their feelings and find more appropriate and healthy ways to cope with their stress.
Other possibilities include environmental causes. Children with at least one parent who had an alcohol use disorder are statistically more likely to develop one themselves over the course of their lifetime. Similarly, studies have shown that teenagers who begin drinking before the legal age are more likely to develop an alcohol use disorder later in life.
Seek Professional Help for Alcohol Use Disorder
Despite rumors to the contrary, there is no evidence that aspirin can help with alcohol withdrawal. In fact, taking aspirin to relieve symptoms can actually compound damage to the liver caused by alcohol use disorder and cause long-term issues like cirrhosis. The best course of action when you or a loved one is experiencing alcohol withdrawal symptoms is to seek medical attention and receive immediate treatment.
No matter how bad things might appear to be for you or your loved one with an alcohol use disorder, it’s never too late to seek medical advice. Visit alcoholawareness.org to learn more about the treatment services we offer.