In recent years, we have seen the emergence of vitamin therapy as an alcohol withdrawal treatment option. Is it a legitimate option? ‘Yes’ in the sense that many of the symptoms and cravings we get from stopping heavy drinking can be tracked back to vitamin deficiencies and body-related problems such as stomach acid, inflammation and irritation. These can all be helped by high-strength supplements and herbal remedies.
That is not to say that people with severe alcohol dependence can simply take supplements. If it is more than a touch of self-medicating or habit, then psychological therapy will be an important part of your process.
If you or someone you love is struggling with alcohol, now would be a good time to educate yourself about vitamins and alcohol withdrawal. There is a reason growing numbers of private rehab clinics are incorporating vitamin therapy into their alcohol detox programs.
Vitamins, Nutrients, and Alcohol
There is a way to understand how vitamin therapy can help people stopping drinking alcohol. However, we need to go back to what alcohol consumption does to the body in terms of vitamins and other nutrients. In short, alcohol depletes the body of these vital substances. The depletion occurs in three ways:
1. Displacing Nutritional Food
First is alcohol’s bad habit of displacing nutritious food. Alcohol is high in calories. Therefore, it is possible for a person to feel full just by drinking. The problem is that those calories are empty. Let’s put it another way. Drinkers are getting plenty of calories. But they are getting no nutrients from the alcohol they are consuming.
Excessive drinking combined with insufficient eating leads to a lack of essential nutrients. Put another way, the vitamins and minerals are for good health. The body ends up being depleted.
2. Vitamin and Mineral Displacement
Next, alcohol directly interferes with the body’s digestive and absorption capabilities. You could be a drinker still eating modest amounts of food. Nonetheless, alcohol is preventing your body from absorbing key nutrients. These are nutrients such as thiamine, vitamin B12, zinc, magnesium, calcium, and iron. Your liver is the most impacted by a lack of B vitamins, and high-strength supplements are the best way to deal with deficiencies.
3. Reduced Nutrient Uptake
Finally, alcohol damages the lining of the stomach and the intestines. It also inhibits the production of digestive enzymes. The result of both is a reduced uptake of essential nutrients like glucose, acids, and lipids. Water-soluble vitamins are also affected. Instead of being utilised by the body, they are flushed out of the system as waste.
The three things combined create very unhealthy conditions for both heavy drinkers and alcoholics alike. A person going through withdrawal faces an especially tough time because their body does not have sufficient resources to deal with withdrawal symptoms. That’s where vitamin therapy comes in.
Taking the Edge Off of Withdrawal
There are always risks that come with alcohol withdrawal. Delirium tremens is one of the physical risks. One of the psychological risks is giving up before withdrawal is complete because it’s too hard. Vitamin therapy addresses both.
Vitamin therapy takes the edge off withdrawal symptoms. The symptoms are still in play. Nevertheless, they are less intense and easier to manage. Providing a patient with the right nutrition during withdrawal can greatly increase the chances of success. Why we weren’t doing this decades ago is a mystery.
Here is a small sample of the vitamins and nutrients most used to help manage alcohol withdrawal:
Thiamine – Thiamine could be the most critical because it helps prevent a serious neurological condition known as Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome. Memory loss, confusion, and vision problems characterises the condition.
Vitamin B6 – Vitamin B6 is crucial for neurotransmitter production. Utilising it during alcohol withdrawal can enhance emotional wellbeing. It does this by reducing irritability and anxiety.
Vitamin B12 – Vitamin therapy often includes vitamin B12. This is because of its ability to enhance energy levels. It eases fatigue and can help the body repair nerve damage.
Folate – Folate is a vitamin known to contribute to mood regulation. It’s also vital for cell repair and cognition. You can bet that vitamin therapy for alcohol detox includes this important vitamin.
Magnesium – A lack of magnesium makes some withdrawal symptoms worse. A magnesium supplement can reduce muscle cramps and tremors. It can also reduce fatigue, anxiety, and seizures. Magnesium also supports neurological health during withdrawal.
Zinc – Zinc’s role in supporting immune function is well known. Including it in a vitamin therapy cocktail can aid cognitive recovery and reduce inflammation.
These six vitamins and nutrients are pretty much non-negotiable for alcohol withdrawal vitamin therapy. Treatment providers have been known to include other nutrients like omega-3 fatty acids, N-acetylcysteine, GABA, L-glutamine, and D-phenylalanine.
Residential and At-Home Withdrawal
It’s probably safe to say that vitamin therapy is a normal part of residential programs. If you or a loved one were to check into a private residential clinic, vitamin therapy would be an expected part of the treatment. You might even continue receiving vitamin therapy after withdrawal is complete – at least until your body starts to show normal vitamin and mineral levels.
What about home detox? At-home withdrawal is a different thing altogether. A person trying to detox alone wouldn’t have the benefit of medically supervised vitamin therapy. It’s possible for an individual to research essential vitamins and minerals and then self-supplement during withdrawal.
On the other hand, medically supervised home detox is a thing in the UK. It would include vitamin therapy if the overseeing medical provider recommended it. Vitamins would be administered at home the same way they would be in a residential clinic: through an IV.
Replenishing What Alcohol Has Stolen
Vitamin therapy for alcohol withdrawal is all about replenishing what alcohol has stolen. People addicted to alcohol often suffer from substantial nutritional deficiencies due to its effects on the body. They are simply not getting enough vitamins and minerals to stay healthy. Unfortunately, that only worsens withdrawal symptoms.
Supplementing with vitamins and minerals replenishes what the body is missing. In turn, it has more natural resources to deal with alcohol withdrawal and its symptoms. Not that vitamin therapy makes detox completely symptom-free. But it does reduce symptom intensity.
If you are struggling with alcohol and looking to detox, consider a medically supervised program that includes vitamin therapy. Whether administered at home or in a residential clinic, vitamin therapy can help considerably.
