If you are suffering from a chronic or long-term addiction, then you may well experience tremors. Tremors can also be called alcohol shakes. You may find that you have involuntary shakes in different parts of your body and that you are not able to control them.
It is possible to experience constant alcohol shakes, or you may experience them intermittently. So, what causes alcohol shakes? Alcohol shakes are caused by an issue in the brain that controls the movements of the body. Tremors, although not life-threatening, can be somewhat inconvenient.
What Causes Alcohol Shakes?
Alcohol shakes can be a sign of a hangover, but in instances like this, they tend to be caused by dehydration and not by withdrawal. Alcohol depresses the central nervous system, and it also slows down brain activity.
If you were to drink on a regular basis, then your brain would adapt to this. To respond to the more sedative impact of alcohol, the brain will release more excitatory neurotransmitters. This is done to try and keep the body more alert and awake overall. Adjustments like this in brain chemistry are part of the reason why someone who might have a high alcohol tolerance, doesn’t seem drunk.
If you are dependent on alcohol and you quit drinking suddenly, then the brain will continue to work as if there is alcohol still present in the body, and this can give you a number of withdrawal symptoms. If you want to find out more about them, then take a look below.
Alcohol Withdrawal Symptoms
· Sweating
· Hyperactivity
· Vomiting
· Severe Shakes
· Anxiety
· Depression
· Increased Heart Rate
Of course, if you are suffering from alcohol withdrawal then it is important that you seek help as soon as possible. If you don’t, then you may find that you struggle to combat the problem on your own. Help is the best and fastest way for you to get onto the road to recovery.
Liver Disease
Drinking alcohol often can also contribute to liver disease. In the more advanced stages, this can lead to you experiencing an abnormal ammonia metabolism. You may find that you shake or flap your hands, a condition known as asterixis.
Prolonged liver disease can result in a lot of complications. This can include a fatal condition called hepatic encephalopathy. This happens when the liver is not able to filter the toxins that impact the brain. These toxins can contain manganese and ammonia. If you have this condition, you may also experience:
· Disturbed Sleep
· Motor Control Issues
· Flapping Tremors
· Mood Changes
The tremor is often similar to a bird flapping their wings. If you have this condition, then abstaining from alcohol can help to reverse the condition. An intensive outpatient program is usually the best way to deal with this.
Brain Damage
Alcohol addiction that involves both excessive and frequent damage can also impact the cerebellum. This is the part of the brain that is near the stem, and it aids with coordination, fine motor movement, and balance.
Damage to this part of the brain can give you tremors. This is a very specific type of tremor, and it is more noticeable when making a purposeful move, towards an object or an item. Some of the symptoms can include:
· Poor Coordination
· Involuntary Eye Movements
· Unsteady Walk
· General Clumsiness
· Tingling or Burning
· Numbness
Damage to this part of the brain can usually take around 10 years to start fully developing. If you were to get an MRI done, then you may find that there is some shrinkage in the cerebellum. Nutritional deficiencies that are very common with alcoholism can also go on to affect the cerebellum. When your symptoms or side effects develop, they will usually worsen if the alcoholism is not treated promptly. If you do detox from alcohol, then sometimes damage can remain, depending on how long the problem has been going on for.
Treating Alcohol Tremors
If you want to make sure that you get the treatment you need for your alcohol tremors, then our drug and alcohol rehab program is able to offer you supportive and personalized treatment. We know more than anyone that no two people are the same, and that is why we never offer an approach that is one-size-fits-all. You will soon see that a lot of our focus is put on you as an individual, and we are also here to support your loved ones too. We would be more than happy to talk with you about our outpatient program and we are also here to advise you on anything you may need to know.
