Can you die from withdrawal syndrome?

Alcohol, tobacco, cannabis and other drugs are bad for your health, there is no doubt about that at this point in history. Their effects on the body are well documented and the best thing we can do is not take them in moderation, but directly avoid their consumption completely.

Unfortunately, there are people who have fallen into an addiction to these substances and struggle to break free of their physical dependence. Breaking completely from the drug is not easy, and it is scary because the abrupt interruption often causes the unpleasant withdrawal syndrome.

There are symptoms associated with withdrawal that are more or less intense depending on the drug, but some are so extremely serious that it is inevitable to ask if you can die from withdrawal syndrome. Next we will answer this question.

• Related article: "What damage to the brain do drugs cause?"

Is withdrawal syndrome deadly when stopping taking drugs?

In the brain, we find an area that scientists have called the reward or gratification system. This is a set of structures that are activated when we carry out certain activities that contribute to our survival and reproduction, such as eating, drinking, or having sex sexual. We feel pleasure when we do them, which predisposes us to repeat them.

Coincidentally, there are substances that are harmful to our body that also act on these areas: drugs. These substances also activate the reward system, which causes people who consume them to become addicted over time as their brain chemistry is modified. The more consumption, the more dependency the neurons that make up this system develop, which is known as addiction.

If for whatever reason the addicted person suddenly stops taking the drug, his body, which is physically and psychologically dependent, will begin to manifest general discomfort, more or less intense depending on the type of drug, the daily amount consumed and the degree of dependence developed. This discomfort from stopping consuming the drug suddenly is what is known as withdrawal syndrome.

The withdrawal syndrome is different depending on the drug, and the associated problems are one or the other depending on which drug has been addicted and to what extent. In some cases, this syndrome is annoying, but it does not pose a real risk to health. and it is simply the beginning of the patient's detoxification to the substance.

However, in other cases the symptoms associated with the withdrawal syndrome can become so severe that it is not surprising that one wonders if this withdrawal can be fatal.

We already anticipated that it is possible to die from withdrawal syndrome, both directly associated with the syndrome and as a consequence of its psychological symptoms. To understand it better, we are going to talk about the particularities of the withdrawal syndromes of a few drugs, highlighting whether or not they are life-threatening.

1. Alcohol

Alcohol withdrawal syndrome depends on the type of drinker. In moderate drinkers, the syndrome begins to appear between the first 12 and 24 hours after having stopped drinking. The symptoms suffered by these patients are generalized weakness, tremors, chills, headache, dehydration and nausea. If you are an alcoholic but consume moderate amounts of the substance, with no more than three units of alcohol daily, quitting this drug could hardly pose a life-threatening risk to the addict's health.

In heavy drinkers, that is, those who have a chronic alcohol consumption and drink it in large quantities, the same withdrawal symptoms occur as in moderate ones, spending the same time. The symptoms in your case are more intense. However, what differentiates them from moderates and what, in fact, is what makes alcohol withdrawal life-threatening is that after 2 to 10 days the dangerous delirium tremens appears.

Delirium tremens is the name for the acute confusional picture produced by alcohol deprivation. This, as we mentioned, is caused by the interruption of alcohol intake in heavy and chronic drinkers, people who have developed a great physical dependence on this substance.

Among the symptoms of delirium tremens we find the almost complete disintegration of consciousness, with visual hallucinations, delusions, emotional lability, and stupor. Tremors, convulsions and psychomotor agitation are not lacking. Disorientation, nightmares, excessive sweating, and deep depression are also common symptoms in these patients.

Despite its short duration, delirium tremens is extremely dangerous: 20% of cases are fatal if adequate medical care is not received, with the appearance of fever, tachycardia and seizures.

• You may be interested: "Alcoholism: these are the effects of alcohol dependence"

2. Nicotine

Tobacco withdrawal syndrome is not fatal. Its intensity will depend on how long it has been smoking and the number of cigarettes the person usually smokes each day. The most common symptoms of nicotine withdrawal are headache, irritability, drowsiness or insomnia, increased appetite and weight and, of course, an irrepressible desire to return to smoke

• Related article: "The Effects of Tobacco on the Brain"

3. cannabis

Marijuana is one of the most widely used illicit drugs in the world, perhaps the most. Very popular among teenagers and young people, its effects include altered sensory perception and weather, mood swings, memory problems and, if taken in large doses, delusions, hallucinations and psychosis.

As with tobacco, its withdrawal syndrome is not fatal. Interrupting its consumption can produce symptoms such as anxiety, irritability, drowsiness, loss of appetite and great desire to consume again.

4. narcotics

Narcotics include heroin, codeine, oxycodone, opium, and morphine.. They are substances that act by depressing the central nervous system, as does alcohol. At small doses they produce euphoria while at large they generate dizziness and lethargy.

Early symptoms of narcotic withdrawal include rapid breathing, watery eyes, runny nose, and sweating. Later, hyperactivity and hypervigilance, rapid heart rate, fever and goosebumps appear. Dilated pupils, chills, muscle pain, abdominal pain, tremors, and diarrhea may also occur.

5. Anxiolytics

In the group of anxiolytics we would find barbiturates and benzodiazepines. They are medications prescribed to control anxiety or to be able to sleep, but if they are taken in high doses and in an uncontrolled way, they can cause addiction.

Withdrawal from barbiturates and benzodiazepines is serious and life-threatening, generating a syndrome similar to delirium tremens typical of alcohol. The main symptoms of barbiturate withdrawal syndrome include depression, generalized weakness, tremors, delusions, hallucinations, insomnia, and dehydration.

6. amphetamines

The amphetamines They are drugs that, under medical control, are used to lose weight, stay awake for more hours and, also, for the treatment of ADHD. They are drugs that help people who have concentration and attention problems, being useful for studying and studying.

In this group we find illicit substances such as methamphetamine, MDMA and ecstasy. If you are addicted to them, when you stop using them, you experience a withdrawal syndrome characterized by extreme tiredness and sleepiness, although there are also cases of people becoming extremely anxious.

If they were depressed before taking them, becoming addicted and stopping them causes the depression to come back more strongly. This data is important because, Although amphetamine withdrawal syndrome is not in itself fatal, suicidal behavior is. that appear after stopping their consumption and presenting depressive symptoms.

7. Cocaine

Cocaine is a drug that stimulates the nervous system. It is a highly addictive drug, generating a rapid tolerance that facilitates hooking and the need to increase the dose. Its withdrawal syndrome is potentially fatal because, in addition to the extreme tiredness and hallucinations that appear after stopping its intake, the addict may feel deep depression with suicidal ideation that can motivate him to end his life.