People who drink daily and experience tremors and palpitations when they stop should not try to quit on their own

20. People who drink daily and experience tremors and palpitations when they stop should not try to quit on their own

Cost: Seeing a psychiatrist or addiction specialist costs just a few to several dozen yuan. In severe cases, a short hospital stay may be required.

In plain terms: Individuals who consume large amounts of alcohol every day can suffer from withdrawal symptoms when they suddenly stop. Mild cases involve tremors, sweating, palpitations, and insomnia; severe cases may lead to seizures or delirium tremens — a life‑threatening emergency. A nationwide Norwegian health registry follow-up found that those who had experienced delirium tremens had an 8% annual mortality rate thereafter. If you wish to quit, consult a doctor first and describe exactly how much you drink each day.

Benefit: A 2026 clinical review notes that chronic heavy drinkers often develop withdrawal syndrome after abrupt cessation or a major reduction in intake; symptoms include tremors, autonomic hyperactivity, anxiety, insomnia, perceptual disturbances, seizures, and delirium tremens — conditions that are “common and potentially fatal” in general medical practice. Norway’s nationwide registry included 36,287 individuals diagnosed with alcohol dependence, withdrawal states, or delirium tremens between 2009 and 2015. The annual mortality rate was 8.0% in the delirium tremens group, 5.0% in the withdrawal state group, and 3.6% in the alcohol dependence group. The standardized mortality ratio for the delirium tremens group was 9.8 (95% CI 8.9–10.7), indicating that their risk of death is roughly 9.8 times higher than that of age‑matched peers.

Evidence grade: B

Sources: Caputo F, Lungaro L, Costanzini A, De Giorgio R, Addolorato G (2026). Alcohol withdrawal syndrome in hospitalized patients: a practical review. European Journal of Internal Medicine, 107103. <https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejim.2026.107103>; Bramness JG, Heiberg IH, Høye A, Rossow I (2023). Mortality and alcohol-related morbidity in patients with delirium tremens, alcohol withdrawal state or alcohol dependence in Norway: A register-based prospective cohort study. Addiction, 118(12), 2352–2359. <https://doi.org/10.1111/add.16297>

Notes: How to tell if you need help: If you drink almost every day, experience tremors, sweating, palpitations, or insomnia when you skip a day, or feel better after a morning drink, you should not attempt to quit on your own. Standard medical treatment involves using benzodiazepines to manage the acute phase and administering thiamine (vitamin B1) supplementation. The B grade reflects that the Norwegian data describe “what happens to people who have already had delirium tremens” rather than “what occurs when someone tries to quit independently”; the link between these two situations is an inference. Quitting alcohol is still advisable, but it should be done under medical supervision. For guidance on moderate drinking levels, see section 19; strategies for reducing intake are outlined in section 21.