Did Going “Cold Turkey” Kill Amy Winehouse?

Is it possible that alcohol withdraw syndrome ended this young life?

The death of Amy Winehouse flood media sources along with the revelation of her death came the history of Winehouse of drug and alcohol abuse.

Now speculations are being raised if alcohol withdraw syndrome was the actual cause of her death. As of yet, there has been no official determination made for cause of death. Guesses are flooding the air from binge drinking to overdose to withdraw symptoms.

Mitch Winehouse, father of the late singer had shared the fact upon delivering her eulogy that she had been determined to stop drinking.

Did her life end due to the effects of going “cold turkey”. It has been mentioned that an unnamed source had reported that Winehouse was advised by her practitioner to slowly stop drinking the alcohol. Now speculation is raising that Amy wanted all or nothing and just abruptly had stopped all alcohol intake.

Alcohol withdraw syndrome can occur when a person has been consuming too much alcohol suddenly stops. This syndrome can cause severe symptoms and can at times become fatal.

Seizures and delirium tremors known as DT’s can be fatal according to Dr. J.C. Garbutt, University North Carolina, Chapel Hill. He further mentions seizures usually occur within the first 24 to 72 hours of stopping alcohol consumption. However, they can still happen even ten days later from stopping drinking. DT’s mortality rate is around 25% noted by Dr. Garbutt.

Dr. Marcel Casavant, from Nationwide Children’s Hospital located in Columbus, Ohio, states that it is unwise for alcholoics to attempt quitting even doing so slowly without being under close medical supervision.

Many practitioners in the United States greatly advocate do not cut down but have medical assisted detox with commonly provides long acting medications to decrease anxiety, halt hallucinations and prevent or treat seizures.

If you have moderate to severe alcohol withdraw symptoms inpatient treatment would be a best option. This can be done at a hospital or treatment facility that treats alcohol with draw. They will be able to closely monitor and give you the required treatments you may need such as fluids through IV and or medications.

If you have mild to moderate withdraw symptoms outpatient treatment is a definite option. Make arrangements to have someone stay with you during this time so they can keep watch over you. Visits to your healthcare practitioner are needed each day until you are in stable condition. The treatments include sedative medications to ease withdraw symptoms and counseling.

Alcohol withdraw is very serious and could be life threatening. If you believe you may have alcohol withdraw symptoms contact or health care practitioner or go to the emergency room or call 911 if seizures, fever, hallucinations, severe confusion or irregular heart beats should occur.

Dr. Casavant notes that if a person should die from alcohol withdraw there would be no alcohols present on their toxicology report and most of the time any major levels of other drugs or poisons unless patient was receiving some type of treatment.

The findings of the toxicology report on Ms. Winehouse results will be valuable as to an insight into her cause of death.