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Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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What Causes Muscle Spasms And Excessive Sweating?

My son has been drinking alcohol a lot lately...and also has been trying cocaine. He hasn t had anything to drink or take since around 530 am Saturday morning and he slept fine on Saturday night and all day Sunday. However, I took him to his job on Sunday evening and within a half an hour of being there he told me that he was having muscle spasms to the point of falling to the ground and his whole body seems to contort. his belly lunges forward and he is up on his toes...he breaks out into a heavy sweat and his breathing becomes more rapid and he takes shorter breaths at the same time it is like he is holding his breath. Nothing makes him more comfortable...sitting, trying to stand, laying...I put him in a cool/warm tub and I had to pull him out immediately ...Is this withdrawl from alcohol? Would it happen that quickly? I have been giving him 2 Tylenol every 4 hours but it isn t helping with anything, I have tried cool rags, rubbing his feet since that is where the spasms start...what should I be doing for him?
Mon, 31 Jul 2017
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General & Family Physician 's  Response
Hi,
Thanks for asking. I understand your concern
The muscle cramps in alcohol withdrawal are due to neurogenic cause. Alcohol over indulgence causes hampered nerve supply to muscles... which effect is masked while drunk... bur withdrawal of alcohol leads to strong spasms of muscles to cause extreame pain & sweating... which can be controlled by high dose of vitamin B12 to some extent.
such spasms reduce day by day... so in case he really wants to wean off... manage his pain with pain medicines over the counter& B12 / consult a deaddiction center.
Thanks
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What Causes Muscle Spasms And Excessive Sweating?

Hi, Thanks for asking. I understand your concern The muscle cramps in alcohol withdrawal are due to neurogenic cause. Alcohol over indulgence causes hampered nerve supply to muscles... which effect is masked while drunk... bur withdrawal of alcohol leads to strong spasms of muscles to cause extreame pain & sweating... which can be controlled by high dose of vitamin B12 to some extent. such spasms reduce day by day... so in case he really wants to wean off... manage his pain with pain medicines over the counter& B12 / consult a deaddiction center. Thanks