Ayurvedic Management of Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome - A Case Report

Alcohol abuse is not only having impact on individual and families, but creates a lasting social burden on the community and even national level. When a chronic alcoholic tries to reduce or completely impede the alcohol intake, then a cluster of symptoms manifests which is called as alcohol withdrawal syndrome (AWS). The symptoms include nausea, vomiting, sweating, headache, auditory, visual and tactile hallucinations, delirium tremens etc. There is need of management from the primary stage itself. The chronic use of alcohol leads to a metabolic error termed as ‘Ama' condition and Agnimandya with in the Koshta and eventually leads to obstruction of srotus. Madya also results in depletion of Ojus due to the opposite qualities in it, against the properties of Ojus and decreased food intake resulting in Vatha and Kapha aggravation. So initial treatment designed should be aimed of Vata Kaphahara and Srotosodhana. Along with the same, Ayurvedic drugs and Pancakarma procedures can be selected to deal the AWS. Here we are discussing the case of a 48 year old male patient presented with AWS and treated in our hospital with Pancakarma procedures and selected Ayurvedic drugs with the selected protocol The condition was assessed before and after the treatment with Clinical Institute Withdrawal Assessment of Alcohol revised scale (CIWA-Ar scale).