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Fluid balance, vasopressin and withdrawal symptoms during detoxification from alcohol
A J Mander1, A Young, M V Merrick
1University Department of Psychiatry, Royal Edinburgh Hospital, Morningside, U.K.
Drug and Alcohol Dependence
|December 1, 1989
Abstract:
Nineteen patients were studied during the first 4 days after withdrawal from alcohol. Plasma vasopressin was raised (P less than 0.05) and fluid retention occurred (P less than 0.05), with falls in haematocrit (P less than 0.01) and calculated plasma osmolality (P less than 0.02), which were consistent with expansion of plasma volume. Despite these changes mean total body water was within normal limits although there were substantial inter-individual variations. There was no correlation between any measure of fluid balance and the severity of withdrawal symptoms.