None of the symptoms of a hangover are pleasant, but one that can feel especially troubling is waking up with uncontrollable tremors. Commonly known as “hangover shakes,” they’re a symptom that may indicate it’s time to reevaluate your relationship with drinking.

Understanding Hangover Shakes

Hangover shakes are tremors a person feels after drinking heavily. People commonly experience hangover shakes in their hands or feet, but they may also manifest in the face, eyes or major limbs.

Experiencing hangover shakes can be unsettling, but they typically subside once your hangover does — and they won’t reoccur if you change your drinking habits for good.

Causes of Hangover Shakes

The kind of excessive drinking that leads to a hangover strains several systems throughout your body, leading to everything from gastrointestinal effects to cognitive issues. The shaking occurs due to the chemicals your brain releases in response to the sedation caused by overconsuming alcohol.

Alcohol is a depressant, which means it can slow the transmission of chemicals in the brain responsible for motor function, speech, decision-making and recalling events. This is why people with a higher blood-alcohol concentration have slower reaction times, slur their speech and have aggressive mood swings.

When your brain detects a neurotransmitter imbalance, it tries to correct it by releasing chemicals that make you more alert and speed up your reaction time — essentially, your nervous system goes into overdrive. The shakes are a sign that your brain is trying to compensate for the depressant effects of alcohol and return to normal functioning.

Symptoms and Effects

Alcohol is an addictive substance, and hangover shakes can be a symptom of alcohol withdrawal syndrome. In addition to tremors throughout the body, you may also experience:

  • Increased feelings of anxiety or depression
  • A racing heartbeat, rapid breathing and excessive sweating
  • Upset stomach, vomiting and decreased appetite
  • An inability to remain still, poor sleep patterns and hypervigilance
  • Poor motor function

In more severe cases, the following symptoms may arise:

  • High blood pressure
  • Hallucinations
  • Fever
  • Seizures

In such instances, seek immediate medical attention.

Strategies to Alleviate Hangover Shakes

No magic treatment can stop hangover shakes while they’re happening, but you can take a few actions to help your body regulate more efficiently.

  • Get some rest. Consuming alcohol can disrupt your sleep, so do your best to make up for those lost hours.
  • Drink plenty of water to rehydrate your body.
  • Eat nutrient-dense foods that contain carbohydrates.

Remember, hangover shakes won’t last forever. If the above strategies don’t work immediately, know that your shakes will eventually subside.

How Alcohol Affects Shaking

Alcohol is a depressant, which means it can slow the transmission of chemicals in the brain responsible for motor function, speech, decision-making and recalling events. This is why people with a higher blood-alcohol concentration have slower reaction times, slur their speech and have aggressive mood swings. When your brain detects a neurotransmitter imbalance, it tries to correct it by releasing different chemicals.

The chemicals your brain releases make your body more excitable and reactive. This is to improve your cognitive functions, keep you alert and improve your reaction time to things around you. The problem is that once the alcohol leaves your blood, the pendulum has swung too far in the other direction, so you may experience tremors and shakes in various areas of your body.

Anyone can experience hangover shakes, but people who drink frequently are much more likely to encounter this phenomenon. Your brain is attempting to improve your cognitive function in the presence of alcohol, which is why alcoholics might seem like normally functioning adults despite their excessive drinking. When someone makes the decision to become sober, their body has to adapt to the lack of alcohol in the blood before cognitive function returns to normal.

Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome

Alcohol can be an addictive substance. There are two types of addiction someone may experience from repeated drinking:

  • Psychological dependence is the mental need to maintain the routines of drinking and personal obsession with using a substance like alcohol. It can include denying having an alcohol or drug problem, social pressures related to substance use, co-occurring depression and anxiety when attempting to quit and feeling that quitting is impossible.
  • Physical dependence is the biological response to an addiction and how the body reacts to sudden chemical changes. It can result in serious physical symptoms that drive someone who’s addicted to a substance back into their addiction simply to alleviate the physical discomfort or pain.

Hangover shakes have been associated with alcohol withdrawal syndrome and might not be the only symptoms someone experiences when attempting to make a positive life change. People may also experience the following effects of alcohol withdrawal:

  • Increased feelings of anxiety or depression when they attempt to quit drinking
  • A racing heartbeat, rapid breathing and excessive sweating
  • Upset stomach, vomiting and decreased appetite
  • An inability to remain still, poor sleep patterns and hypervigilance
  • Poor motor function while their body detoxes from alcohol

Some people have greater success handling alcohol withdrawal on their own than others. There’s no shame in needing medical assistance to overcome serious withdrawal symptoms so you can focus on coping mechanisms and activities that reduce your chance of returning to alcohol in the future.

When Should You Be Concerned?

While most alcohol withdrawals aren’t life-threatening, some people may experience a condition called delirium tremens. In addition to the withdrawal symptoms already mentioned, they may also experience the following:

If you begin to experience any of these symptoms during an alcohol withdrawal, seek medical attention immediately. People with delirium tremens may not be able to complete their alcohol detox on their own and should be monitored by medical professionals as their bodies adjust to a lack of alcohol. If not treated promptly, delirium tremens can be fatal.

If you notice someone exhibiting these symptoms along with intense mood swings or anger, getting them to a hospital quickly may save their life.

How to Get Rid of Shakes After Drinking

If you’re waking up with hangover shakes on a routine basis, it might be time to evaluate whether it’s time for a change in your life. Sunlight Recovery understands how difficult it can be to make the transition to a clean, sober life, but we want you to experience the joy of knowing you’re in full control of your destiny.

Prevention Tips

The only real prevention method for hangover shakes is to stop drinking completely. According to the CDC, about 17% of adults binge drink, and 7% report heavy drinking. So if you’re struggling with your alcohol consumption, you’re certainly not alone.

The good news is, you don’t need to handle recovery alone. If you’re ready to make a change for the better, contact us at Sunlight Recovery to begin your journey toward a sober, fulfilling life. We’re here to help you every step of the way.