Symptoms of Alcohol Poisoning

What Are the Symptoms of Alcohol Poisoning?

The symptoms of alcohol poisoning are often life-threatening, so being able to recognize the signs can potentially save someone’s life.

Signs of alcohol poisoning can include:

• Vomiting
• Confusion
• Low body temperature
• Slow heart rate
• Slow breathing or staggered, irregular breathing
• Loss of consciousness (passing out)
• Clammy skin
• Pale, grey, or blueish tinge to skin (especially around lips and fingernails)
• Seizures, which are caused by a drop in blood sugar (i.e., hypoglycemia) 

What To Do If You Recognize Signs of Alcohol Poisoning

Alcohol poisoning is an emergency. Call 911 immediately and stay with the person until medical help arrives. The effects of alcohol poisoning can lead to brain damage or death if left untreated.

If the person is unconscious, place them in the recovery position—on their side with their chin tilted downwards. Alcohol poisoning impacts the body’s gag reflex, so if they throw up while unconscious, they can choke on their own vomit if they aren’t in this position.

Understandably, it can be difficult to decide whether it’s time to seek medical help if a person is extremely intoxicated, but really, it’s better to be safe than sorry. The lasting consequences of alcohol-related overdose are far worse than a false alarm.

What Is Alcohol Poisoning?

Alcohol poisoning—also known as an alcohol overdose—happens when you have more alcohol in your bloodstream than your body can process.

It is usually caused by drinking alcoholic beverages, but it can also occur by drinking alcohol-inclusive substances, like hand sanitizer or some household cleaners.

Alcohol poisoning is a medical emergency and requires immediate medical intervention. It cannot be fixed with a cold shower or coffee, two common myths about “sobering up.”

Instead, if someone is experiencing alcohol poisoning, the best thing to do is call 911 immediately. Without intervention, alcohol poisoning can cause permanent brain damage and even death.

What Causes Alcohol Poisoning?

Alcohol poisoning happens when your blood alcohol concentration (BAC) becomes too high, causing parts of your brain to stop being able to perform critical functions, like controlling your breathing or heart rate.

More specifically, the active ingredient in alcoholic drinks (ethanol) acts as a sedative on your nervous system.

The amount of alcohol needed to reach the point of alcohol poisoning will differ based on multiple factors. For instance, drinking a large amount of alcohol in a short time can potentially cause your BAC to become dangerously high.

Additional factors that can impact a person’s blood alcohol level include:

• Weight
• Age
• Metabolism
• Additional substances consumed (both medically prescribed or illicit drugs)
• Whether the person has eaten
• Alcohol tolerance (i.e., whether that person is a regular drinker)
• Alcohol abuse, such as binge drinking
• Additional health conditions

Other Types of Alcohol Poisoning

While this page primarily focuses on alcohol poisoning as a result of excessive alcohol consumption, alcohol poisoning can also occur if someone consumes materials that contain alcohol, such as household products, isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol), or even mouthwash.

Alcohol poisoning from ingesting these non-beverage substances is more common in young children but may also happen if someone is dealing with a severe alcohol use disorder.

In all cases, the symptoms of alcohol poisoning will be the same.

Who Is At Risk for Alcohol Poisoning?

Anyone who drinks large amounts of alcohol in a short period puts themselves at risk for alcohol poisoning, but certain groups may be more vulnerable.

Binge drinkers, particularly young adults and adolescents, are at high risk due to their tendency to consume excessive alcohol quickly. The risk of alcohol poisoning also increases among younger people if the situation is unsupervised.

Additional risk factors that can contribute to alcohol poisoning might include:

• Having a low tolerance
• Taking medications that interact with alcohol
• People with eating disorders
• Individuals with a history of substance abuse
• People with alcohol use disorder
• People with certain health conditions (e.g., liver disease)
• Those dealing with mental health issues

How Is Alcohol Poisoning Treated?

Treatment by Paramedics on Location

Paramedics are usually the first healthcare providers to respond to an alcohol poisoning situation. When they arrive, their goal is to stabilize the victim. That can mean positioning them correctly (the recovery position), clearing airways, and providing oxygen.

Paramedics may also check the person’s blood sugar, as low blood sugar (also called hypoglycemia) can cause seizures. If necessary, they might provide an IV to improve blood sugar and increase hydration.

Once the person is stable enough to transport, the paramedic team will take them to the hospital for further medical care.

Treatment at a Hospital

At the hospital, doctors will make sure the person is breathing correctly. They may also provide oxygen with a mask or a nasal tube. In extreme cases, doctors may intubate the patient—either through the mouth or through the trachea, making an incision in the throat to insert a tube to help them breathe.

Next, doctors focus on stabilizing blood sugar and hydration, so they might insert an IV into a vein to administer fluids.

If the person still has a lot of alcohol in their stomach, doctors won’t want it to enter the person’s bloodstream. They might use a tube to pump the alcohol out or give the patient activated charcoal, which helps absorb the alcohol.

Throughout this process, the medical team will monitor the person’s heart rate, breathing, and blood pressure to keep an eye out for complications.

Ultimately, this type of medical intervention is often life-saving for people who are suffering from alcohol poisoning.

Find Help and Support for an Issue with Alcohol

If you or a loved one is reaching a point where your alcohol consumption is becoming problematic—especially if you’ve experienced alcohol poisoning as a result of drinking—you can connect with resources to help you break free from this toxic cycle.

The SAMHSA online treatment locator and free helpline (1-800-662-4357) can provide confidential referral information for treatment programs in your area.

You can also talk to your primary care doctor or a therapist for recommendations on the types of treatment that would work best for you and your circumstances.