What is the typical timeline for alcohol withdrawal symptoms after the last drink, and when is delirium tremens most likely to occur?

• A. Onset within minutes; DT in 6 hours.
• B. Onset 6–24 hours after last drink; delirium tremens risk around 48–72 hours.
• C. Onset after a week; DT after two weeks.
• D. Onset after months; DT never occurs.

Answer: (B)

Alcohol withdrawal follows a recognizable time course after last drink. Most people begin to notice withdrawal symptoms within 6–24 hours as the body adjusts to the absence of alcohol’s depressant effects. The symptoms can then intensify over the next day or two, and the most severe complications—delirium tremens—tend to occur in the 48–72 hour window (though they can appear up to about a week after cessation in some cases). This makes the described timeline the best fit: onset within 6–24 hours and delirium tremens around 48–72 hours.

Why the other timings don’t fit: starting within minutes is too soon for withdrawal to develop, since the body needs time to react to the absence of alcohol. Delirium tremens after two weeks or after months is outside the typical high-risk window and is not the usual pattern observed in most withdrawal cases.