A doctor will consider all these factors when estimating how long-lasting and how severe your symptoms may be. Minor withdrawal symptoms usually begin about six hours after your last drink.

Rapid weight loss, such as that promoted by most weight loss cleanses, is associated with adverse health reactions, including dehydration and the development of gallstones . Perhaps most importantly, these extreme styles of eating don’t teach healthy behaviors for maintaining weight loss after the cleanse is complete. Many popular cleanses also replace a supportive and balanced approach to healthy living with costly investments in juices, supplements and instruction manuals — with little to no evidence backing their effectiveness. A VLCD in the form of a weight loss cleanse can be socially isolating and difficult to adhere to, as it’s far from a long-term, healthy eating pattern.