people who have been abusing alcohol even for a short time can indeed experience serious side effects when they stop drinking. although a heart attack is unlikely an irregular heartbeat can develop along with seizures shakes sweating hallucinations and other serious conditions. however a greater risk than quitting alcohol is continuing to abuse alcohol. if your friend has an alcohol problem you should encourage him or her to seek medical treatment. if your friend exhibits any of the signs of alcohol withdrawal as mentioned above you should seek immediate medical attention. in particular delirium tremens (dts) or "the shakes" can cause death in extreme cases and should not be ignored. i wish you all the best.
can an alcoholic have a heart attack if he quits drinking sudenly? . person has been drinking a fifth or more for past 4 days.