some questions about symptoms

Before my brother went into the hospital this weekend he had stopped drinking cold turkey 10 days prior.  He had (what I assume) were major withdrawl symptoms: fever, shakes, hallucinations, itchy.  He was already very jaundiced, lost weight and muscle.  It wasn't until the 10th day that he develped acsites.  One Dr said the alcohol was "medicating" him.  Does that mean that some of these symptoms were really symptoms of the liver disease that only showed up after he quit drinking, like they were masked with the alcohol use.  I guess I was trying to figure out what was withdrawl symptoms or liver disease symptoms.