We aim to raise public awareness and improve education through publications, conferences, outreach initiatives and our website. Drinking too much alcohol can also cause problems with your liver, like hepatitis, cirrhosis, liver cancer or alcoholic fatty liver disease. Do not stop using any medications without first talking to your doctor. Every effort is made to ensure that all our information is correct and up to date. However, Epilepsy Society is unable to provide a medical opinion on specific cases. Responses to enquiries contain information relating to the general principles of investigation and management of epilepsy.
These symptoms can quickly progress to cardiovascular collapse and death without timely treatment. Abruptly stopping alcohol use after prolonged heavy drinking can trigger alcohol withdrawal seizures due to changes in brain chemistry. The most direct way alcoholism causes seizures is during withdrawal, which is when someone with alcohol dependence stops drinking.
Alcohol Withdrawal (Delirium Tremens)
To simplify, alcohol relaxes your brain, which makes seizures less likely. But when people who drink a lot suddenly stop, their brain suddenly becomes much more active. That can trigger a seizure – usually within 6-48 hours after stopping drinking. According to a 2017 article, alcohol withdrawal seizures in those without epilepsy may occur 6–48 hours after a person consumes their last alcoholic drink. Heavy drinking, particularly withdrawal from heavy drinking, may trigger seizures in those with epilepsy. Alcohol may also affect anti-seizure medications, which could trigger seizures.
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We will also talk about why it’s important to recognize them and get prompt treatment. You could develop status epilepticus, which is multiple seizures, or prolonged seizures, and can lead to permanent brain damage or death. It’s best to seek medical advice before having any alcoholic beverage since each person is unique. A heathcare provider can assess whether light or moderate alcohol drinking is safe.
- Limiting or eliminating caffeine or nicotine intake can decrease your risk of seizures if those are triggers for you.
- This can happen after someone who has misused alcohol for a long time stops consuming it.
- Alcohol can also trigger seizures if you have epilepsy and often interacts poorly with anti-seizure medications.
- ” This can be confusing — especially if you or someone you love has been newly diagnosed with epilepsy and is deciding whether or not to drink.
That being said, there is evidence that alcoholism could cause long term epilepsy too. One theory is that when someone repeatedly binges on alcohol and then withdraws, it gradually causes permanent changes in the brain. These changes mean that the person would be more likely to have seizures in future, even if they stopped drinking alcohol altogether. Seizures may occur in around 5% of people with alcohol withdrawal syndrome. It can you drink alcohol if you have seizures is possible for chronic alcohol consumption to cause seizures in people without a history of seizures.
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Adults and children with epilepsy may benefit from a ketogenic diet or a similarly restricted diet. This is a very restrictive regimen and may not be appropriate for everyone with epilepsy. If you have photosensitive epilepsy, work with your doctor to determine what specific frequencies of flashing lights or types of patterns cause seizures. Your doctor may use a test called an electroencephalogram (also called an EEG) to make the determination. Coping strategies can include anything from meditation to exercise to ensuring your sleeping habits are in good shape. Seeking the help of a psychologist or other counselor is also beneficial for many people who need help dealing with stress and emotional difficulty in life.
Alcohol and risk of SUDEP in a person with epilepsy
People with epilepsy who drink alcohol may also be less likely to adhere to their medication schedule. If you are especially sensitive to either your AED or alcohol, it may be best to avoid drinking while taking that particular medication. Even if alcohol itself doesn’t trigger your or your loved one’s seizures, it’s important to understand whether your antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) are compatible with alcohol. But some people can experience smaller episodes that don’t seem like full-body seizures. With alcohol use disorder (AUD), GABA responses just never return to normal.
This means consuming roughly five or more drinks for a man, or four or more drinks for a woman, in about two hours. Alcohol and seizure medication may interact in ways that make it more likely that some people will have a seizure. For example, alcohol may reduce the levels of some anti-seizure medication (ASM) in your blood or alter their effectiveness in the brain. Speak to your doctor and read the leaflet in the packet for more information.
People who drink a lot of alcohol for an extended period can develop permanent changes in their brains, and removing alcohol can lead to withdrawal symptoms. Alcohol can also trigger seizures if you have epilepsy and often interacts poorly with anti-seizure medications. Although epileptic seizures can occur randomly and without warning, many people find that their seizures are caused by specific triggers. Many different things can trigger seizures, and each person’s experiences are different. A seizure trigger can be a specific sight or sound, a substance, or a physiologic state (such as having low blood sugar). In someone with epilepsy, drinking too much alcohol may lead to seizures as long as 3 days after drinking has stopped.