Finally, the present study population was exclusively recruited at a tertiary care epilepsy center where usually patients with more severe variants of the disease are treated. This indicates a potential selection bias and our results may not be generalized to all epilepsy patients without restrictions. Independent predictors for the occurrence of alcohol-related seizures within the last 12 months in patients with epilepsy. If people have an alcohol use disorder, they can talk with a healthcare professional about treatment options. If people withdraw from alcohol after heavy use, it is important to do so with medical supervision.
Introduction ‐ Medical Burden of Alcohol Abuse
Researchers say there are two main reasons people drink – they turn to alcohol to cope with stress, or because of influences from their social circle. Yes, there is a lot of evidence that alcoholism (being addicted to alcohol) can cause seizures. Looking for addiction treatment in Columbus, Ohio or the surrounding areas? We have inpatient and outpatient facilities nearby and across the country ready to help.
Alcohol Consumption and Keppra: What Are the Effects?
If you experience an alcohol-related seizure, you may experience falling to the floor and shaking violently for a few minutes. The clinical term for this type of seizure is called a tonic-clonic seizure. Although these are general guidelines, your tolerance or consumption recommendation can vary based on your overall health, size, and medical condition. According to the Epilepsy Society, consuming alcohol may make your epileptic medications less effective and may make the side effects of your medications worse.
- Seizures occurred in some of those subjects and a rebound phenomenon was discussed (3).
- When alcohol is gone, however, these receptors go from over-stimulated to temporarily under-stimulated as they try to adjust to normal.
- Alcohol can also impact how certain medications are absorbed by the body.
- Some common epileptic triggers are physical or emotional stress, eating certain foods, flashing lights, and even lack of sleep.
Risk factors
As with BZDs, CNS respiratory center depression may emerge, especially in combination with BZDs, whose daily doses should be reduced to 15–20%. Accordingly, the combinatory intake of clomethiazole and ethanol should be avoided due to its possible life‐threatening effects. For some people, these symptoms pass quickly while for others they hang around for weeks.
Treatment for Alcohol Seizures
That can trigger a seizure – usually within 6-48 hours after stopping drinking. Some people seem to be more prone to having seizures during alcohol alcohol use disorder diagnosis and treatment withdrawal. It doesn’t necessarily mean they will go on to develop epilepsy, which is where you have two or more unprovoked seizures.
In patients with generalized genetic epilepsy, seizures commonly manifest within 30 min after awakening. A transcranial magnetic stimulation study on patients with genetic generalized epilepsy demonstrated that motor cortex excitability was significantly increased in the early morning (24). Over 50% of alcohol withdrawal seizures may relate to additional risk factors, such as preexisting epilepsy, structural brain lesions, or drug use. 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. If someone consumes 4-5 servings of alcohol in a 2-hour period, this constitutes binge drinking.
How Are Seizures Linked to Binge Drinking?
Due to seizures and other dangers, it may be important to make sure that treatment for alcohol addiction includes medically supervised detoxification. An alcohol assessment will help determine if a person experiencing alcohol-related seizures need treatment for a possible alcohol use disorder. The assessment process involves meeting with a licensed alcohol use disorder therapist at a treatment facility or detox center.
Alcohol detox isn’t easy and not everyone can do it on their own. That is why alcohol detox and alcohol withdrawal treatment is administered by medical professionals. Alcohol withdrawal seizures may begin within hours to days of stopping alcohol use or starting an alcohol detox. The timeframe will be different for everyone, but seizures will normally start within the first 72 hours. Alcohol has the potential to enhance some side effects of anti-seizure medications, including drowsiness and dizziness.
There are treatments for delirium tremens, but it’s best to start the withdrawal process in the presence of trusted and will-informed healthcare practitioners. The most direct way alcoholism can cause seizures is during withdrawal, which is when an alcoholic stops drinking. 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.
For example, some craft beers may have four times the amount of alcohol that’s in a regular beer. Be aware of the alcohol content of what you’re drinking and adjust how much you drink based on this knowledge. It’s not necessary to have all the above symptoms before seeking medical help.
Second, as patients were interviewed retrospectively on the occurrence of alcohol-related seizures, we were not able to provide data on AED drug levels after the acute manifestation of these seizures. We cannot exclude that subjects might have been more prone to seizure occurrences due to AED non-adherence. Furthermore, johns hopkins scientists give psychedelics the serious treatment we cannot exclude hypoglycemic episodes caused by acute heavy alcohol consumption (26), which may have contributed to the manifestation of epileptic seizures (27). If a person is going to experience seizures during withdrawal from alcohol, they will most likely occur between hours after the last drink.
Alcohol can also cause seizures in a person who doesn’t have epilepsy. The effect of alcohol on people with epilepsy will vary from person to person, even on the same medication. People with epilepsy who drink alcohol may also be less likely to adhere to their medication schedule. If you are especially sensitive to either how to talk to an alcoholic in denial your AED or alcohol, it may be best to avoid drinking while taking that particular medication. Most of these antiepileptic medications also have side effects that mimic those of alcohol. They may slow down central nervous system responses, make a person sleepy, or cause parts of the brain to work differently.
Brian has a bachelor’s degree in Microbiology from the University of Benin and has worked as a Lab Scientist and as a public healthcare officer. His hobbies include physical fitness, reading, and social entrepreneurship. After a person suddenly stops drinking after long periods of time, the brain struggles to function due to the chemical imbalance and absence of alcohol. Experiencing an alcohol-related seizure indicates that a person is suffering from extreme withdrawal symptoms.
