You cannot always control what causes emotional or psychological stress, but you can identify stressors and work to reduce the negative impact these events can have on your life. Always consult your healthcare provider to ensure the information displayed on this page applies to your personal circumstances. Join the conversation today to share your experiences and connect with others on MyEpilepsyTeam. You should never stop taking your prescribed ASM without talking to your specialist first as this could cause more seizures or more severe seizures. If you do decide to use CBD it’s important to let your epilepsy specialist know as it might affect the way your existing ASM works.
Clearly, people diagnosed with epilepsy have different answers to the question, “Does alcohol affect epilepsy? ” 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. Luckily, current research can help you make wise decisions about your relationship with alcohol. When the person you love has recovered from the seizure, explain how treatment works.
Table 1. Common Seizure Medications
Drinking water in between alcoholic drinks can help reduce the chances of a hangover, but will not prevent seizures from occurring. The patient information leaflet that comes with your ASM should say if alcohol is not recommended. As the seizure ends, the person may lose bowel or bladder control due to relaxation of the body.
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.
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 can you drink alcohol if you have seizures medications, which could trigger seizures.
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.
Excessive Alcohol Consumption (Alcohol Poisoning)
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.
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.
- If you have any concerns aboutdrinking alcohol it’s a good idea to ask your doctor, that way you can learnmore about how drinking may affect your ASMs or particular type of epilepsy.
- They also recommend that doctors check every six months to see if Epidyolex is working to control or reduce seizures and stop prescribing it if it is not.
- Status epilepticus is a medical emergency that may lead to lasting brain damage or death.
- Without treatment, status epilepticus can lead to permanent brain damage and even death.
What to Do if Someone Is Having Alcohol Withdrawal Seizures?
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.
Can Alcoholism Cause Epilepsy?
This drastic change in habit also increases the risk of developing epilepsy three-fold. Without treatment, alcohol withdrawal seizures can progress to status epilepticus or delirium tremens, both of which are life-threatening complications. That’s why it’s important to do an alcohol detox under medical supervision at an addiction treatment center. Most of these medications lower your alcohol tolerance, causing you to become intoxicated or feel the effects of alcohol more quickly or severely. Taking cannabis, ecstasy, speed, cocaine, and other recreational drugs can trigger, or increase the frequency of, seizures for some people.
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.