Alcohol enhances GABA’s inhibitory effects, which can lead to temporary sedation and decreased neuronal excitability. Alcohol can shut down functions in the brain if it’s consumed in large quantities and can affect memory. This is dangerous at the best of times but particularly if you’re on medication and can’t remember whether you took it on time or where you left it. Think about putting some strategies in place for making sure you remember if you’ve taken your meds. Set an alarm on your phone, ask a friend for help, even count the number of meds left in a pack to make sure you’ve taken the right amount. On MyEpilepsyTeam, the social network and online support group for people with epilepsy and their loved ones, members have discussed alcohol, epilepsy, and seizure triggers.
Long-term alcohol misuse can lead to chronic neurological damage, increasing the likelihood of seizure disorders (CDC, 2022). The prevalence of alcohol use in individuals with epilepsy is noteworthy. Alcohol can significantly influence the frequency and severity of seizures among those with epilepsy. Heavy alcohol use can lead to seizures, especially when you stop drinking and start to enter a period of withdrawal. However, moderate or heavy alcohol consumption may increase your risk of having a seizure. Light, infrequent drinking isn’t linked to seizures, but people who are regular or heavy alcohol users have an increased risk of alcoholic tremors or seizure activity.
What Does an Alcohol Withdrawal Seizure Look Like?
On the other hand, some experts suggest that there may be certain benefits to drinking alcohol for people with epilepsy. Moderate consumption of alcohol may reduce stress and anxiety levels, which can be beneficial for those with epilepsy. Alcohol may also have a protective effect against seizures, as some studies have suggested that moderate consumption may reduce the frequency of seizures. Finally, social drinking can be beneficial for those with epilepsy, as it can help improve social interactions and reduce feelings of isolation. It is important to understand how alcohol and seizures are related for the sake of your health. Identifying symptoms of alcohol withdrawal seizure disorder, its causes, and recognizing what it looks like can help in controlling and preventing it.
What does it feel like to have an alcohol-related seizure?
If you have a seizure after drinking alcohol, it is important to seek medical attention as soon as possible. Additionally, ensure you are in a safe environment and that someone is present to help, if necessary. It is also important to take note of any symptoms or changes in behavior that may have occurred prior to the seizure.
Over-acceleration of brain activity causes seizures – which is obviously a concern if you have epilepsy. Antiseizure medications (also called antiepileptic drugs) can help. But you can also take steps, such as identifying seizure triggers, to minimize seizure risk.
Speak to your doctor and read the leaflet in the packet for more information. Combining ASMs with alcohol may also increase the side effects of medications, such as dizziness or drowsiness, and may also increase your risk of liver problems. People with a history of alcohol misuse seem to have a greater risk of developing sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) than people with epilepsy with no history. However, it’s key to keep in mind that it’s usually the alcohol withdrawal that triggers seizures in epileptic patients rather than the alcohol itself. That is why you must keep an eye on how you feel after a few drinks, as this is when you are most at risk of a seizure. Yes, there are alternatives to drinking alcohol for people with epilepsy.
- It’s about understanding how alcohol affects your body and brain, especially if you’re prone to seizures.
- Seizures can be triggered by excessive or sudden alcohol consumption, which affects brain function in significant ways.
- The amount of alcohol intake before alcohol-related seizures was at least 7 standard drinks, or the equivalent of 1.4 liters of beer or 700 milliliters of wine.
- Consuming alcohol in large quantities for extended periods seems to increase seizure frequency and might increase your risk of SUDEP.
Are There Ways to Reduce the Risk of Drinking Alcohol for People With Epilepsy?
Remember they aren’t there to judge you, they are there to help you to keep safe. It’s also important to understand that quitting alcohol after a period of alcohol abuse or misuse may be harder for people diagnosed with epilepsy than it is for those without it. People with epilepsy may have a higher risk of withdrawal seizures than others. 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. If you know that specific situations or stresses heighten your risk of a seizure, keep these in mind when drinking.
- Early detection can lead to timely and effective medical intervention hence promoting faster recovery.
- Alcohol can also cause seizures in a person who doesn’t have epilepsy.
- This is especially true for alcoholics or people who often drink heavily.
- If your brain gets used to the presence of alcohol and suddenly it’s gone, the neurotransmitters go into overdrive trying to compensate.
- For people with epilepsy, drinking alcohol can be a controversial topic.
Festivals, parties, birthdays, nights out clubbing, gigs, meals out, dinner at a friend’s, they might all have one thing in common – alcohol. 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.
You also might be tea-total, in which case, this probably isn’t for you either, but if you’re 18 or over and curious to find out more, you’re in the right place. The answer to whether alcohol can trigger seizures is more complex than you might think. Medications used to treat seizures (called anticonvulsants) may have serious drug interactions with alcohol use. Side effects like drowsiness, dizziness, and confusion can occur. Ask your doctor before you combine alcohol with an anticonvulsant.
Situations Where Alcohol Might Trigger Seizures
People who drink large amounts of alcohol and suddenly stop are at a higher-than-usual risk of seizures. About 5 percent of people detoxing from alcohol abuse will have alcohol withdrawal seizures as part of the process of quitting drinking. This can happen whether or not a person has epilepsy at the time of the withdrawal. However, people with epilepsy may be more likely to have seizures while going through alcohol withdrawal.
Alcohol-related seizures can result from both overdrinking and alcohol withdrawal, making it essential to recognize the risks involved. Alcohol may negatively affect sleep, and can you drink alcohol if you have seizures sleep disruptions may trigger seizures. For people with epilepsy, alcohol may interact with epilepsy medications and worsen their side effects or make the medications less effective in preventing seizures. Plus, it’s a good idea to limit your alcohol intake to small low alcoholic drinks to avoid triggering seizures due to alcohol withdrawal. Being informed is the best way to help look after yourself or loved ones and balance alcohol consumption and epilepsy.
It’s about finding that balance where you can enjoy yourself without risking health complications. Having a solid grasp of how alcohol plays with your brain is not just fascinating, it’s practical. Knowing how these chemical changes affect you can help you make informed decisions about drinking, especially if seizures are a part of your life story. For some, this disruption in neurotransmitter activity can lower the seizure threshold—basically making it easier for a seizure to occur. Hold on, because, in the next sections, we’ll talk about how this dynamic plays out in different scenarios, including for those with epilepsy. Understanding this can be really crucial if you’re weighing your drinking habits.
Many people diagnosed with epilepsy have been told that alcohol and epilepsy should never mix because alcohol can trigger seizures. Many doctors and pharmacists recommend total abstinence from drinking, if possible. Some common epileptic triggers are physical or emotional stress, eating certain foods, flashing lights, and even lack of sleep. But one of the most discussed triggers on MyEpilepsyTeam is alcohol.