However, there have been reports that the risk of seizure increases in an alcohol-dependent person who misuses a sedative and takes nonsedative AEDs. Alcohol poisoning can lead to seizures, but these may not result from the alcohol intake itself. Lower blood sugar or head trauma caused by a sudden fall could be the underlying cause. However, withdrawal symptoms accompanying delirium tremens do not need to be present when a person experiences a seizure.
This article looks at the connection between alcohol, seizures, and epilepsy, as well as treatment options and support. Your provider may recommend specific services based on your seizure history. For example, if you have experienced seizures, you may need to participate in inpatient detox supervised by medical professionals rather than detoxing in an outpatient setting. Focal seizures result from electrical activity in one area of the brain. This type of seizure can happen with or without passing out, called losing consciousness. They have a range of symptoms and vary in how much they affect your daily life.
What Are Alcohol-Related Seizures?
In this article, learn what alcohol does to the brain, how it can lead to seizures, and what you need to know about alcohol use if you already have a seizure disorder. Tell the person you’ll help them find the right treatment program for alcohol abuse. Together, you can address this issue properly and help the person build a happier and healthier life in recovery. According to the Epilepsy Society, consuming alcohol may make your epileptic medications less effective and may make the side effects of your medications worse. Alcohol is a diuretic, which means that it promotes water loss by increasing urine output.
To ensure a standard and informal interview situation all patients were interviewed by the same person (MiHa) who was not one of the treating physicians at the Epilepsy Outpatient Clinic. Alcohol withdrawal can be dangerous for many reasons, but seizures and the possible development of delirium tremens increase the risk of severe complications or even death. Your risk of developing seizures seems to increase with an increasing amount of alcohol.
When people drink, their brains don’t respond to GABA normally, and they feel sedated and calm. According to the Epilepsy Foundation, seizures by themselves typically are not fatal. However, they may cause people to fall and sustain potentially serious injuries, such as head injuries.
Luckily, current research can help you make wise decisions about your relationship with alcohol. At Discover Recovery, we offer personalized alcohol addiction treatment programs to help you get sober and stay sober. Our holistic approach to alcohol rehab includes addressing the physical, psychological, and spiritual aspects of your recovery. Our goal is to give you the best chance of kicking the habit and reclaiming your life. Please continue reading to learn more about the causes, symptoms, and prevention of alcohol seizures.
When people with AUD attempt to quit drinking, they can experience withdrawal symptoms, including seizures or convulsions. Alcohol withdrawal seizures can be managed in a healthcare setting but can be dangerous if you’re at home without access to medical care. That’s why it’s important to seek help at a professional alcohol rehab facility, especially for detoxification. Human and animal data have shown that acute alcohol intake has a biphasic effect on the central nervous system (CNS). Initially, the inhibitory gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-ergic effect of alcohol exerts CNS depressant and anticonvulsant properties (4, 5). In the post-alcohol state, however, when alcohol blood levels decline, neuronal excitability is increased which may facilitate the occurrence of seizures in patients with epilepsy (6, 7).
How can alcohol-related neurologic disease be prevented?
- Awareness or consciousness typically returns slowly after a generalized tonic-clonic seizure.
- This is not the same as having epilepsy, which is a tendency to have seizures that start in the brain.
- Alcohol withdrawal seizures (delirium tremens) occur when the body undergoes severe and unexpected nervous system changes after an alcohol-dependent person stops drinking.
These changes can promote seizure activity in people with and without epilepsy during periods of alcohol withdrawal. People with a history of alcohol misuse seem to have a greater risk of developing sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) than granada house boston people with epilepsy with no history. Consuming alcohol seems to aggravate seizures in people with epilepsy and may lead to increased seizure frequency. Doctors often warn people who have epilepsy to avoid alcohol or to only drink in moderation.
What are Alcohol Withdrawal Seizures Like?
Join our supportive sober community where each day becomes a step towards personal growth and lasting positive change. If you aren’t sure how to help the person having a seizure, call 911 and follow the operator’s instructions. Some tests can be performed by a doctor to rule out other causes of neurologic symptoms. The ads we show you may be personalized based on the information that you share.
The seizures that occur in epilepsy are caused by abnormal brain activity. These seizures may cause people to have unusual sensations or emotions, behave in unexpected ways, or experience convulsions or loss of consciousness. Whether to drink alcohol or take recreational drugs is a personal choice, but it is worth knowing the possible effects they could have on your epilepsy. 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.
Alcohol may negatively affect sleep, and 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. 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. It is a safe, confidential place where you can be honest about alcohol misuse. Together, you can create a treatment plan based on your physical, emotional, and medical needs.
