A transcranial magnetic stimulation study on patients with genetic generalized epilepsy demonstrated that motor cortex excitability was significantly increased in the early morning (24). In multivariate analysis, alcohol consumption within the last 12 months was independently related to AED monotherapy. It is highly likely that subjects with well-controlled epilepsies on monotherapy are more likely to consume alcoholic beverages than those with difficult-to-treat variants.
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). Those with epilepsy who have alcohol dependence and stop drinking suddenly have an additional risk of withdrawal-induced seizures. Repeated alcohol-related seizures can occur over the next 24 hours. Status epilepticus (a prolonged seizure lasting more than 5 minutes) occurs in less than 10% of people who have alcohol withdrawal seizures, but can be life-threatening.
How Does Alcohol Affect Epilepsy?
A heathcare provider can assess whether light or moderate alcohol drinking is safe. Alcohol withdrawal seizures (delirium tremens) occur when the body undergoes severe Rebuilding Your Life After Addiction and unexpected nervous system changes after an alcohol-dependent person stops drinking. A 2017 review found that a history of alcohol misuse increased the risk of post-traumatic epilepsy in people with traumatic brain injury. The authors report that over 90% of alcohol withdrawal seizures occur within 48 hours after the last drink. In some cases, excessive alcohol consumption may lead people to miss meals or medication, which can also make seizures more likely in people with epilepsy. Alcohol consumption or withdrawal may trigger seizures in those with epilepsy.
- As a result, people who previously experienced seizures provoked by binge drinking may start to experience seizures even in the absence of alcohol use – this is called alcohol-induced epilepsy.
- Tell the person you’ll help them find the right treatment program for alcohol abuse.
- Moderate alcohol intake does not usually cause seizures in otherwise healthy individuals.
Can alcohol trigger seizures?
Risks for the baby can include brain damage and developmental, cognitive, and behavioral issues. No amount of alcohol is safe to drink while pregnant, according to the CDC. Afterward an alcohol-related seizure, the person’s skin may appear dusky or slightly blue if the seizure lasted for a long time.
Generalized seizures
Seizures occurred in some of those subjects and a rebound phenomenon was discussed (3). Alcohol withdrawal can trigger seizures and people with epilepsy are at a higher risk of experiencing alcohol seizures. Such individuals are at a particularly high risk of seizures after consuming large amounts of alcohol in a short period of time (for example, 2-3 drinks over 2-3 hours). In people with epilepsy, binge drinking can even trigger status epilepticus, a potentially life-threatening prolonged seizure that lasts more than 5 minutes.
Though alcohol can trigger seizures, they are more often linked to withdrawal from alcohol if your body has developed a tolerance for it and dependency on it. People with epilepsy experience seizures (convulsions) due to excessive electrical activity in their brain. Individuals with this medical condition can drink alcohol in small amounts without experiencing an increase in seizure activity. Small amounts of alcohol also do not interfere with anti-seizure medications. Additionally, alcohol does not cause changes in electroencephalographic (EEG) findings when consumed in small amounts.
Another thing to keep in mind is that alcohol and anti-seizure medications can cause similar side effects, such as fatigue, drowsiness, dizziness, and blurred vision. Therefore, drinking alcohol while on antiepileptic drugs can make these adverse effects more severe. When people binge drink (consume a large amount of alcohol in a short period of time), the subsequent alcohol withdrawal can trigger seizures. Alcohol withdrawal symptoms can range from mild to severe and even be life-threatening in severe cases. People with a long history of heavy alcohol use are more likely to suffer severe withdrawal effects, including alcohol seizures. In patients with generalized genetic epilepsy, seizures commonly manifest within 30 min after awakening.
Physicians’ advice that “a light alcohol intake is harmless” was identified as an additional predictor for alcohol use. Patients with epilepsy may feel unsure about alcohol consumption on chronic medication and therefore may be willing to follow physicians’ advices more often. Statistical analyses were calculated using IBM SPSS statistics 24.0. Another one of the big reasons people with epilepsy are warned not to consume alcohol is that many of the anti-seizure and anti-epileptic drugs that treat epilepsy do not mix well with alcohol. Most of these medications lower your alcohol tolerance, causing you to become intoxicated or feel the effects of alcohol more quickly or severely.
Doctors tailor specific treatments and alcohol abstinence programs to the individual. A doctor will take a thorough health history and have you complete questionnaires related to alcohol intake to help diagnose these conditions. 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. 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. We have an experienced team of healthcare providers who can manage alcohol-related seizures during the withdrawal phase and keep you safe and comfortable.
Luckily, current research can help you make wise decisions about your relationship with alcohol. This is what causes the signs of alcohol intoxication, such as sedation (calmness, relaxation, sleepiness) and disinhibition. Chronic alcohol use leads to neuroadaptive changes in the brain when the body tries to restore the balance in neurotransmitters.
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. Seizure types also vary by where they begin in the brain and how far they spread.
