Alcoholic Seizure: Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment
Light, infrequent drinking isn’t linked to seizures, but people can alcoholics have food cooked with alcohol who are regular or heavy alcohol users have an increased risk of alcoholic tremors or seizure activity. 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. In the study population, generalized genetic epilepsy was an independent predictor for the occurrence of alcohol-related seizures. The mean alcohol intake prior to alcohol-related seizures was not higher in patients with generalized genetic epilepsy than in subjects with focal epilepsy. Lennox stated that alcohol-related seizures had occurred more often in patients with symptomatic than in cryptogenic or idiopathic epilepsies (1). The then applied syndromatic allocation, however, may not be in exact conformance with the present classifications (16, 17).
- If you are conscious during an alcohol withdrawal seizure, you may experience repetitive, uncontrolled movements of part or all of your body.
- Even though alcohol use may trigger seizures, 65% of interviewed subjects had consumed alcohol within the last 12 months and every third patient had consumed alcohol within the last 7 days.
- Epilepsy types and seizures were classified according to the International League Against Epilepsy (16).
- Females can be more susceptible than males to many of the negative consequences of alcohol use, such as nerve damage, as they may begin to see effects from a lower amount of alcohol consumption.
- Lennox stated that alcohol-related seizures had occurred more often in patients with symptomatic than in cryptogenic or idiopathic epilepsies (1).
Physicians’ advice that “a light alcohol intake is harmless” was identified as an additional predictor for alcohol use. suboxone mixed with alcohol Patients with epilepsy may feel unsure about alcohol consumption on chronic medication and therefore may be willing to follow physicians’ advices more often. 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). When this effect occurs deeply or over a long period of time, brain activity can rebound during alcohol withdrawal, exceeding normal levels and creating the risk of a seizure.
Alcohol misuse and epilepsy
It is possible for chronic alcohol consumption to cause seizures in people without a history of seizures. 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. Because alcohol is a depressant, it has a sedating effect on excitatory nerve cells and pathways.5 The results of neuron communication interference, or disruption, may include alcohol seizures. A report from 2021 also found that alcohol-related deaths were five times more likely in people with epilepsy than those without the condition.
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, we cannot exclude hypoglycemic episodes caused by acute heavy alcohol consumption (26), which may have contributed to the manifestation of epileptic seizures (27).
Alcohol and antiseizure medications
Prompt treatment of alcohol withdrawal seizures is recommended to prevent status epilepticus. During the detoxification process, primary and secondary preventative measures can be taken. A meta-analysis of randomised, placebo-controlled trials for the secondary prevention of seizures after alcohol withdrawal showed lorazepam to be effective, whereas phenytoin was ineffective. Because withdrawal seizures do not recur if the patient remains abstinent, long-term administration of antiepileptic drugs is unnecessary in abstinent patients.
Study population
Rather, the risk of alcohol withdrawal seizures is more of a concern. Developing a tolerance for alcohol has a direct impact on the central nervous system. For abusers, the cessation of drinking can significantly increase the seizure threshold. There is no definitive cutoff for what amount of alcohol you have to drink to experience withdrawal symptoms that increase the risk of seizures. As a general rule, the longer you music therapy and addiction have been drinking over time and the more you drink, the higher your risk for developing withdrawal symptoms, which may include seizures.
Fetal alcohol syndrome can occur when a person is exposed to alcohol before birth. Alcoholic neuropathy occurs when too much alcohol damages the peripheral nerves. This can be permanent, as alcohol can cause changes to the nerves themselves.
Status epilepticus is a medical emergency that may lead to lasting brain damage or death. A person with epilepsy should speak with their doctor to determine how much alcohol, if any, is safe to consume with their condition. This article looks at the connection between alcohol, seizures, and epilepsy, as well as treatment options and support. This is a severe and short-term neurologic disease that can be life threatening. If you experience an alcohol-related seizure, seek immediate medical attention. Professional help is also available for those struggling with alcohol addiction.
