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. Alcohol withdrawal syndrome is a condition that occurs after an abrupt stopping of heavy drinking in people with alcohol use disorders (AUD). The researchers also found that the risk of epilepsy increased as alcohol consumption increased. According to the researchers, these results are consistent with previous studies. In a 2022 review of 8 studies, researchers found that the risk of epilepsy was 1.7 times higher (95% confidence intervals from 1.16 to 2.49) in people who consumed alcohol compared to non-drinkers.

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Coming down from alcohol after a night of drinking increases your risk of drinking, as does going through alcohol withdrawal after drinking for a prolonged period of time. Heavy alcohol use for prolonged periods of time can also increase your risk of developing epilepsy or your risk of head injuries that can lead to seizures. The same effect that can make the aftereffects of binge drinking cause a seizure also happens during withdrawal, but at a much larger scale.

• Because alcohol affects the brain, there may be an increased risk of an epileptic seizure while drinking.
• In epilepsy, the wiring of the brain causes seizures to occur randomly and without any other discernible reason.
• However, NHS information suggests that there’s no guarantee these products are of good quality, or that they give any health benefits.
• Some people seem to be more prone to having seizures during alcohol withdrawal.
• 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.
• You can better cope by identifying what triggers cause seizures and avoiding them as best you can.
• A seizure occurs when the nerve cells in the brain stop firing in certain patterns and begin firing together.

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They do not generally happen while a person is drinking, or even within a few hours of stopping. For this reason, if you do choose to drink, it’s important that you pay attention to your seizure activity for up to three days afterward. However, other people with epilepsy find they can drink moderately without triggering a seizure. In fact, research shows that a drink or two does not increase seizure activity. Electroencephalogram (EEG) tests show brain activity remains the same, as long as the amount of alcohol ingested is small.

Causes & Risk Factors

AUD is diagnosed separately, using a specific set of psychiatric criteria. Epilepsy and alcohol dependence are both diagnosed using completely separate approaches. Epilepsy can someone with epilepsy drink alcohol is primarily diagnosed based on your medical history, a physical and neurological examination, and diagnostic tests.

Question 3: What other substances should someone with epilepsy avoid?

• Additionally, if you have already had too much to drink, it is important to seek medical attention and drink plenty of fluids.
• Short-term risks include alcohol withdrawal seizures, which can occur when a person reduces or stops heavy drinking, causing a sudden release of excitatory neurotransmitters in the brain.
• Even among the positive studies, potential health benefits are often quite small.
• They may slow down central nervous system responses, make a person sleepy, or cause parts of the brain to work differently.
• According to a 2018 review, it’s unclear whether the above recommendations are based on physiological sex characteristics or gender.
• Using alcohol can make epilepsy worse in some situations and requires special considerations.
• A diagnosis of AUD requires evaluation of whether you meet the criteria for the disease outlined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, fifth edition, or DSM-V.

Those who overdose on alcohol may also experience alcohol poisoning seizures as the toxins from alcohol build up in their bloodstream. For people with epilepsy, drinking alcohol can be a controversial topic. While some experts suggest that certain types of alcohol may be safe for certain individuals, it is important to talk to your doctor before drinking. Your doctor can help you evaluate the potential risks and benefits and can provide advice on how to safely consume alcohol.

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Ultimately, everyone’s brain is different and responds to alcohol in different ways. You may choose to try a drink or two of alcohol in a controlled environment to find out if it triggers seizures, or you may decide drinking is not worth the risk of having a seizure at all. It’s important to discuss drinking with your doctor, especially as it relates to any medication you may be taking. That being said, there is evidence that alcoholism could cause long term epilepsy too.

It is essential to speak with a doctor before consuming alcohol if you have epilepsy, as it could have serious consequences. Although there is no clear answer, it is important to be aware of the potential risks and take them into consideration when making decisions about drinking alcohol. Many people with epilepsy have heard that alcohol consumption can change the blood levels of their AEDs. More recent research shows that having one to two drinks a day does not seem to affect these levels in most medications. However, some medications are more likely than others to metabolize differently when alcohol is used.