Understanding the Link Between Alcohol and Epilepsy: Risks and Recommendations

Taking cannabis, ecstasy, speed, cocaine, and other recreational drugs can trigger, or increase the frequency of, seizures for some people. Taking recreational drugs increases the risk of seizures and of mental and physical health problems, which in turn may make seizures more likely. Learning more about your own epilepsy and treatment means you can make informed choices about your lifestyle. Hangovers do not generally increase the risk of seizures, but they can play a role in seizures occurring.

• Skipping meals or eating at irregular times can cause blood sugar levels to rise and fall.
• Keep a tab on how many drinks you have, write it down, or buddy up with a friend who will keep an eye on how much you drink.
• Before treating epilepsy, a person may need to get their substance use under control with anticonvulsants.
• Seizures occurred in some of those subjects and a rebound phenomenon was discussed (3).
• In another interventional study on 14 patients with epilepsy and 10 healthy controls, acute moderate alcohol consumption initially suppressed epileptiform EEG-activity.
• This may allow you to identify anything you consume that could trigger a seizure.
• Only subjects ≥18 years who had suffered from epilepsy for at least 1 year were included.

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.

Preventing Alcohol Seizures

People with epilepsy are strongly advised to limit daily alcohol intake to a maximum of two drinks. Anyone with epilepsy is urged to discuss alcohol use with their doctor, especially if they take epilepsy medication. Binge drinking and chronic alcohol misuse are major risk factors for seizure activity. Abnormally low blood sugar levels can lead to seizures, and this drop normally occurs at the same time as a hangover, causing people to connect the hangover with the seizure. Those on blood sugar medications are most at risk for this complication.

Only 2.9% of our interviewed study subjects were AUDIT positive indicating hazardous and harmful alcohol intake. By contrast, data from the general adult German population showed that a proportion of 19.7% is AUDIT positive (9). Yet, there is currently little knowledge on the alcohol-drinking behavior of epilepsy patients. In the 1940s, William G. Lennox comprehensively analyzed alcohol consumption and the occurrence of alcohol-related seizures in 1,254 subjects with epilepsy (1). However, only about 30% of patients used alcohol, thus excluding 70% from any analysis of potential alcohol-related effects on the disease. Apart from this, there is little research on the occurrence of alcohol-related seizures in patients with epilepsy.

In one small study from 2018, people with epilepsy who reported seizures after drinking had consumed seven or more standard-sized drinks before their seizures occurred. Nearly all of the seizures occurred within 12 hours after they stopped drinking. Furthermore, seizures seemed particularly likely if the participants did not regularly drink that much alcohol.

Causes & Risk Factors

• Contact The Recovery Village Ridgefield to learn how we can help get you on the path to recovery.
• You cannot always control what causes emotional or psychological stress, but you can identify stressors and work to reduce the negative impact these events can have on your life.
• While alcohol itself typically doesn’t cause epilepsy, heavy drinking and chronic alcohol misuse can increase the risk of seizures.
• Drinking water in between alcoholic drinks can help reduce the chances of a hangover, but will not prevent seizures from occurring.
• Sometimes, high-contrast geometric patterns can also trigger these types of seizures.
• Failure to take antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) as prescribed is one of the most common seizure triggers.
• People who drink a lot of alcohol for an extended period can develop permanent changes in their brains, and removing alcohol can lead to withdrawal symptoms.

Alcohol can also trigger seizures by changing your blood levels of AEDs and other medications. Finally, alcohol can also negatively affect your sleep, contributing to potential seizures. Alcohol can have both short-term and long-term effects on individuals with epilepsy. 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 can alcohol trigger epileptic seizures the brain. Long-term alcohol misuse can lead to chronic neurological damage, increasing the likelihood of seizure disorders (CDC, 2022).

Therefore, subjects were first queried about nicotine consumption and only later asked to give details on alcohol use. Toward the end of the interview, patients were questioned on illicit drugs. Study subjects passed through the domains of the questionnaire with an increasing social stigma degree. The interaction between alcohol and epilepsy presents several risks that individuals with epilepsy should be aware of. Join the conversation today to share your experiences and connect with others on MyEpilepsyTeam.

Long-term alcohol consumption and risk of epilepsy

When taken in large amounts, caffeine and other stimulants can increase the excitability in the brain. Other recreational and illicit drugs such as cocaine, amphetamines, and MDMA (ecstasy or molly) can induce seizures in people with epilepsy. Lack of sleep is one of the top triggers for epileptic seizures in many people. Lack of sleep may be due to a change in schedule, insomnia, medication side effects, poor sleep quality, alcohol consumption, caffeine consumption, and even seizures during sleep. Doctors would perform an MRI of the brain, an electroencephalogram (EEG), a drug toxicology screen, CBC, CMP, U/A, syphilis screening, thyroid tests, and measure his blood alcohol level and lead level.

Van Gogh’s Haunted Mind: Alcohol, Absinthe, and the Madness That Consumed Him

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. Fifteen out of 95 (15.8%) alcohol-experienced but now abstinent subjects had experienced alcohol-related seizures in the past. In that group, the mean amount of alcohol intake prior to the seizures was 10.9 standard drinks. All of these patients stated that they had stopped alcohol consumption because of the experience of alcohol-related seizures.

How To Identify Your Seizure Triggers

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. 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.

TablAlcohol’s Effects on Neurotransmitter Systems

Additionally, epilepsy medications can increase the effects of alcohol, causing each drink to make you more intoxicated than it usually would. Someone with epilepsy should use alcohol very carefully, as it can increase the risk of severe health problems and complications. While alcohol withdrawal can cause seizures, they are not guaranteed to happen.

Failure to take antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) as prescribed is one of the most common seizure triggers. AEDs work by preventing seizure activity in the brain, but for the medication to work properly, you must have a high enough level of medication in your bloodstream. Missing a dose or taking the wrong dose of your AED can decrease these levels and trigger seizures. Not drinking alcohol is generally the safest approach to avoid alcohol-triggered seizures. However, people who are addicted to alcohol or drink significant amounts of alcohol regularly may be at increased risk of seizures when they stop drinking. If you’re dependent on alcohol, seek medical advice to avoid problems from alcohol withdrawal.