Anyone capable of drinking, driving or both?

[hootie]

My son is only 12 so he had better not be drinking OR driving. He has autism and will probably never drink (if I can help it) or drive. He can paddle a kayak pretty fast and drive his bike around well enough, though. Right now he is only on Depakote.

 

[Katie]

I could do both until recently and will hopefully be able to do both again soon. I'm not a big drinker so I don't drink much but I did drive a lot.

 

[mspang]

Thanks to all who answers/answered this thread.

 

[Reece]

No to the drinking.

Was driving but not right now. Doctor is weaning me off 3 meds and introducing a new one at the moment. I sense that as a recipe for disaster to drive.

Would like to get back to work so I need to be under control eventually.

 

[jonw]

I was diagnosed with simple partial seizures about two weeks ago. I just started my second week of Topamax, now taking 2 pills at bedtime eventually working up to 4 (100 mg). Driving is generally not a problem for me. When I experience a seizure, it usually consists of an unusual smell and tingling with some dizziness. I live in wine country and work in the wine industry so you can imagine my reaction when my neurologist told me it would be best not to drink on the medication. After some " discussion ", he did say a small amount of wine would be ok, but at home. NO DRIVING! This will be a lifestyle change for me for sure. On the bright side, my wine stash will last longer...

 

[mspang]

bump

 

[Blythe]

Alcohol does not set off seizures for me. I did not dirink unless at Christmas or special occasions until afte my husband passed away. There was a brief time after the birth of 2nd son that I had wine 5 to eight months. I enjoy wine now but not hard liquor.
I think one of the problems with meds and alcohol is controling the levels of the med. If you are taking a given med to maintain a level and you are nauseous(sp?) your level is compromised. I do not have to maintain a sensitive level. When I switched to Tegratol and Phenobarbitol years ago, my epilepsy was in the background. Other health issues and life were in the forefront. Took my meds and wrote it on doc checkin's...

 

[CQ:)]

I am able to drink now but in moderation, I've never been much of a drinker so barely ever drink anyway.

Even though I was 24 when I started taking seizures again i had never worried about getting my licence. At the moment I can't drive but if I remain seizure free after next March (12 months after surgery) then I would be able to go for my learners. Although learning to drive will be an option for me soon I don't think I will get my licence. I am lucky to live somewhere which is pretty central & not far to walk to the main shops, there is good public transport & I love walking anyway lol.

I'm looking for administration work (preferably front desk reception) & I've found most admin jobs I look at don't require a licence.

 

[Blythe]

Can Drive too

I do not live in a metropolitian area. No mass transit and my job requires me to drive.

 

[LMReggcellent]

I've never been able to have a driver's license and I started drinking when I was 22, with my doctor's permission. I am a stubborn person that thinks something like "if you keep me from driving you're not going to stop me from drinking, too". We have a joke that my husband is the designated driver, I'm the designated drinker. But I don't drink too often and I don't drink alone, I stop before I drink too much. I'm too cheap to buy a lot of alcohol for my home or from a bar or restaurant. It's never impacted my medication side effects or seizure control.

 

[violetopia]

I haven't driven since my dx (a year ago this week). My szs are simple & complex partials and there have been occasions when I felt certain they would make driving unsafe. I surrendered my license to make sure I wouldn't backpedal on that decision! In Arizona, you only have to have 3 months seizure free to drive, but my longest so far is 9 days.

As for drinking, I have numerous reasons not to drink and had quit entirely 18 months before my szs began. I take insulin for my diabetes, and mixing alcohol is not a great idea there. Likewise Zoloft, which I take for depression. But I had done so for many years and eventually acknowledged that I was also drinking to excess. Discovering how hard it was for me to reduce my drinking was a clue that I had developed an unhealthy dependency on alcohol, alas.

I sometimes wonder if my excessive drinking caused brain damage that led to the start of my seizures. Apparently this is medically possible but can't be proven. (I have TLE with no known cause.) ::shrugs:: The best I can do now is to take care of myself as well as possible!

All that said, if I could drink safely and in moderation, with a doctor's OK, I would. Before I lost control of it, it was one of the pleasures of my life.

 

[MadameJ]

Haven't hit my 6 months yet, so can't drive. Yes, even though I was told not to, I do have a glass here and there but the meds increase the sensation and I really don't enjoy it, perhaps it will even out.m

 

[mspang]

bump

 

[FFShawn]

Haven't drank for 6 years, personal choice. And now with being on meds would never risk the interaction of meds and alcohol. No driving since I'm not quite at six months, except to get the mail cause the driveway is just too long and steep!

 

[AngelwithDentedHalo]

Drinking and driving is NEVER a good idea, doesn't matter how little you drink, any amount can impair your judgment and affect your driving. In the past, I've been stupid enough to drive after drinking but luckily nothing happened and I never did it again and would never even think about it. Buzzed driving is drunk driving and anything can happen.

You might not be drunk but it can make you sleepy and fall asleep. Too many are killed each year by drinking and driving, not a smart idea.

As for having a seizure, I came within minutes of being on the road when it happened. In fact, I'd been driving ten minutes prior and had been about to leave ten minutes before it happened. I was lucky and my doctor never had my license pulled and I've been seizure free two years.

 

[C0urt]

my seizures come in clusters,

but i have not made it to six months in 7 years. I have a clear driving record i think, and I would love to get my dl back, and i would love to get my motor cycle back, but the chance of that is slim. fortunately i love my bicycle.

I think all my prior speeding tickets got cleared when a cop hit me during a seizure.

 

[Maisy]

Can`t do either, but was feeling that low and rubbish yesterday i went out and had 3 pints, ive learned my lesson now though, dizziness and wierd feelings were not worth it, felt so rubbish

 

[Cint]

I was driving and hit my 8- month seizure free mark until mid-December. I was on my way home from the post office to mail Christmas cards and packs. As I pulled out of the parking lot, I felt the aura coming on so I pulled into a drug store parking lot (at least I thought I did). The next thing I remember, I was sitting in my car, turned toward oncoming traffic in the middle of a busy street, totally stunned. Several very sweet women were speaking to me, telling me things were going to be okay and that the ambulance and police were on their way. I wasn't clearly thinking yet, but I knew something bad had happened. By the time I got to the hospital I could finally speak and the police arrived and knew I had a CP seizure because I had recovered so quickly. But he didn't ticket me, thank god, nor did I lose my DL. But my car was totaled and I won't be driving for a long, long time now. And Thank God no one was injured seriously because I crossed six lanes of traffic and hit a tree head on! All because of this F****** E! And it is time for a new battery in my VNS. When does this shit end? Do I drink and drive? Hell NO!!! I hate those who get away with drinking and driving and killing!!!!!!!! Think about it. I feel like a prisoner in my own body...........

 

[RunningGirl85]

I can drink... No problems there, unless I don't sleep properly or rehydrate (so basically, the after-effects might cause problems, but if I don't over do it, I'm fine)... Sadly, I still can't drive. New York law is six months, and it's been well over six months since my last seizure where I actually lost consciousness, but my neurologist didn't want to clear me because I was still having a lot of partial seizures. Hopefully after this last video EEG I'll be cleared since I don't think much of anything showed up!

 

[RunningGirl85]

my seizures come in clusters,

but i have not made it to six months in 7 years. I have a clear driving record i think, and I would love to get my dl back, and i would love to get my motor cycle back, but the chance of that is slim. fortunately i love my bicycle.

I think all my prior speeding tickets got cleared when a cop hit me during a seizure.

Gosh I wish the weather up here would permit me to ride my bicycle... I feel like riding my bike on these icy roads would probably hurt me before getting in a car would (though I still don't drive). Right now 30 degrees is a warm-day... lol.