Can Alcohol Bring Back Epilepsy?

[MattTC13]

Hello everyone,

I used to have problems with seizures back in elementary and middle school. After being on medicine for over eight years, I have finally gotten off and haven't had any issues with seizure activity in about four or five years. I am now in college, and am wondering if alcohol consumption may result in a return of seizure activity?

[alivenwell]

Sounds like an excellent theory. Other people in here have experienced alcohol as a seizure aggravation.

Epilepsy and Anxiety

[Allyson]

That's going to vary person to person. As far as I know, moderate drinking isn't supposed to cause seizures, but you should talk to your neurologist about that.

[darcness]

Agreed, chat with the doc about it.

I mean honestly everyone is different. My wife can drink and has gotten fairly drunk while not on any meds for her E. She never really was triggered by alocohol. More so lack of sleep and stress. Everyone is different though.

If you are going to drink, I'd keep it moderate and see how things go. You know your body and your seizures. Watch for warning signs and adjust accordingly. Unfortunately if that means putting down the booze, you are the only one who can decide what's more important.

[epileric]

Whether alcohol triggers a seizure or not I have no doubt that it will lower your seizure threshold thus increasing the chances of one.

[RobinN]

I agree with Eric. What you are most likely thinking about is your seizure threshold. We all have one. Yours was low for some reason as a child, and you found ways to raise it up. Thankfully your brain did not learn to kindle (learn to seize as a release mechanism). It could certainly be lowered once again with alcohol consumption. If you through in stress, and nutritional deficits, lack of sleep, etc.

[Nakamova]

It's definitely a personal judgement call, since everyone reacts differently to alcohol. It can affect the absorption/retention of certain nutrients (like potassium) that are important in seizure prevention. And it can also disrupt normal sleep patterns. So go carefully -- definitely as moderate as possible until you get a sense of how your body is reacting.

Best,
Nakamova

The

[Meetz1064]

does vary person by person. However, quite a few of us are allergic to ingredients in the alcohol anyway (barley, malt, rye, etc), so we just don't drink it. Alcohol can, and does cause one to become dehydrated, so that will also affect how your meds are processed in your body, if you're taking them.

The other thing to consider is that some meds have a seriously bad reaction when combined to with alcohol. You should really consult with your pharmacist about that.

Good luck with your decision.

Meetz


P.S. There are some really good non-alcoholic drinks available.......

[MattTC13]

Just a follow up on this, 2 years later. If any of you are still on the forum, thank you for the responses!

I have not engaged in drinking at all over the past two years, determining the risk simply wasn't worth it. That said, I am turning 21 in a week and will certainly want to have at least a FEW drinks.

I haven't been on medication for about 3 years and have been free of seizure activity for 6.5 years now (knock on wood!).

The biggest reason for my concern here is that I know someone who was seizure free for 10 years, got plastered one night, and then had a seizure. When I asked my neurologist about this, he said the two cases were probably separate, but I can't help but doubt their independence.

When you all say "alcohol lowers your threshold," how does drinking compare to say not getting a lot of sleep? Is it common for people who have had seizures in the past to not drink, or am I being over cautious?

Again, I have been seizure free for 6.5 years.
Off medication for 3 years.
I had a total of maybe 7 episodes throughout my life.

Thanks in advance!

[epileric]

Well one of the things alcohol does is dehydrate you so in that respect it is a strain on your body.

Also, alcohol itself is a known neurotoxin though the specific nature of how it works as one is not known.

Although there is general agreement that excessive alcohol intake can increase the frequency of seizures in epileptic patients, limited available data suggest that light to moderate social alcohol drinking may not affect seizure frequency. However, epileptic patients should be warned about the possible adverse effects of alcohol, especially those who have refractory forms of epilepsy. Except for a few anomalous cases, evidence for the direct seizure-provoking effect of alcohol is not strong. This is because it is difficult to pinpoint alcohol as the only etiology; more likely, alcohol is only one factor among others (e.g., head trauma, cerebral infarct, alcohol withdrawal, and metabolic effects of alcohol) in provoking seizures.

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/1...658.x/abstract