Does alcohol affect anyone taking Keppra?

[ddr1166]

Just curious. My husband takes 1500 mg/day of Keppra - only Keppra. He's not a drinker - in fact, never really drank much his whole life. But on these hot Texas days...and especially on vacations, he likes a cold beer now and again. But he's afraid to have one. Any advice? Thanks much. --D in Dallas

[epileric]

I don't know if alcohol interacts with keppra but I do know that keppra & alcohol do share similar side-effects..... loss of balance/coordination, moodiness etc. so I would expect those to be exaggerated.

I personally would advise against it whether it interacts or not just for the fact that alcohol dehydrates the body & heat is a common trigger (as is being discussed today on another thread). If he insists then make sure he is well hydrated to minimize any bad effects the beer might have.

[Endless]

I agree with Eric. I was on Keppra at one time, now on Trileptal. No matter what anti-seizure med you're on, alcohol amplifies the side effects and makes someone feel even drunker. It's also a seizure trigger for many people. The seizure doesn't come right away - it comes 6-8 hours or so later. There are lots of people in here who swear they can drink in moderation and it's okay. Personally I don't think anything is worth a seizure so I don't drink at all.

[dfwtexas]

I'm not much of a drinker either, but a nice glass of wine with friends on occassion is great. When I started on Keppra, I asked my neurologist about it. He explained that alcohol with any seizure meds could be a personal trigger. However he suggested if I wanted to test it see if it wouldn't be a trigger for me, he suggested that Keppra needs a minimum of 2 hour buffer between taking it and having a drink. He also suggested I never have more than 2 drinks. I normally take me meds first thing in morning and right before bedtime. So if I have wine with dinner at 6...I make sure there is at least 2 hours from the last drink and taking my Keppra. I have not had any problems when I follow the rules!
However I would be on alert the first time he tries it to be sure it's not a personal trigger for him. Some people with E cannot handle any amount, but limited amount if you are going to drink is a rule for all. I don't even like beer, but this weather does make me crave one! lol

[Endless]

dfw,

Oh, yes. I agree! I crave a beer in the heat! Costo has O'Douls!

[knothing]

It depends on the person. Myself I have had one drink since then and It made me feel like I had 6. But like I said it depends on the person.

[Junebug]

I take Keppra (2000mg a day) and I am even affected if I take a tsp of Nyquil so that would be a big YES! I've never been a drinker and it does depend on the person.

[xenome]

I take Keppra and I was a heavy drinker. My neurologist said it was ok as long as I didnt take my pills at the same time I was drinking. I told her that Ive never had a seizure while drinking and she said it was because alcohol depresses the electrical activity in the brain. One night while partying I drank a bottle of vodka and a half bottle of wine, the next day I had 5 grand mals, a record. I went to the ER and the doctor there said that while alcohol depresses your nervous system, making me unlikely to have a seizure, I was more at risk for having a seizure when my system returns to normal as I sober up. So, I stopped drinking.

[Random]

I am on 1000mg daily, thats 500mg morning and night. I started last november and have not been out drinking much since then because I ALWAYS end up having a bad night

1. I have always had a high tolerance for alcohol I practically have none any more. I start to feel the effects of drunkenness after just 4 pints of beers

Some nights its like I have my normal tollarance pretty much which is fine..then other nights its like a smack in the face *bang* your drunk now
its just not nice.

2. I have been sick twice in the last month from a very small amount of alcohol and completely embarrassed myself..(this has never happened before I was on keppra)

3. Hangovers after drinking on keppra suck

I have now decided NO more drinking..I'll just have to stick to the cokes and water if I want to have fun

*A side note I have also lost a lot of weight since starting keppra I went down from being about 8stone to 7.3 stone (or 113 pounds to 102 pounds) wich is a lots of weight loss. so that could also be a part of it as skinner people tend to need less alcohol

Oh and another side note as that is just my story my advice for you husband or other people who may read this. I would think that one or two drinks is fine and unlessyou are REALLY unlucky you wont end up like I have. Plus like I said I have lost loads of weight I'm like skin and bones now so depending on your size and what not.

finally you should consider your keppra dosage, I'm on the lowest dosage they give out to adults..so be careful if you are on a higher one then me

[carolyn]

Hi Random!
I am on Keppra too (2000mg a day) and I totally agree that it interacts with alcohol. Before that I was taking valproic acid and I could drink with no problems really. But now... one glass of wine and I am drunk and sleepy!

And yeah, I lost weight too. I went from 119 to 108 pound in a little bit more than 3 weeks. I am not even checking my weight anymore, don't want to stress myself out .

[epilepsee]

Most of these meds will lower your tolerance. One drink can be similar to several. I have found that drinking with epilepsy...at least anything over a glass or so of wine...is a very bad idea.