Alcohol and Epilepsy

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Elaine H

Elaine H

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Hi All

I just wondered if any of you can enjoy a drink, does it affect your seizures, and if it does, how much does it take to get you sloshed, have you noticed a difference between the amount you can drink now, compared to what you used to be able to drink. I know it says "avoid" alcohol on the packet, but I couldn't just sit there when all my mates were having a ball! You can however guarantee, that if I have a heavy night, I will have a bad seizure the next day, my tipple is red wine, I never mix my drinks, don't get drunk very often, but I seem to be okay one minute, and then all of a sudden, without any warning, I'm totally off my trolley, and like last week, ended up in the back of an ambulance!
I just wondered if it affects everyone the same.

Cheers
Elaine x
 
Hi Elaine! Actually, I do like an occasional drink. Usually, if I drink, I'll have 1 beer. I drink maybe once every 2-3 months. I kind of outgrew the going out and getting sloshed stage. Though that was fun when I was younger. :) Now, if I do overdo it, and by that I mean have more than 2 drinks, I really watch myself the next day and stay home. I'm afraid of having a seizure the next day.
 
It is a known fact that something in red wine will trigger migraines (migraines being linked to seizures now). White wine brings on a migraine for me. We each have our triggers. I am sure that it also counteracts with your medicine. Perhaps that is why you find a range of tolerance levels.

Doesn't seem worth it to me. When others are drinking I find a drink that is acceptable to me, and watch the others get snookered. There are actually gluten free beers now. Or tonic and lime, or orange juice. No one needs to know that you aren't drinking unless you don't really care. I find here in the states that there are more often than not people that make the choice not to drink.
 
I had asked the Doctor about this in the past, and he told me that although it does say on the packet about avoiding alcohol, it doesn't ring true for everyone.

However, back in my late teens/early twenties I was out on the town with my mates hitting the pubs and clubs, and drinking like a fish - especially on Saturday's. I was fine....didn't really find that it affected me.

I did used to wake up on the following Sunday and feel fairly depressed -after drinking for a good number of years the novelty seemed to wear off.:ponder: .....so I grew bored of the 'depressed feeling', and just wondered what the point of it was, so then I joined a gym.

Personally, I found it fairly easy to just say no to alcohol, which goes to prove Thank God that I didn't have a drinking problem.

Now I'm in my late 30's, I tend to have 2 cans of lager on a Saturday night, which I find relaxes me and can help me 'escape' and 'calm' the twitchyness, should I be feeling a little 'iffy' that day. I did have 4 pints of lager a couple of Saturday's ago, as I was celebrating my Birthday with my family.....and lo and behold I had a seizure the following day.

So in answer to your question, I know that I can have 2 cans/pints of lager and feel relaxed by that. But if I go past this mark, I'm asking for trouble......and once a week isn't too much of a problem for me - I dunno what would happen if I were to say have a drink on the Friday night, and then the Saturday night too...but in all honesty, I just ain't THAT interested in it.

I guess I'm just getting old ;)
 
Elaine Howell said:
Hi All

I just wondered if any of you can enjoy a drink, does it affect your seizures, and if it does, how much does it take to get you sloshed, have you noticed a difference between the amount you can drink now, compared to what you used to be able to drink. I know it says "avoid" alcohol on the packet, but I couldn't just sit there when all my mates were having a ball! You can however guarantee, that if I have a heavy night, I will have a bad seizure the next day, my tipple is red wine, I never mix my drinks, don't get drunk very often, but I seem to be okay one minute, and then all of a sudden, without any warning, I'm totally off my trolley, and like last week, ended up in the back of an ambulance!
I just wondered if it affects everyone the same.

Cheers
Elaine x
Click to expand...
I can have an occasional beer or wine, but there have been a number of times in the past when alcohol has brought on a seizure. It is just not worth the risk, being strong is extremely important however the more drinks consumed, the less resistance there will be to say NO to the next drink. You can't rely on others to know when you have consumed more than your body can tolerate.
 
When I went downstate to party earlier this year, I would already a bit off because of my medication...

BUT I would drink, have a couple smaller seizures (i'm awake during them) but they didn't hurt that bad ( iguess it numbed it a little) , i'd drink more, mix drinks, and only one seizure before I sleep as usual.

I used to drink like a true college freshman, anything, a lot, and tooo fast! BUT now, since I've switched up medications, I do not drink at alll...and it makes parties really boring.

:soap:

I really do not like hanging out on the w/ the sober crew, because they are too uptight and never say anything about anything. "These people drink to have fun! HA!" -but that is all they say. sooo dull. At least I'll get some half-drunk half-thought out "serious" discussion between a few guys instead of listening to the 'goodie-goodie's' talk about how much better they are because they don't drink. THEY drive me to drink. jk. I apologize, but 4 months of going to parties where the atmosphere is young and fun...and having to sit with the "self proclaimed adults" is just killing me.

End soap box.

OH and... I'm not an alcoholic. No urge, other than to get away from them.
 
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I think you can still drink but dont have so much. Plus it depends what pills you are taking and what your body can handle. Some pills like Dilantin didnt work with alcohol with me anyways. I used to go out with my friends and drink and not even think about it. Nothing kicked in until the next day. I would have the worse feelings. Bad migraines and of course hangover. I then thought about it and said it isnt worth it. I went down to having a drink once in a blue moon. Like if I go out to eat, I would get a mixed drink. But now I dont think it is worth having. I cant stand the taste of alcohol anymore. If I order a drink now I will never finish it.
 
Hi Tee Tees
Good to hear from you, what do you think of this website? I think it's great to get the overseas perspective on epilepsy, and everyone is so kean and quick to reply to you, I have only been a member since March, but it's been great. I love my red wine, I am by no means an alky, I can go days without it and I'm not climbing the walls, I just love it when we are out at a do, or people are here, a few red wines so chills me out, and I have never even had an aura while having a red wine in me, epilepsy is a no go area when I've had a few, and rightly or wrongly, it helps me to sleep, I cannot sleep if I go to bed without a glass or two of wine, I'll just stare at the ceiling. The next day, if and only if I've had a good skinful the night before, you can almost guarrantee I'll have a seizure, but I have to have a lot to bring one on. I drink most days, but I don't very often go over the top, I rarely get slaughtered, I just need a couple to chill me out. wine gives me a confidence that I know is in there, it just needs encouraging out some times.


Cheers
Elaine xx
 
In the begining before the seizures started I would only have auras. The auras would happen after a night of heavy drinking.
 
It makes me nervous that this is in front of Rebecca. I do hope she makes good choices. After working so hard to move toward seizure freedom, I do hope she doesn't blow it all by adding insult to the fire. I wonder if subtle hints will help or if they will just cause annoyance. Perhaps just a few...
 
If only I had stoped drinking when the auras started maybe they would never have gone to grand mall seizures. It was 30 years ago and they didnt even know what auras were.
 
Elaine Howell said:
Hi Tee Tees
Good to hear from you, what do you think of this website? I think it's great to get the overseas perspective on epilepsy, and everyone is so kean and quick to reply to you, I have only been a member since March, but it's been great. I love my red wine, I am by no means an alky, I can go days without it and I'm not climbing the walls, I just love it when we are out at a do, or people are here, a few red wines so chills me out, and I have never even had an aura while having a red wine in me, epilepsy is a no go area when I've had a few, and rightly or wrongly, it helps me to sleep, I cannot sleep if I go to bed without a glass or two of wine, I'll just stare at the ceiling. The next day, if and only if I've had a good skinful the night before, you can almost guarrantee I'll have a seizure, but I have to have a lot to bring one on. I drink most days, but I don't very often go over the top, I rarely get slaughtered, I just need a couple to chill me out. wine gives me a confidence that I know is in there, it just needs encouraging out some times.


Cheers
Elaine xx
Click to expand...


Hi Elaine,

Personally I find this site MUCH better than the ones in the UK. Without meaning to sound biased, the UK ones are full of too much gloom and doom for my liking....and there seems to be some kinda competition going on as to who had the worst night/seizure at times.

This site is tons better - brilliant people, with brilliant ideas/suggestions, and a larger overall sense of humour.

One tip re the red wine - make sure you're drinking the drink, and the drink isn't drinking you : reading your message gives me concerns as to whether you may be 'relying' on the wine to 'help' you sleep ?.....just something to think about.
 
Hi TeeTees

Good to hear back from you, I know what you are saying about drinking, but I think I am on top of things, I'm not working at the moment, and so have a lot of time on my hands at home, I can see that it would be an extremely slippery slope to drink during the day, and there is no way that is going to happen, but a couple of glasses before bedtime really does help me to relax, and I've been doing it for a few years, I really don't think I've increased the amount I drink over the years, and I never really used to drink when I was younger, I'm fairly confident that I have complete control over my drinking habits, and it certainly doesn't rule my life or me, I have seen people go that way before, and I certainly don't want to follow them, it does help me to relax though, and I can't say that I've ever had any problems with my seizures while I've had a drink, not even an aura, which to me personally is the worst part of having this damn condition.

I hope to be able to drive once I've had my second lot of surgery sometime in the next few months, and and I certainly won't be letting red wine spoil my chances of jumping behind the wheel again soon. Good to hear back from you.

Best Regards

Elaine x
 
Hi,

Here's my 2 cents worth. I like drinking wine - white. I've never been a huge drinker - 2 or 3 glasses in an evening. I also drink it with ice - keeps it cold, dilutes it and makes it last longer. In the past year or so I find that 1 or 2 is my limit. I just get too sleeeeeepy! Is that the meds or just that I'm getting older. Alcohol has never brought on a seizure, I would find that incredibly frightning. Maybe the sleepiness is my body's way of saying, "enough!"
 
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