Drinking With Seizures & On Keppra?

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JLogefeil

JLogefeil

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I have been wanting to drink for a while now but the last time I got drunk I had a seizure and ended up in the ER, that was over a year ago.
But lately I want to drink and I don't know how it will effect me now since I m takin 1,500mg of Keppra.
Does anyone know how this will effect you? Or things I need to look out for?
Any advise will do, Thank you :D
 
I rarely.... maybe once or twice a year. I take 3000mgs of Keppra. Like I may have a glass of wine at Thanksgiving or Christmas with all the relatives. For me, a drink doesnt hurt me. I may get alittle "woosie" if I have a couple drinks though!
 
drinking and seizures don't mix. when I went to the neurologist he told me a story about one of his patients that passed away from getting drunk then having a seizure.. so after my doc told me that I was completely against drinking. one or two is okay just don't get smashed .
 
I take 3000mg of Keppra a day, plus a few other different meds. I've been ok when I have a drink, but it's usually only one drink. I don't drink enough to get drunk.

To be honest alchol and me don't mix as it is. I'm the opposite of most people, when they get drunk they start partying and acting crazy. But when I get drunk I feel sick and want to go to sleep.

My friends laugh because even though I'm not drinking when we go out I act like the drunkest one there, it's like I get a 'drunk' off of them.
 
I have never been much of a drinker. Even before I started to take seizures again I barley ever drank. I might have maybe a couple of drinks a year. Usually if I do have a drink it will be mixed so a spirit with soft drink or baileys with milk & it will only be a drop of alcohol lol.
Having the odd drink has never triggered a seizure but because I've never been much of a drinker I can usually only tolerate 1 or 2 drinks before I start feeling tired or get a headache.
 
Sounds like alcohol is a big trigger for you?

I'm able to drink just fine. I make sure to take my meds with food, and hours before I have that first drink. Everything in moderation.
 
My daughter will be 21 on her next birthday and has been feeling really depressed when people comment that she will be legal to drink, because we've always assumed she shouldn't have any alcohol at all. She would be glad to know that some people are fine with an occasional drink, and maybe she can have one on her birthday after all. I will definitely have her ask her doctor about it first though.
 
:e: I think it really depends on the person rather than anything else but alcohol does affect you more ways than you think it changes your blood chemistry as with smoking and therefore it can cause differentials in the medication you take and depending on how much medication you take it's like telling a alcoholic that is okay to drink and also take your insulin for diabetes doesn't make too much sense to me. But to each its own. I gave up drinking 19 years ago because I made my mind that I probably shouldn't drink when I have a little boy to raise by myself so I have not had a drink since but any choice in what somebody does is their own doing. Sure I get cravings once in a while but I take way too much meds to even think about it.:twocents:
when my son turned 21 he didnt let peer pressure him into drinking on his great day...it is ok not to drink....
 
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I never take chances with drinking and meds, too risky, haven't had a drink in over 8 years, no desire to either. I wouldn't chance it. What if it does trigger a seizure and the alcohol in your system could make it more severe.
 
Like most people have said, I can have one or two but not really beyond that.

If you've had a seizure whilst drunk before it sounds like it might be a trigger for you, so I personally wouldn't risk it.
 
Well, alcohol is not really a trigger for me, and actually I'd see that my seizure activity decreases if I've been drinking. I'm on Keppra and Lamictal and I drink sometimes, but not much. I also drink much slower because I've found that my tolerance has gone down since starting on medication (or maybe it's because I don't drink often), and I don't really get drunk anymore these days, just enough to get a little buzzed. I used to drink too fast (before all this seizure stuff started) and would end up too drunk because I'm a small person. I've found I enjoy drinking more now that I slow down. No hangovers, and less money spent :)
 
Well, if alcohol is a depressant, it stands to reason that it might actually have a beneficial aspect for certain types of seizures -- like yours, Running Girl.

However, it might have a bad interaction with a lot of seizure meds - the first thing that leaps to mind is anything in the benzo family, like Diazapam, Clonazapam -- those drugs. So...even one or two drinks could be disastrous.

And then, getting drunk or drinking habitually could contribute to liver disease, and the liver might already be compromised by meds like Depakote (VPA).

And also, alcohol dehydrates the system, and this could be disastrous for people on Topamax or Zonegran, who already have a higher chance of kidney stones or acidosis.

And, of course, alcohol contains sugar, so might cause issues in individuals whose seizures are impacted by their blood sugar level, and also individuals on keto or Modified Atkins diet.
 
You need to look out for having TOO much to drink..... to the point of getting DRUNK. What is the point of getting drunk? Not only can drinking while on Topamax or Zonegran be disastrous, it can be so on any AED's if you drink too much. Drink in moderation. Maybe 1 or 2 at most.
 
I also came across an article about how the "post-ictal" stage after a seizure can last longer than many people realize -- anywhere from 2 hours to days, and sometimes even up to 2 weeks, and that during this phase, judgement is impaired, and some people are especially prone to alcohol abuse.
 
KarenB said:
I also came across an article about how the "post-ictal" stage after a seizure can last longer than many people realize -- anywhere from 2 hours to days, and sometimes even up to 2 weeks, and that during this phase, judgement is impaired, and some people are especially prone to alcohol abuse.
Click to expand...

I've had bad seizures where my post-ictal stage has lasted for days. Sure, my judgement is impaired somewhat, but, there is no way I would abuse, let alone use, alcohol under those circumstances.
 
Well, I suppose it might be more of an issue with someone who consumed alcohol regularly and perhaps already had issues with alcohol abuse.
 
I use to drink like a fish but have cut down alot in the past few years, thanks mostly to my guy. I can say that I had more seizures when I was drinking regularly but I was also not following my meds properly or taking care of me.
In recent years, my boyfirend made sure I take care of me. I have noticed that the more often I drink the more likely I am to have a seizure. And how drunk I get can be almost directly related to how bad the follow up seizure will be, if I have a seizure.
All in moderation ...
 
My neuro said to me "I should tell you not to drink at all, but it's safer to have a couple of drinks regularly than to totally binge once a week because it's the sudden and dramatic rise/drop of alcohol blood levels that causes the problem, not maintaining a more regular, smaller amount."
That said I'm still an appalling binger :|
 
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