Seizure types also vary by where they begin in the brain and how far they spread. A seizure that lasts longer than five minutes is a medical emergency. Several treatment options and interventions can help a person recover from alcohol dependence. Once a person stops using alcohol, they can often experience recovery from symptoms, though in some cases, some damage may be permanent. Once you stop alcohol intake, a doctor can address your specific symptoms. Doctors tailor specific treatments and alcohol abstinence programs to the individual.
- In other patients with acute symptomatic seizures, the prognosis is related to the disease process.
- Taking recreational drugs increases the risk of seizures and of mental and physical health problems, which in turn may make seizures more likely.
- When people talk about alcohol seizures, they usually mean alcohol withdrawal seizures.
- Learning more about your own epilepsy and treatment means you can make informed choices about your lifestyle.
- On MyEpilepsyTeam, the social network and online support group for people with epilepsy and their loved ones, members have discussed alcohol, epilepsy, and seizure triggers.
Types of Seizures and Their Symptoms
Alcohol is a diuretic, which means that it promotes water loss by increasing urine output. In a 2020 study, research found that the risk of SUDEP was twice as high in people with a history of alcohol dependence or substance misuse disorder. SUDEP is the sudden and unexpected death of a person with epilepsy who is otherwise healthy without a known cause. The risk in people with epilepsy is roughly 1 in 1,000 people per year.
Addiction Questions?
When people drink, their brains don’t respond to GABA normally, and they feel sedated and calm. Additionally, if a seizure cannot be stopped or multiple seizures occur in rapid succession, it could result in permanent injury or prove fatal. According to the Epilepsy Foundation, seizures by themselves typically are not fatal. However, they may cause people to fall and sustain potentially serious injuries, such as head injuries.
Be sure to ask your doctor about the effects of alcohol on any medications you might be taking. Some common epileptic triggers are physical or emotional stress, eating certain foods, flashing lights, and even lack of sleep. But one of the most discussed triggers on MyEpilepsyTeam is alcohol. Let’s take a look at the relationship between alcohol and seizures to shed some light on why drinking is a potential trigger. A person’s previous experiences with repeated alcohol withdrawals cause neurochemical imbalances in their brain. These changes have a kindling effect, meaning they act as a kindle and trigger seizures during subsequent withdrawal episodes.
” This can be confusing — especially if you or someone you love has been newly diagnosed with epilepsy and is deciding whether or not to drink. Luckily, current research can help you make wise decisions about your relationship with alcohol. At Discover Recovery, we work with a wide variety of health insurance providers so those in need can get access to the treatment they need. That means you (or your loved one) won’t have to worry about covering the cost of treatment. Instead, all of your energy and focus can be spent where it’s really needed, which is on overcoming addiction. This is what causes the signs of alcohol intoxication, such as sedation (calmness, relaxation, sleepiness) and disinhibition.
Mixing Weed and Alcohol: Effects and Risks
Only subjects do drug dogs smell nicotine ≥18 years who had suffered from epilepsy for at least 1 year were included. Epilepsy types and seizures were classified according to the International League Against Epilepsy (16). In addition to that, alcohol intake significantly suppresses REM sleep periods (30).
Other factors include your medications and how much food you eat before drinking. Focal seizures result from electrical activity in one area of the brain. This type of seizure can happen with or without passing out, called losing consciousness. This condition can be acute, affecting people for a short period of time before resolving, or chronic, lasting for a longer period of time. Alcohol-related neurologic disease refers to a range of conditions caused by alcohol intake that affect the nerves and nervous system. Neurologic disorders can include fetal alcohol syndrome, dementia, and alcoholic neuropathy.
