When Do Alcohol Seizures Occur? Recognizing and Managing the Risks
Recognizing these symptoms is vital, as alcohol seizures can lead to further complications and require immediate medical intervention. Treatment may involve medications such as benzodiazepines to manage withdrawal symptoms and prevent future seizures. Over 50% of alcohol withdrawal seizures may relate to additional risk factors, such as preexisting epilepsy, structural brain lesions, or drug use. According to a 2017 article, alcohol withdrawal seizures in those without epilepsy may occur 6–48 hours after a person consumes their last alcoholic drink. Withdrawal occurs when a person drinks large quantities of alcohol for a period of time and then suddenly stops or reduces their intake.
Severe Symptoms
- The seizures can develop abruptly without warning, and multiple seizures can occur within a 6- to 8-hour period.
- The goal is to safely and gradually decrease your dependence on alcohol so that you can resume your daily life.
- For people who experience hallucinations as part of alcohol withdrawal, these may begin in the 12- to 24-hour time frame.
- Alcohol is a depressant that calms the nervous system by affecting glutamate and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA).
They involve muscle stiffening (tonic phase) and twitching or jerking (clonic phase). Emphasizing a balanced diet and proper hydration can maintain brain health and mitigate seizure triggers. The ketogenic diet, while primarily studied in pediatric cases, shows potential benefits for adults. For long-term management, medications such as acamprosate and naltrexone have proven effective in treating AUD and can help reduce or eliminate alcohol use. Gabapentin and topiramate, while not officially approved for this use, can serve as second-line treatments for AUD.
- The sooner you begin treatment, the better your chances are of preventing life threatening complications.
- The quantitative, measurable detection of drinking is important for the successful treatment of AUD.
- Even if you are no longer dependent on alcohol, you may have a compulsion to drink that’s hard to control.
- Doctors often warn people who have epilepsy to avoid alcohol or to only drink in moderation.
- Symptoms that you may experience in this stage include confusion, anxiety, irritability, and headache.
Overview of Alcohol-Related Seizures: Can Drinking Alcohol Cause Seizures?
You should discuss this risk with your doctor and follow instructions carefully. BetterHelp offers affordable mental health care via phone, video, or live-chat. Previous withdrawal episodes appear to be the most reliable predictor of who is at risk for future withdrawal, with or without seizures.
Supportive Care
They can ease many alcohol withdrawal symptoms, allowing your body to adjust slowly. However, benzodiazepines can also be addictive, so they should be taken with a doctor’s guidance. Alcohol’s half-life is around four to five hours, which means your body will process the chemical out of your bloodstream within that time frame. After that, many of alcohol’s effects will have faded or will begin to fade. It won’t be long after alcohol reaches its half-life that you start to experience withdrawal symptoms.
Enhancing Healthcare Team Outcomes
Binge drinking (consuming 4-5 drinks or more in a short period of time) is linked to a higher risk of alcohol-related seizures due to withdrawal effects after you stop drinking. At Healthgrades, our Editorial Team works hard to develop complete, objective and meaningful health information to help people choose the right doctor, right hospital and right care. Our writers include physicians, pharmacists, and registered nurses with firsthand clinical experience. All condition, treatment and wellness content is medically reviewed by at least one medical professional ensuring the most accurate information possible. You will typically require hospitalization if you experience seizures related to alcohol withdrawal.
Health Challenges
In some cases, excessive alcohol consumption may lead people to miss meals or medication, which can also make seizures more likely in people with epilepsy. In fact, alcohol withdrawal seizure studies have found that in 40-50% of adults who present to emergency departments or are admitted to hospital with new-onset seizures, the seizures are related to alcohol abuse. If you seek treatment for an alcohol use disorder, you will likely begin with a medical assessment. If you’re dependent on alcohol, you may need to go through a tapering period with the help of a doctor.
Moderation in Alcohol Consumption
When people stop consuming alcohol after chronic use, they lose the inhibitory effects of the GABA receptors, resulting in the central nervous system being overstimulated. They will also typically give you medication to stop a seizure if you are experiencing one. The prodrome stage can last for 10 minutes and involves some of the first signs that a seizure may be about to happen. Symptoms that you may experience in this stage include confusion, anxiety, irritability, and headache.
Alcohol (ethanol) depresses (slows down) your central nervous system (CNS). If you consistently consume significant amounts of alcohol, your CNS gets used to this effect. Your CNS must work harder to overcome the depressant effects of alcohol to keep your body functioning. Each of these symptoms can increase in intensity depending on the severity of the withdrawal.