This part of your brain works with feel-good chemicals like dopamine, which are responsible for rewarding, pleasurable feelings. Alcohol works in the brain by influencing a chemical called GABA, or gamma-Aminobutyric acid. GABA is a neurotransmitter responsible for slowing down activity in your brain so you can sleep, relax, and release stress.

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It typically begins within a few hours of suddenly stopping or reducing your intake of alcohol. However, people who are on antiepileptic drugs may have a lower tolerance for alcohol. In https://yourhealthmagazine.net/article/addiction/sober-houses-rules-that-you-should-follow/ other words, they may experience more rapid intoxication compared to people who aren’t taking these medications. Additionally, alcohol and antiepileptic drugs cause many of the same side effects, and the combination can make these side effects worse. They pose risks of physical injury, progression to life-threatening conditions like delirium tremens (DTs), and even death if untreated.

Seizures When Undergoing an Alcohol Detox: Causes, Dangers & Treatments

For individuals with co-occurring epilepsy and AUD, avoiding alcohol is critical, as it can interfere with antiseizure medications and increase seizure risk. Newer antiseizure drugs, such as ezogabine, have shown promise in clinical trials, but they may have side effects and require monitoring. Medications are essential in treating alcohol seizures, which often stem from excessive alcohol consumption or abrupt withdrawal. The primary goal is to stabilize brain activity, prevent seizure recurrence, and manage withdrawal symptoms. 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.

Can alcohol trigger seizures in epilepsy?

Case-control studies convincingly demonstrate the association of first seizures to alcohol use in a dose-dependent manner. For example, the risk was 3-fold for people drinking 51 to 100 g alcohol/day and steadily increased to 8-fold and more than 16-fold for people drinking 101 to 200 g/day and more than 200 g/day (47; 36). Alcohol withdrawal seizures are a strong risk factor for progression into a severe withdrawal state, with subsequent development of delirium tremens in up to 30% of cases if untreated (77). This is the most severe manifestation of alcohol withdrawal syndrome and progresses 48 to 72 hours after consumption cessation, lasting up to 14 days, with a mortality of 1% (44; 27). The relationship between alcohol and seizures was first mentioned by Hippocrates (39), as well as by the Romans, who even put a name to it, morbus convivialis, or “disorder related to partying” (35). Centuries later, Magnus Huss introduced the term “alcoholismus chronicus” in 1851 and showed that after prolonged intoxication, alcoholics may have seizures (25).

What are the Symptoms of Alcohol Addiction and Withdrawal?

While most people experience mild symptoms, severe withdrawal symptoms impact about 3-5% of people. Treating alcohol-related seizures requires addressing the underlying alcohol abuse or addiction. It’s crucial to seek support from healthcare professionals, addiction specialists, or rehabilitation centers that specialize in alcohol addiction treatment.

• Alcohol withdrawal seizures are caused by abrupt cessation of heavy alcohol consumption (50).
• The nervous system becomes hyperactive when alcohol is suddenly removed, causing distressing and potentially dangerous symptoms that are not within someone’s control.
• Alcohol withdrawal can last for five to 10 days, but alcohol cravings and compulsions to use may continue for a long time.
• This proactive approach enhances overall health and helps in the early identification of factors that could lead to alcohol-induced seizures.

The functional role of tonic GABA current is still obscure (40), but the current could act to reduce network oscillations (41). Potentiation of extrasynaptic GABA receptors likely contributes to the anticonvulsant activity of ethanol, including its protective activity against alcohol withdrawal seizures. Audiogenic seizures are the best-studied type of alcohol withdrawal seizures.

A metaanalysis compared phenobarbital versus benzodiazepines for alcohol withdrawal syndrome in the emergency department and/or intensive care unit (49). Twelve studies were included (1934 subjects) concluding that phenobarbital did not increase the risk of intubation, and the frequency of seizures was similar between both groups. A systematic review of clinical trials considered seven studies using barbiturates versus benzodiazepines for the treatment of acute withdrawal syndrome (44). In their analysis, the authors concluded that for patients with severe alcohol withdrawal syndrome, benzodiazepines with barbiturates may control symptoms in an additive fashion.

It may also increase excitatory effects in an attempt to balance brain chemistry. Once your brain chemistry has adapted to alcohol, you’ll feel the effects of chemical imbalance when you go several hours without a drink. I thank Prosper N’Gouemo for insights into the physiology of alcohol withdrawal seizures.

How long after you quit drinking may you experience a seizure?

Seizures can manifest in various forms, ranging from mild to severe, and can last from a few seconds to several minutes. Cookie PolicyWe do not offer specific health advice, nor are we a remote clinical advice service (RCA). We can, with your consent, pass your details to our partners that can offer this. Holistic treatments such as meditation, acupuncture, and art therapy can also play a beneficial supporting role in battling addiction and maintaining sobriety.

However, there’s a safe way to detox and withdraw from alcohol that’s offered at Behavioral Health of the Palm Beaches. If you’re Sober House Rules: What You Should Know Before Moving In interested in quitting alcohol in a safe way that will benefit your recovery in the long run, our medically monitored detox may be right for you. Treating alcohol seizures involves a multifaceted approach that addresses immediate medical needs and the underlying alcohol use disorder (AUD).