Epilepsy Forum - Drinking And Epilepsy

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Q: Drinking And Epilepsy

asked by: Rocky123 on September 8th, 2003

New User

Hey everyone, i'm a 18 yr old that is startin to get really frustrated when everyone is tellin me not to drink alcohol, not that I drink much, but i'd just like to know whether or not epilepsy does have an effect on me while drinking. I get off my medication in less then 2 months and i'd like to know if I can be dangerous if I drink while on the medication and even when i'm not on them. I don't have a very serious case of epilepsy, i've only had 7 in my whole life and only 2 from 3 yrs old until now, so if you guys can help me out, it'd be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
james

Replies(12)

laura27

replied on September 9th, 2003

New User

Do Not Drink

Don't drink. If you drink and you have seizures you have only yourself to blame. I know (from experience) that if I drink even a little. I will have a seizure 3 to seven days later. I don't have auras so I don't drink because I would much rather have a driver's license. Think it over. Don't be stupid.

sharon

replied on September 10th, 2003

Experienced User

Drinking!

Also alcahol can chang how your meds react in your system . It can delete them all together or even worse it can cause an overdose! Your young, you have your whole life ahead of you,it's just not worth a few thrills compared to what can happen. There are better ways to enjoy life!
Sharon

Amy

replied on September 10th, 2003

New User

I Know Where You're Coming From

Hey, being a teeneager and drigking seem to go hand in hand, but when you're on medication for anything, it's not safe to drink. I was diagnosed when I was 11 and now i'm 25 and I remember what it was like not being able to drink and if I did I got drunk so fast it was not a good feeling. Like sharon said it can also cause you to overdose, because alcohol is a central nervous system depressant and so is alcohol. It's just not worth the risk. Getting drunk is just a waste of time anyway, when there are better ways to party. :d

LMSakaTHX

replied on November 12th, 2003

New User

Don't Drink

Listen I know what you are going through. I have had epliepsy all my life (25 years) and I have been through it. I actually at one point did drink while on my meds and knowing that I have epliepsy. The alchol mixes with your meds and you will get drunk and od a lot faster than your friends. You may not have a seizure that night, the next day, next week, or next month but it will eventually will happen. Alchohol can actually trigger a seizure. I don't mean to scare you but you could actually be playing with death because there is a seizure called status epilepticus that doesn't stop. In order to get it to stop they have to put you into a drug induced coma. When I did drink I had many seizures at the time I didn't really care but you don't want to risk anything.

-lisa-

phil dennison

replied on November 14th, 2003

Experienced User

When your 21 try it you will know if you can handle it.I have never drank a full beer.My epilepsy would not allow it.

Marko

replied on September 4th, 2004

New User

Drinking And Epilepsy

Hi
i'm a father with a son who had hid first seizure eight years ago, his first year of high school. I don't know if he drank then.

He had recurrent seizures (appox 1 every 3 months) until he was put on valproic acid 3x/ day. The seizures stopped for 2.5 years. He had a great girlfriend during this time who disapproved og drinking and smoking. His seizures did come back but it is at this time when my wife and I noticed he was hanging with a crowd that does drink and smoke marijuana.
Although there is more to the story, in a nutshell he drinks a lot and makes no effort to hide it from us. We and he notice that many of his seizures are within 24 to 48 hrs of a night drinking.
I hurts his brother, my wife and myself to no end that he carries on this behaviour. We all suspect that the drinking is a major cause or perhaps the cause of the seizures. How could the doctor treat him if he continues the self-destructive behaviour. He even vowed to stop. Then he starts slowly again. Please respond? Help?

vonsta

replied on February 10th, 2009

New User

Drinking and epilepsy

I find the other epileptics and non epileptics that come onto the sie and say "dont drink. If you do your stupid" need to get alife and know what its like to go through it. Everytime someone says to me not to have another drink and its because of my epilepsy i want another one just to annoy them. They have mno right to call you stupid and i think that is not only out of order but pure ignorance. I drink, I have just now decided how much to allow myself to drink. For a while i was drinking just because pople were tellnig me not to. Then i found out it was starting to make me loose my temper for no reason when i did drink too much so i have not agreed a limit with myself. Hope it helps x

Rebelking

replied on February 17th, 2009

New User

howdy im l

cptkappa

replied on May 7th, 2009

New User

I'm 21, never bought a legal drink

Hey,
I got diagnosed with epilepsy 8 months ago. before that, i was a big alcoholic... drinking five nights a week. two days after my 21st birthday, i had my first grand-mal.

my neuro told me it was prob caused by stress and heavy drinking. after a while, i "recovered" and felt normal again. then, i was like, f this, i'm fine. i can drink.

i drank sips of cocktails.
maybe half a beer sometime.
and one time i drank to the point where i was happily drunk.

that month, i had another seizure, and didn't even know it. i pretty much started back from square 1.

i currently don't drink anymore, i quit smoking, and i don't do drugs.

i'm still haunted by my epilepsy, i'm depressed, i'm slow, and i hate my life. i feel like i got jipped from living my last year as a sorority girl at UCI.

my opinion--
you're 18. if you value your life, don't dangle it on a string.
i value mine, and as much as i would love to drink, smoke, etc., i stopped.

it wasn't easy... but i want to live.

why did we have to be epileptic? yea i don't know either.

hope you feel better,
athena

jfoster57

replied on July 27th, 2009

New User

Don't Drink

I've had seizures since my sophomore year in college (when I first started drinking to get drunk). Maybe one grand mal every 1-2 years, and then they seemed to go away. I kept drinking despite many warnings from doctors for years. I started having seizures that disabled me about 6 years ago (loss of awareness). I continued to drink; I continued to have seizures. Even after I quit for a year I continued having seizures. I am now 34 and my drinking may have caused chronic epilepsy (I've quit drinking now, and I pray for them to end). Don't drink. You'll regret it...

cartman13

replied on August 12th, 2009

New User

epileptics can drink alcoholic beverages if they want to

i've been drinking for 8 years and it hasn't triggered off my seizures so it proves that alcohol affects people with epilepsy in different ways i would know i've had epilepsy since i was three.

Markov

replied on November 11th, 2009

New User

I started having seizures when I was 14, on average one every month or two. There did seem to be a correlation between drinking and seizures, but for me it wasn't a strong correlation so I continues to drink on occasion. I'm now 39, have been seizure free for over 13 years and still drink on occasion. I would agree with the previous poster.. alcohol effects different people with epilepsy differently. You should carefully monitor how it effects you and make your own decisions accordingly.

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