The first may involve a loss of consciousness with increased muscle rigidity. The second phase involves rapid tightening and relaxing of the muscles, which involve convulsions that can lead to serious injuries. When GABA comes to bind to the nerve cell, it opens up a channel to a negative charge that slows down brain activity. Alcohol and other central nervous system depressants keep that channel open, causing more intense sedating effects. While other types of alcohol are poisonous to humans, it’s thought that we developed the ability to drink ethanol because it’s naturally produced in fallen fruit. The production and consumption of alcohol have also been practiced for thousands of years.
- In the United States, the rate of acute alcohol-related ED visits increased 40% between 2006 and 2014.
- When you suddenly stop using that substance, your body goes through withdrawal symptoms as it adjusts to the absence of the addictive substance; this is why alcohol and seizures have a relationship with one another.
- Patients who experience harms from alcohol and other substance use often seek care in the emergency department (ED) [1, 2].
- However, they may be more easily monitored, and medications and supportive treatments can be administered intravenously.
- Watching someone have a seizure can be scary, however, it is important that everyone remain safe.
Alcohol dependency and seizures
The potential for serious side effects due to alcohol withdrawal is the reason that individuals who want to stop drinking are encouraged to attend a medically supervised detox. These programs can monitor and provide treatment to avoid and alleviate symptoms of alcohol withdrawal. Treating alcohol withdrawal is a short-term fix that doesn’t help the core problem. When you talk to your doctor about symptom relief, it’s a good idea to discuss treatment for alcohol abuse or dependence. Severe and complicated alcohol withdrawal requires treatment in a hospital — sometimes in the ICU.
Types of Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome
We divided studies based on intervention and summarized evidence narratively. Benzodiazepines decrease alcohol withdrawal seizure recurrence and treat other alcohol withdrawal symptoms, but no clear evidence supports the use of one benzodiazepine over another. It is unclear if symptom-triggered benzodiazepine protocols are effective for use in the ED. More evidence is needed to determine if phenobarbital, with or without benzodiazepines, can be used safely and effectively to treat alcohol withdrawal in the ED. Phenytoin does not have evidence of effectiveness at preventing withdrawal seizures in the ED.
Risk of bias within studies
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. Alcohol withdrawal syndrome is a medical emergency that requires immediate medical attention. Fortunately, treatment options and medications are used in alcohol withdrawal management. The severity and length of the alcohol withdrawal period significantly depends on how much, how often, and how long the person has been drinking alcohol.
While receiving treatment, healthcare providers will want to monitor you continuously to make sure you don’t develop life-threatening complications. This review is limited by the overall poor quality are alcohol withdrawal seizures dangerous of included studies, most of which were at high/serious risk of bias. We identified a lack of standardized definitions of alcohol withdrawal syndrome and severity among included studies.
- Alcohol (ethanol) depresses (slows down) your central nervous system (CNS).
- Without treatment, status epilepticus can lead to permanent brain damage and even death.
- You may be given anxiolytic and sedative medications to help overcome the anxiety and insomnia that is common with alcohol withdrawal.
- Binge drinking can cause alcohol withdrawal seizures in people, even for individuals who do not have epilepsy.
- However, benzodiazepines can also be addictive, so they should be taken with a doctor’s guidance.
- Alcohol use disorders cover a range of severity from mild to moderate to severe.
- We have more information on going out, alcohol and recreational drugs on The Epilepsy Space.
- In a small number of people, binge drinking and alcohol withdrawal can cause status epilepticus, a potentially life-threatening condition where a person has prolonged seizure without regaining consciousness.
- Treatment can occur in various settings, such as the emergency room, outpatient clinic, intensive care unit, or detoxification facility.
- Kindling is a term describing a neurological phenomenon that makes alcohol withdrawal symptoms worse after previous withdrawals from depressant drugs.
This is a serious complication of the alcohol withdrawal syndrome and needs to be treated in a hospital emergency room. Most people with a seizure disorder (epilepsy) can drink small amounts of alcohol occasionally without experiencing an increase in seizure activity. Small amounts of alcohol do not change the blood levels of anti-seizure drugs.
About this article
Some experts link excessive alcohol consumption to the development of epilepsy. Doctors will need to monitor and manage your condition for any complications. They may also provide intravenous fluids to prevent dehydration and medication to ease your symptoms. When a person is detoxing from alcohol, seeking help from medical professionals or a detox facility can save their life. Most of the time, seizures can last between 30 seconds to two minutes.
