The treatment of alcohol dependence is more important and should be prioritised before the prevention of further seizures. Approximately one-half of patients with alcohol use disorder who abruptly stop or reduce their alcohol use will develop signs or symptoms of alcohol withdrawal syndrome. The syndrome is due to overactivity of the central and autonomic nervous systems, leading to tremors, insomnia, nausea and vomiting, hallucinations, anxiety, and agitation. If untreated or inadequately treated, withdrawal can progress to generalized tonic-clonic seizures, delirium tremens, and death.

• The wife clarified that that he was a heavy drinker and that during the weekend the patient had been drinking continuously for 3 days.
• Alcohol does not typically cause seizures when consumed in moderation.
• Afterward an alcohol-related seizure, the person’s skin may appear dusky or slightly blue if the seizure lasted for a long time.
• More serious symptoms include confusion, hallucinations, seizures, and delirium.
• If a seizure lasts close to five minutes or more, it becomes a medical emergency.

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High risk of seizures has been linked to long-term alcohol abuse, alcohol addiction, heavy drinking, and binge drinking. Delirium tremens is a severe, life-threatening form of withdrawal that can happen when a person with alcohol use disorder suddenly stops drinking. Reducing alcohol intake or quitting alcohol entirely is an important step toward improving your health if you have alcohol use disorder. But this is a goal you should also approach safely, and you don’t have to do it alone.

Recognizing the Signs and Symptoms

It’s important to always talk with your doctor about whether it’s safe to consume alcohol with your medication. Use of this website and any information contained herein is governed by the Healthgrades User Agreement. These intravenous (IV) fluids will help in preventing you from becoming dehydrated due to sweating, vomiting, or hyperthermia.

Delirium Tremens

Treatment may involve medications such as benzodiazepines to manage withdrawal symptoms and prevent future seizures. Certain metabolic disturbances caused by alcohol overdose, such as significantly low blood sugar, can also lead to seizures. Individuals with a history of epilepsy are at increased risk of seizures during alcohol withdrawal.

In other words, there may be a link between chronic alcohol use (alcoholism) and epilepsy risk. Alcohol withdrawal seizures can occur when a person has been drinking heavily for a period of time and suddenly stops or cuts back. It will also talk about why they happen, how they are treated, and how you can prevent them from happening. Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders are more prevalent than previously recognized and cause a wide range of birth defects and neurodevelopmental disorders (53). There is no current evidence that alcohol-related seizures confer additional maternal or fetal risk, over and above those of alcohol abuse and seizures independently. A pregnancy test should be performed in all women of childbearing age with alcohol withdrawal (79).

• These symptoms can occur in addition to the symptoms of alcohol withdrawal.
• However, there have been reports that the risk of seizure increases in an alcohol-dependent person who misuses a sedative and takes nonsedative AEDs.
• Patients with manifest Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome may benefit from a treatment period of up to 2 weeks.
• Published clinical guidelines recommend stratifying patients with alcohol withdrawal based on their risk of developing complications (e.g., generalized tonic-clonic seizures and delirium tremens) 15,16,17,18.

For abusers, the cessation of drinking can significantly increase the seizure threshold. There is no definitive cutoff for what amount of alcohol you have to drink to experience withdrawal symptoms that increase the risk of seizures. As a general rule, the longer you have been drinking over time and the more you drink, the higher your risk for developing withdrawal symptoms, which may include alcohol withdrawal seizure seizures.

Oral administration is insufficient, as the intestinal thiamine absorption is too low and may be severely impaired in alcohol abuse (22). In fact, people suffering from chronicalcohol abuseincrease their risk of developing seizures when they suddenly stop drinking. Astudy by The Recovery Village foundheavy drinkers were 45% more likely than light or moderate drinkers to experience seizures during withdrawal and 73% more likely to have had a seizure in general.

• The Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test (ASSIST), developed by the World Health Organization is recommended for the identification of polysubstance abuse (79).
• Benzodiazepines like diazepam or lorazepam are commonly used for their soothing and anticonvulsant properties, providing rapid seizure control.
• Moderate alcohol intake does not usually cause seizures in otherwise healthy individuals.
• Family history, mental health conditions and many other factors can play a role.
• UCB is providing this information, including forward-looking statements, only as of the date of this press release and it does not reflect any potential impact from the evolving COVID-19 pandemic, unless indicated otherwise.
• Treatment may involve medications such as benzodiazepines to manage withdrawal symptoms and prevent future seizures.

What to do if someone has a seizure from alcohol withdrawal?

Once the person becomes conscious, they are likely to be extremely confused, tired, and sore. After a seizure, the brain is working very hard to get itself back under control. The brain is highly active and this phase is called the post-ictal phase. One drink is equal to 14 grams (g.) of pure alcohol, which can take many different forms because some forms have a higher concentration of alcohol than others. All contributors’ financial relationships have been reviewed and mitigated to ensure that this and every other article is free from commercial bias. It is followed by the clonic phase in which the person’s limbs jerk rhythmically and rapidly with bending of the large joints such as the elbows and knees.

The only definitive way to prevent alcohol withdrawal seizures is to avoid heavy alcohol consumption. For those struggling with alcohol dependency, seeking evidence-based treatment options and professional medical advice is critical to managing the risk of seizures and improving overall health.. Alcohol-induced seizures are serious and potentially life-threatening and can occur due to various factors related to alcohol use. A primary cause is the abrupt cessation of alcohol intake after heavy drinking, known as alcohol withdrawal. This sudden change can lead to hyperexcitability in the brain, resulting in seizures.