Alcohol Use and Alcohol-Related Seizures in Patients With Epilepsy

Abstract

Purpose: This study aimed to assess alcohol consumption and the occurrence of alcohol-related seizures in patients with epilepsy within the last 12 months.Methods: In an epilepsy outpatient clinic, a standardized questionnaire was used to collect data retrospectively from consecutive adult epilepsy patients who had been suffering from the disease for at least 1 year. Logistic regression analyses were performed to identify independent predictors.Results: A total of 310 patients with epilepsy were included. Of these, 204 subjects (65.8%) consumed alcohol within the last 12 months. Independent predictors for alcohol use were antiepileptic drug monotherapy (OR 1.901) and physicians' advice that a light alcohol intake is harmless (OR 4.102). Seizure worsening related to alcohol consumption was reported by 37 of the 204 patients (18.1%) who had used alcohol. All 37 subjects had consumed large quantities of alcohol prior to the occurrence of alcohol-related seizures regardless of their usual alcohol-drinking behavior. The amount of alcohol intake prior to alcohol-related seizures was at least 7 standard drinks, which is equivalent to 1.4 L of beer or 0.7 L of wine. In 95% of cases, alcohol-related seizures occurred within 12 h after cessation of alcohol intake. Independent predictors for alcohol-related seizures were generalized genetic epilepsy (OR 5.792) and chronic heavier alcohol use (OR 8.955).Conclusions: Two-thirds of interviewed subjects had consumed alcohol within the last 12 months. This finding may be an underestimate due to patients' self-reporting and recall error. In all cases, the occurrence of alcohol related-seizures was associated with timely consumption of considerably large amounts of alcohol. Thus, a responsible alcohol intake seems to be safe for most patients with epilepsy. However, subjects with epilepsy and especially those with generalized genetic epilepsy should be made aware of an increased risk for seizures related to heavy alcohol consumption. Factors accompanying acute heavy alcohol intake such as altered sleep architecture, impaired adherence to antiepileptic medication, and metabolic disturbances may further facilitate the occurrence of seizures.

Dietary and Lifestyle Behavior in Adults With Epilepsy Needs Improvement: A Case-control Study From North-eastern Poland

“…Some of them suggest that moderate alcohol consumption does not increase the frequency of seizures, while others show the possibility of intensifying epileptic seizures due to various mechanisms of action, e.g., effects on neurotransmission and metabolic changes [50]. Hamerle et al [51] found a negative impact of signi cant amounts of alcohol in epileptic patients, but concluded that moderate consumption seems safe for most patients.…”

Use of Medical Cannabis and its derivatives for the anticonvulsant property in Epileptic patients along with Ethical considerations: a Review

“…It was also predicted that the adverse effects associated with the intervention of medicinal Cannabis in animal models showed none to minimal side-effects which led to the evidence based fact that medicinal Cannabis and its derivatives could be used safely in humans in a clinical setting. The outcomes observed from the preclinical study of medicinal cannabis intervention were reduction in EEG activity, tonic seizures, and susceptibility with low mortality rate and increased threshold which further pointed towards the fact that the medicinal cannabis drug intervention was well-tolerated in animal models [21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29].…”

“…Clinical Studies vs. Preclinical Studies[11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29].…”

“…Preferred Route of Administration of Medicinal Cannabis in Preclinical Trials[21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29] Total no. of Preclinical Trials up till date[21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29].…”

Experimental Therapeutic Strategies in Epilepsies Using Anti-Seizure Medications

“…High-risk factors for epilepsy include anoxia (lack of oxygen) and birth trauma, congenital anomalies, structural abnormalities of the brain in infants, mental retardation, cerebral palsy (CP), CNS infections (such as bacterial meningitis and viral encephalitis) in children, moderate to severe stroke, especially in men aged 15 to 35 years, cerebrovascular disease (CVD) and Alzheimer’s disease in the elderly, 36 , 77 Moderate risk factors for epilepsy include a family history of epilepsy, especially in siblings, in parents or first-degree relatives, 78 and brain tumors and surgeries in any age group, multiple sclerosis (MS), 79 and chronic alcohol or heroin abuse. 80 Suspected risk factors include febrile seizures in children (maybe because of genetic predisposition in some kind of epilepsies that begin with febrile seizures), harmful events around birth without CP, immunity against whooping cough (pertussis), mild head trauma, and non-purulent meningitis. 81 …”