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Seizures in alcohol-dependent patients: epidemiology, pathophysiology and management

This comprehensive approach aims to correct the chemical imbalances which result from it. This can prevent it from emerging if treatment is provided beforehand, or reduce the severity and risks once the symptoms are already present. Entering an alcohol detox center will give someone the best chance of making it through withdrawal in the safest way possible.

why does alcohol withdrawal cause seizures

Likewise, due to blood pressure fluctuations, the risk of stroke is greatly increased. The main interaction between these neurotransmitters regarding seizures is GABAs direct effect on glutamate activity. GABA acts as a braking system to slow down nerve signals as well as lower the levels of glutamate released postsynaptically. These 2 chemicals tend to keep each other in check and balanced in a healthy brain. Laboratory studies suggest that valproic acid may inhibit GABA metabolism and activate GABA synthesis (Fawcett 1989).

Alcohol-related myopathy

While a lot is still unknown about how the brain operates, the way it reacts to alcohol is something that has received a lot of scientific attention. These include repetitive jerking, stiffening, frothing at the mouth, and losing control of one’s bowel/bladder function. Doctors or family and friends can provide early intervention, which can help you avoid alcohol-related neurologic disease. In a 2019 study, researchers showed that quitting alcohol had a positive effect on most people’s mental well-being. Hypertension is common, and some doctors also prescribe beta blockers during withdrawal.

  • Mild symptoms can be elevated blood pressure, insomnia, tremulousness, hyperreflexia, anxiety, gastrointestinal upset, headache, palpitations.
  • Mody (39) has proposed that such δ subunit–containing GABAA receptors are located largely perisynaptically or extrasynaptically, where they mediate tonic inhibition of neurons by ambient GABA.
  • Every year more than one-and-a-half million people in the United States either enter alcoholism treatment or are admitted to a general hospital because of medical consequences resulting from alcohol dependence.
  • People with moderate-to-severe alcohol use disorder often begin with a medical detox program.
  • GABA is a neurotransmitter that inhibits certain chemical messages from being transmitted through the nervous system.

A typical round of inpatient treatment includes behavioural interventions, individual counselling sessions, and access to 12-step groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous. If you’re detoxing at home and haven’t got anyone there to supervise you, there’s nothing you can do to stop yourself from having a seizure as you won’t have access to expert care. Here at OK Rehab, it’s rare that we advise someone to try and detox from alcohol at home, and never without consulting a physician before the why does alcohol withdrawal cause seizures event. It’s a sad reality that Alcohol Use Disorder is characterised by relapse, with sufferers likely to start drinking again if they don’t have the proper coping mechanisms in place. Typically, the first round of symptoms that someone with DT will exhibit include shaking, fever, vomiting, rapid heartbeat, and hallucinations. The rebounding effect means that when alcohol is taken away, an addicted person’s nervous system is so used to being depressed that it sparks back to life.

Treatment for Alcohol Withdrawal:

Alcohol-related seizures in those with epilepsy mostly occur due to alcohol withdrawal rather than the act of drinking itself. According to older research, alcohol consumption may have a causal relationship with seizures, and people who drink 200 g or more of alcohol daily may have up to a 20-fold increase in seizure risk. It is also possible to experience seizures as a result of alcohol withdrawal. This can happen after someone who has misused alcohol for a long time stops consuming it. In some cases, excessive alcohol consumption may lead people to miss meals or medication, which can also make seizures more likely in people with epilepsy. Alcohol consumption or withdrawal may trigger seizures in those with epilepsy.

why does alcohol withdrawal cause seizures