One of the readers of my blog asked me a few very specific questions with respect to alcohol intake and seizures. Many times your excellent questions and my answers to them get lost in the sea of information here. So I decided to post her questions and my reply to them as a main post. I feel many of you shall find them informative. I have removed the reader’s name and email id.
Tag: seizures
braindiseasesNon epileptic seizures or pseudoseizures
Non epileptic seizures or pseudoseizures-what are they and what is to be done about them?
Nitin K Sethi, MD
Assistant Professor of Neurology
New York-Presbyterian Hospital
Weill Cornell Medical Center
New York, NY
I thought in this post of mine, I shall discuss pseudoseizures. As the name suggests pseudoseizures means “not true seizures”. We nowdays prefer to refer to them as non-epileptic events (NEE).
So what do we mean when we say someone has pseudoseizures? Let me illustrate with the aid of an example. A patient lets say Ms.XYZ comes to me for initial consultation for her seizure disorder. History is as follows. She has had 2 episodes where-in she was witnessed to have violent jerking movements of her arms and legs. First episode occurred in school after she got into a heated verbal argument with her best friend while the second occurred after a similar confrontation at home with her mother. None of these events were preceded by any aura. As per history she did not bite her tongue or have loss of bladder control though she says she felt tired after the events.
Hmm sounds suspicious for seizures you might rightly say. I tell her I would like to bring her into the hospital to do a video-EEG study to better characterize her seizure type (see my posts on seizure types at http://braindiseases.info). She agrees to the study.
EEG recording is initiated and is read as normal after 24 hours. The next day in the hospital, I tell her and her mother about the results of the normal EEG. A few hours after my discussion with the family, she is noted by the nursing staff to have a violent “seizure”. I review her EEG. On the camera I notice her to suddenly stiffen and then have violent out of phase (uncoordinated) flinging movements of the arms and legs. Her head moves from side to side and I overhear her yelling “too much, too much, let me go!!! let me go!!!). The event occurs while her mother and her best friend are by her bedside.
I look at the time locked EEG (EEG synchronized with the video in real time). While she is clinically having a “seizure”, her brain waves are normal (the brain is not having a seizure). A correct diagnosis of pseudoseizures (non-epileptic event) is made and she is discharged home with advise to follow up with a psychiatrist.
So what is a pseudoseizure?
1. It is not a true seizure but rather an episode or episodes which clinically look like seizures but are not accompanied by any EEG changes.
2. It usually has a psychological basis. In my experience I commonly see them in people who are passing through tremendous stress be it interpersonal relationships or at the job.
3. A person may have pseudoseizures to achieve a secondary gain (in the case of our patient, attention and love from her mother and best friend).
4. Pseudoseizures are not treated like seizures. These patients do not need anti-seizure medications. They rather at times need a psychiatrist to explore the underlying reasons for the NEE (conflicts in family etc).
5. Some patients who have true seizures (epilepsy) may also have pseudoseizures.
Syncope-a question and an answer
Laura one of my readers had an interesting query. I am publishing her question here as I feel, it may help others who are experiencing the same problem. My answer to her query follows.
on October 6, 2008 said: 
Dear Dr. Sethi,
I seem to have been having vasovagul syncope for at least 6 years or so. I feel that they started when I began menopause (I am now 56 and haven’t had a period for over a year. I almost always have a prodomal senation and have never actually passed out. My last episode happened yesterday at the theatre. Let me begin by saying that I take altace for high blood pressure and hychlorathyizide as a diuretic so I may have been dehydrated but I had just drunk quite a bit of water. What I am wondering instead if the lightling could have affected me. The lobby of the theatre has very dim and strange lighting that I find very disturbing. We got there early so I sat under the lighting for almost an hour. Then when we were seated, the area was fairly small and cramped. I had my legs crossed but fairly soon broke out into a sweat and began getting intestinal cramps. The feeling that I had to move my bowels became extreme and I got up to go to the bathroom but by then I was pretty woozy and weak. I managed to get to the usher but had to lie down. After a few minutes they helped me up and I laid down with my Legs elevated. I stayed in this position for only a few minutes while they got my information and I convinced the theatre staff not to call the paramedics. They helped me to the bathroom where upon I was able to evacuate and felt much better. I also drank some more water. I was ultimately re-seated on the ground floor and was able to finish watching the performance. But I have had close calls in this same theatre. It is close and crowded but I always wear sleeveless clothes so as not to overheat. I am not a nervois or panicky person. Most of my syncope episodes have been in warm places; after eating soup, having a pedicure with my feet in warm water. I can always avert the actual fainting. I have never lost consciousness. I guess what I am wondering is if lighting can have a neurological impact that would cause vasovagul syncope. I have had a number of stress tests, the last being last year, a nuclear echocardiagram; all clear. I do not think this is related to my heart but now I am wondering if I should consult with a neurologist. I would appreciate your advice. Also, very often the prodomal sensation includes a strong urge to move my bowels. Has this sensation been reported by others with syncope?
Thank you,
Laura Frankiewicz
4 on October 7, 2008 said: 
Dear Laura,
thank you for writing in. It does seem you have being having what we refer to as pre-syncopal episodes (meaning a syncope like episode but not quite syncope, since you do not pass out and lose consciousness). Moreover your history suggests you feel these episodes coming-feeling dizzy, light headed, about to faint type feeling and breaking out into a sweat.
Various factors might precipitate a syncopal episode. In the case of vasovagal syncope these might include strong emotional experiences like for example seeing blood for the first time. Strong visceral sensations may also bring on an episode. Micturition syncope has been reported in elderly men (they pass out when they get up at night to void urine). Patients have been reported to pass out as they sit on the toilet seat and exert pressure.
It is likely that something along the same mechanism might be operative in your case. Dehydration and been in a closed crammped theatre may have further contributed to the problem. Whenever a patient presents to the hospital with syncope, we have to determine whether the cause is the heart or the brain (cardiogenic versus neurogenic/ vasovagal). Also at times it is hard to differentiate seizures from syncope.
My advise to you would be to consult a neurologist (ask your PMD to refer you to one). I am sure they would be able to get to the bottom of your problem. Feel free to write in again.
Personal Regards,
Nitin Sethi, MD
Absence seizures–a few questions and some answers
One of my readers wrote to me today asking me a question about Absence seizures. She is a teacher and is concerned about a student in her care. I always feel teachers pick up Absence seizures far more frequently than parents. One of the reasons for this is that they spend so much time with the children (today most parents work and have limited time to spend with children). Teachers also are astute observers of children behavior and usually have a pretty good feel if something is wrong.
Here is what Ms. Lynn says, my answers to her query follow:
Ms J Lynn
Hi Dr Sethi,
I am a teacher and I have a student who is exhibiting these types of behaviors:
staring episodes, often says he can’t remember something we just talked about 30 seconds prior, he said recently that he feels like his “brain just wouldn’t work sometimes,” he has frequent meltdowns, easily agitated (but not aggressive), social (but very sensitive and easily hurt or offended), seems to have a low threshold for frustration and emotions escalate quickly, and he seems to overly react in situations when he feels physically hurt (if a ball hits him on any part of his body he is very upset, needs time to calm and he complains of feeling lots of pain).
Could all of these symptoms be related to some type of seizure activity?
Thank you for you help.
Dear Ms. Lynn,
thank you for writing in. Clinically seizures in children frequently look different from seizures in adults. In the case of Absence seizures, all the child may do would be to stare (hence the name staring spells), there are no gross convulsive movements seen (the child does not shake or have jerks of his arms and legs). During the time the child is having a seizure (staring), his brain is malfunctioning and hence the child is unable to recall things said or spoken to him during that time. Children may have hundreds of these small Absence seizures during the course of a day and hence you can imagine what follows. These children start slipping in their grades as compared to their peers.
I have to add here though, that not all staring spells in children turn out to be Absence seizures. As you are well aware there can be many behavioral and developmental problems in children which at times may mimic seizures (children who have Attention Deficit Disorder too do not do well in school etc).
I would advise you to report your observations to his parents. The child can be assessed by a pediatrician and further investigations if needed can then be carried out.
I sincerely appreciate your concern for your student. Teachers lay the foundation of our society. I am what I am today because of the hard work of my teachers and my parents.
Personal Regards,
Nitin Sethi, MD
When do we say seizures are refractory to medicines?
When do we say seizures are refractory to medicines?
Nitin.K.Sethi, MD
Assistant Professor of Neurology
New York-Presbyterian Hospital
Weill Cornell Medical Center
New York, NY 10065
Yesterday I saw a patient with medically refractory epilepsy in my office. As I took pains to explain to the family about refractory seizures, I realised that understanding the same can be difficult for a lay person. So in this post I shall talk about refractory seizures.
So what do I mean if I say a patient has medically refractory epilepsy or medically refractory seizure disorder? In simple words all I am saying is that the patient has a seizure disorder which has not shown an adequate response to anti-seizure medicines.
In most patients with epilepsy/ seizure disorder, adequate seizure control can be obtained by just one seizure medicine. By adequate control I mean no more seizures. No more seizures, the side-effects of the anti-seizure medication used are tolerable (if none that is the best): the patient is happy and I am happy. While good control of seizures can be obtained in the majority of patients, there are a few in whom the seizures are harder to control. You use one seizure medicine but the seizures still persist, you stop the first and use a second-still seizures, you try a third-same story. You start using 2 or more drugs together (at the same time) to try control the seizures. This is referred to as polytherapy or polypharmacy. You can imagine what happens next. The patient is on 3 and at times more drugs, more side-effects, more drug-drug interaction and at times still poor seizure control. The patient feels miserable and I am not happy too. Such a patient has medically intractable epilepsy, seizures are refractory to medications.
So what can be done for a patient who has medically refractory epilepsy? Can we offer them something to control their seizures. I am happy to say yes. Patients with medically refractory epilepsy should be ideally seen in specialized epilepsy centers (comprehensive epilepsy centers). These centers offer expertise: patients can be enrolled in trials of experimental drugs, other options like neurostimulation (vagus nerve stimulator) and finally epilepsy surgery can be explored (see my post on epilepsy surgery at http://braindiseases.info) .
Syncope: making sense of its various causes
Recently I was consulted on two patients who presented to the hospital after a syncopal episode. As syncope is relatively common, I thought that is what I should discuss in my next post.
So what is syncope? Well simply put a syncopal episode is nothing other than a fainting episode. It is characterized by momentary/ temporary loss of consciousness and posture. Patients may refer to it as I “fainted” or “passed out”. Whenever a patient presents to the hospital after a syncopal episode we take pains to find out what led to the syncope.
So what are the different causes of syncope? Syncope can come either from the heart or from the brain. Let me explain this further. If for some reason the heart suddenly malfunctions and stops pumping blood to the brain, you will pass out (lose consciousness). This is referred to as cardiogenic syncope. Among the various causes of cardiogenic syncope are included disorders of cardiac rhythm such as atrial and ventricular arrhythmias. Heart blocks and of course an acute myocardical infarction (heart attack) may present as a syncopal episode with the patient collapsing and passing out.
Syncope though can also come from the brain and this is referred to as neurogenic syncope or at times as neurocardiogenic syncope. This neurally mediated syncope is also at times referred to as vasovagal or vasodepressor syncope. Let me explain what vasovagal syncope is with a classical example. Lets assume you are walking on the street. A car hits a cyclist right in front of you. You rush to help the poor man. As you come near, you see him bleeding profusely, his skull cracked open. You go pale, the blood drains from your face and you pass out. There you just had a vasovagal syncopal episode. Why you may ask did you pass out?
Vasovagal syncopal episodes classically occur in the upright position meaning either you are sitting upright or standing (they usually do not occur when you are reclining). The episode is usually preceded by an unpleasant or painful episode such as the sight of blood, a medical procedure, an intense emotionally disturbing argument or news (sudden extreme emotions), standing in the hot sun or a hot shower for a long time especially if you are hungry and dehydrated at the same time.
Other less common triggers may include a bout of violent coughing (cough syncope), urination (micturition syncope) and abdominal straining as during defecation.
Usually prior to the onset of the syncope (prior to passing out), patients feel dizzy and light headed. They may complain of blurring of vision and feel as if they are about to faint. If at this stage the person sits down, they usually do not pass out or lose consciousness. This is referred to as pre-syncope (A syncopal episode was about to occur but since the patient sat down it was aborted midway).
During a vasovagal synope episode there is transient loss of the baroreflexes (this is the autonomic nervous system which helps to maintain our blood pressure). Pooling of blood occurs in the dependent calf muscles and there is lack of blood flow to the brain resulting in the patient passing out. Hence one of the simple things to do when a person has a vasovagal syncopal episode is to make them lie down flat on the ground on their back and to lift the legs above the plane of the heart. As the blood rushes back to the brain, the person quickly comes around and may look a little dazed wondering what happened.
As seizures too are associated with loss of consciousness, one always has to differentiate whether a patient had a seizure Vs a syncopal episode. As you can imagine it is important to make this differentiation as the two conditions are treated in very different ways. So how does one differentiate a seizure from a syncopal episode?
A seizure can occur with the patient in any position: sitting, standing or lying down. Syncope usually occurs in the erect posture.
Seizures are usually not preceded by the prodrome seen in syncope. Patients before they pass out in a syncopal episode complain of feeling light-headed, dizzy, room spinning and blurring of vision. Seizure patients on the other hand may give history of their aura prior to the seizure. Common auras include smelling of burning rubber, metallic taste in their mouth or a funny rising sensation in their tummy.
Patients who have a seizure and fall usually hit and hurt themselves. They fall hard and may come to the hospital with craniofacial injuries like broken teeth. Syncopal patients on the other hand do not fall hard, they rather ease themselves to the ground.
Some but not all seizures are associated with tongue biting and loss of bladder and bowel control (patient may pee on themselves and wet their pants). Most syncopal episodes are not associated with tongue biting or loss of bladder control.
Patients after a seizure are usually confused and disoriented, they may fall asleep. We call this a post-ictal state. Syncopal patients as they come out of their syncope are not confused. They know where their are and may be embrassed by the fact they fainted.
In my next post I shall discuss the diagnostic work-up and management of syncope.
Nitin Sethi, MD
Seizures due to hypoglycemia (low blood sugar)
Seizures in the setting of hypoglycemia are well described. The brain needs sugar to function and when the blood sugar falls “too low”, one of the things that can happen is that the patient may have a seizure (this is usually a generalized convulsion-a tonic-clonic or Grand Mal seizure). There is no one level of blood sugar below which one has a seizure (rather the level varies from person to person). Let me explain that with an example. Lets assume you are a diabetic and you take your insulin shot but for once forget to take a meal (maybe you are a hard working executive on the run). You have a convulsion while at work and are taken to the nearest ER. There your blood sugar at the time of presentation is recorded to be 60 mg/dl. There might be another similar patient whose blood sugar falls to 52mg/dl yet he does not have a convulsion. So there is no set limit below which the brain shall have a seizure but speaking in broader terms usually the brain does not tolerate blood sugar below 60mg/dl and below 40 mg/dl most patients shall be symptomatic (either have a convulsion or be confused and obtunded. The term used for this constellation of neurological signs and symptoms as a result of hypoglycemia is NEUROHYPOGLYCEMIA).
The good news though is that seizures due to hypoglycemia are readily treatable. In the ER we load the patient with glucose (usually this is given via an intravenous drip as the patient is obtunded and confused and cannot accept anything from the mouth). The blood sugar quickly rises and the seizures stop. Patients who suffer from hypoglycemic seizures do not need to be on an anti-epileptic drug. These patients do not have epilepsy. If their blood sugar does not fall down again, they will not have another seizure.
Rather a meticulous search should be conducted to find out the cause of hypoglycemia:
-is the patient a diabetic who took too much insulin by mistake?
-did he miss his meal but took his insulin?
-is there any other cause of hypoglycemia such an insulin secreting tumor?
-is the patient septic?
Hypoglycemic seizures are most commonly seen in diabetics. This emphasizes the importance of good glycemic control in this vulnerable population.
Nitin Sethi, MD
Complex partial seizures/ temporal lobe epilepsy
One of the most common type of seizures seen in the adult population is what are called complex partial seizures. As the name suggests these are partial seizures meaning that only a part of the brain has the seizure (remember in generalized seizures the whole brain has the seizure and hence the patient clinically has a convulsion, read my posts on epilepsy and seizures at http://braindiseases.info). Complex partial seizures differ from simple partial seizures. While in simple partial seizures there is no disturbance in the patient’s level of consciousness (the patient is awake and alert), in complex partial seizures there is an impairment in the level of consciousness. The patient may have his or her eyes open but usually is unable to respond or communicate. He may or may not comprehend if you try to speak to him during a seizure episode.
As many of the complex partial seizures arise from the temporal lobes in the brain, epilepsy of this kind is also referred to as temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). That said and done complex partial seizures may also arise from the frontal lobes. Seizures arising from the frontal lobes can present with bizzare clinical manifestations, patient may become hyperactive during the seizure and have strange bicycling like movements of the legs. Complex partial seizures are at times associated with an aura. A simple way to define aura is what happens usually before the seizure. Prior to the onset of a seizure, the patient may experience gustatory or olfactory auras (smell of burning rubber, metallic taste in the mouth are the different classical auras mentioned in the textbooks of neurology). Other patients may mention they “feel wierd” or “dizzy”. Others mention a rising sensation in the stomach.
During the seizure apart from impairment in the level of consciousness, patients frequently exhibit what we refer to as automatisms. These are semi-purposeful movements. Examples include lip-smacking, chewing movements, tongue protusion, picking at the clothes (semi-purposeful movements of the hands). These patients may or may not have a “convulsion”. If the seizure spreads and becomes generalized then they go into a convulsion (such seizures are referred to as partial with secondary generalization).
If an adult presents with a new onset complex partial seizure, neuroimaging is warranted. This is because a new onset complex partial seizure raises the suspicion for an underlying structural lesion in the brain such as a cyst or a tumor (though I want to emphasize here that the most common cause of new onset seizures in the elderly is vascular, meaning a previous stroke).
Work-up for TLE includes an EEG, if needed a long term EEG recording (we call this a video-EEG study), imaging studies like CT scan (though the study of choice is what is called a MRI scan of the brain done under the epilepsy protocol). Thin slices are taken to look at the temporal lobes and hippocampus to make sure there is no structural lesion there nor is there any evidence for mesial temporal sclerosis (MTS).
There are many effective drugs for complex partial seizures/TLE. The most commonly used are carbamazepine (Tegretol) and oxcarbazepine (trileptal). If the seizures are refractory to medications, these patients can be worked up for epilepsy surgery (see my post on epilepsy surgery at http://braindiseases.info).
Nitin Sethi, MD
Brain tumors: meningioma
Let us talk here about a relatively common brain tumor called meningioma. I shall try to keep this simple yet cover some important aspects. Meningiomas are brain tumors which do not arise from the cells of the brain (as against glioms which arise from glial cells and other tumors which arise from neural cells). As they do not arise from “brain” cells, they actually are extra-axial in location. By that I mean, they are located outside the brain but inside the skull. So meningiomas do not actually “invade” the brain, on the other hand as they grow in size they press on the brain from outside inwards.
This is how meningiomas cause their effects. Depending upon which location the tumor is, as it grows in size it exerts pressure on surrounding structures. Pressure on the surface of the brain may cause seizures (so many patients may present with seizures and when a MRI scan is done the tumor is found), if they are near the optic nerve or tracts patient may present with slowly progressive loss of vision, if near the motor tracts with weakness in the arm and leg, if near the cerebellum with gait and balance problems.
Meningiomas are slow growing tumors and as I stated earlier they usually do not invade the brain (though they may be locally invasive at times and these tumors are called atypical or malignant meningiomas). As these are slow growing, if they are small in size and discovered accidently (as in you went for a MRI for some other reason and a meningioma is found but is not the cause of your symptoms), your doctor may decide not to do anything and just wait and watch and follow you with serial MRI scans. Frequently patients outlive their tumors and die of natural causes without the tumor ever becoming symptomatic. If for some reason it starts increasing in size and becomes symptomatic then a surgical option can be explored.
So now that we know something about these tumors, we can discuss how to treat them. The treatment option pursued depends upon the size and location of the tumor. If the tumor is the right size and in a surgically accessible location, then it is easy take it out surgically if it is symptomatic. However if the tumor is symptomatic but in a surgically inaccessible location like near the optic nerves then other options like sterotactic radiotherapy may be tried. The management decisions need expert opinion and hence one should consult a specialist.
Personal Regards,
Nitin Sethi, MD
Seizures associated with alcohol intake
In this post I thought I shall discuss the effects of alcohol on the brain especially with respect to seizures. Many people drink socially , a drink or two after work is not only relaxing but also enjoyable. But who is an alcoholic or rather when does one have a drinking problem? We doctors use the CAGE criteria as a rather simple questionaire to determine if someone has a drinking problem.
“CAGE” where each letter has a question attached to it and the person has to answer yes or no. Let me elaborate a little.
C–stands for “cutting down”–have you ever felt the need to cut down on your drinking?
A–stands for “anger”—have you ever felt angry if someone has questioned your drinking habit?
G–stands for “guilt”—have you ever felt guilty about your drinking?
E– stands for “eyeopener”–have you ever taken a drink first thing in the morning?
If the person answers yes to these questions, he or she may have a drinking problem. What though is the effect of heavy alcohol drinking on the brain? Does it actually kill brain cells (neurons)? Does it lead to dementia? Can too many drinks cause a seizure?
Alcohol contrary to popular beliefs is a CNS depressant and not a stimulant. Alcohol is rather rapidly absorbed through the lining of the stomach and enters the blood stream from where it is carried to the brain. In the brain, it acts on the neurons and initially causes a loss of inhibition. You loosen up, your speech flows more smoothly and soon you become the life of the party. Well as you continue to drink, alcohol then starts depressing the central nervous system (CNS) . People usually fall asleep soon after consuming alcohol.
But let us get back to how chronic alcohol intake affects the CNS especially with respect to seizures.
I shall discuss this one by one.
Alcohol induced seizures
Heavy alcohol consumption can induce seizures. Alcohol induced seizures are of different types. One is what is commonly referred to as “rum fits”. Let me explain with an example. You are out with your friends celebrating a promotion. Your drink for the night is beer. Your normal “limit” is say 4 beers. But hey you are celebrating and so you end up binging. Before you know it you are on your 10th beer of the night. Right as you are having your 11th beer, your eyes roll up and you have a big generalized tonic-clonic convulsion (see my posts on epilepsy on my website http://braindiseases.info) . This kind of seizure which occurs at the height of binging is what has been referred to as a “rum” fit. I guess it was first described with respect to rum. Any of us can have a rum fit if we drink too much alcohol. You do not need to be an epileptic to have a rum fit, though I feel these kinds of seizures associated with alcohol binging are more common in patients who have an underlying seizure tendency. Thus if you are an epileptic you are more likely to have a rum fit if you overindulge in alcohol as regards to someone who does not have a seizure tendency. Hence I always advise my seizure patients to drink alcohol in moderation. You can drink and by all means enjoy your occasional drink but do not overindulge in this pleasure. Know when to say no and walk out of the bar.
Another type of seizure associated with alcohol is what is called “Alcohol Withdrawal Seizure”. Here the seizure occurs in a different scenario. Usually the person is one who is a chronic alcohol drinker, one who is dependent on alcohol and feels uneasy and restless if he does not drink everyday. Let us now assume he suddenly stops drinking for whatever reason. Maybe he runs out of money and cannot buy alcohol. Usually 24 to 48 hours after his last drink, this patient may have a generalized tonic clonic convulsion. As this seizure occurs in the setting of a withdrawal from alcohol, it is called alcohol withdrawal seizure. It is important that heavy and chronic alcohol drinkers keep this is mind and do not suddenly stop drinking. If a person does decide to quit alcohol he should do it under medical supervision.
Now for the third setting in which seizures might occur with alcohol. Again we have a person who is an alcoholic (heavy and chronic alcohol user). Again for some reason he suddenly stops drinking. Uusally after 72 hours, he starts becoming delirious (confused), he has autonomic dysfunction and is tachycardic, sweating profusely, his blood pressure is up. Such a patient is said to be in what we refer to as “delirium tremens” (DT) . Patient who are in DT may have a flurry of seizures one after the other. DT is a life threatening condition and a patient may die if not treated in time. Usually patients are admitted to the intensive care unit of the hospital. We hydrate them aggressively, we give them medications to calm them down. Lorazepam (Ativan) or other benzodiazepines like chordiazepoxide (Librium) are given to prevent seizures and treat acute alcohol withdrawal.
Patients who have had a rum fit, an alcohol withdrawal seizure or even DT do not warrant long term treatment with an antiepileptic drug. These patients do not have epilepsy. If they abstain from drinking in the future it is more than likely that they may never have a seizure again in their lifetime. However there are a few patients whom we feel have a high risk for seizure recurrence, in such patients we may prescribe antiepileptic drug therapy for some time (the duration of the therapy varies depending upon the history, examination findings and the results of investigations like EEG and CT scan or MRI brain)
I have tried to give an overview of the kinds of seizures associated with alcohol intake. Like I stated earlier one need not be an epileptic to have seizures associated with alcohol intake. I try to explain this to my patients as follows. The brain has a threshold for the amount of alcohol it can tolerate. This threshold varies from person to person. If you drink above that threshold, the brain does not like it and one way it reacts is by having a seizure. This “threshold” is lower in patients who have an underlying seizure tendency. In these epileptic patients, a small amount of alcohol may induce a seizure. Also if you mix your drinks or combine alcohol consumption with other recreational drugs like cocaine you are creating the ideal grounds to have a seizure. Certain medicines like antibiotics also lower your seizure threshold and hence should not be used along with alcohol.
Patients with epilepsy should discuss about alcohol consumption with their doctors because at times we doctors do not initiate this discussion of our own. If you have seizures my advise to you would be to drink in moderation and not exceed your limits.
Nitin Sethi, MD
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