Excessive alcohol consumption can be dangerous, as it overwhelms the central nervous system and can cause the body's life support systems to slow down or malfunction, leading to a seizure. Drinking small amounts of alcohol or drinking alcohol from time to time does not usually cause seizures. Seizures are more likely to occur when a person is going through an alcoholic abstinence situation, such as during alcohol withdrawal syndrome (AWS). Seizures can also occur as a result of alcohol poisoning.
Despite being a legal drug in most parts of the world, alcohol has some of the most serious withdrawal symptoms. Seizures can occur in any drinker, but the most common type of alcohol seizure is related to abstinence, specifically when the person has been drinking excessively for several years. Knowing the different types of seizures caused by drinking alcohol is vital if you or your loved one are about to suffer from withdrawal. Alcohol causes seizures when a person is going through an alcoholic abstinence situation, such as during alcohol withdrawal syndrome (AWS).
A seizure is a burst of uncontrolled electrical activity between brain cells or neurons that causes temporary abnormalities, such as stiffness, spasms, or sagging. Alcohol withdrawal seizures usually occur 6 to 48 hours after the person's last drink. Although alcohol consumption can cause seizures, seizures are not usually induced when only small amounts of alcohol are ingested. In fact, it's very rare for a person who consumes a moderate amount of alcohol from time to time to experience a seizure.
Alcohol mainly causes seizures when a person has completely stopped drinking or has significantly reduced their alcohol consumption because the body has trouble adapting. One of the safest and most effective ways to detoxify from alcohol and get on the path to long-term sobriety is to attend inpatient drug rehab. Inpatient rehabilitation centers are particularly useful because they eliminate all external distractions and temptations to return to alcohol abuse, especially during the early stages of detoxification, when the cravings may be more intense. It is important to remember that while excessive drinking can lead to seizures, drinking small amounts of alcohol or drinking alcohol from time to time does not usually cause seizures. However, anyone who drinks excessively and who also has epilepsy is at an even greater risk of having seizures, and should abstain or reduce their alcohol consumption as soon as possible.
