Is excessive alcohol a cause of seizures?
It is commonly perceived that alcohol is a frequent cause of seizures in people with epilepsy. However, there is little evidence that small amounts of alcohol influences seizure occurrence. Alcohol abuse may be accompanied by seizures in two situations. On the one hand, people with alcohol addiction with or without epilepsy experience seizures with heavy drinking but more frequently on withdrawal. On the other hand, seizures may be precipitated in people without addiction with epilepsy after excessive drinking. Seizures will usually occur as a result of rapidly falling alcohol blood levels, especially when excessive alcohol intake is associated with insufficient sleep.
