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Keppra and Alcohol

Mon, 02/04/2008 - 13:49

I am a healthy 28 year old male who just had his first 2 seizures on consecutive days.  I went to the hospital and had an MRI and an EEG.  The EEG came back abnormal so the DR. put me on Keppra 1000mg a day.  I am a social drinker who drinks regularly.  The Doctor said I shouldn't drink and if I do I can only have one drink.  Is this true?  I am not an alcoholic but the thought of never being able to get drunk again is fairly upsetting to me.  Does anyone have any advice?  What happens if I do drink?

 Thanks

Comments

Re: Keppra and Alcohol

Submitted by sportsgirl on Mon, 2008-02-11 - 09:34

Hi

 I started on Keppra six weeks ago - 500 mg a day.

My doctor told me to avoid alcohol for three weeks.

 I had my first two glasses of wine last week with a meal and had the shakes all night.

It's put me off drinking again. I wouldn't risk your health.

I'm finding it hard at the mo. My workmates don't know I'm on Keppra or my condition so also trying to avoid the pregnancy rumours on social drinks out!

 I just hope maybe I can have the odd drink again soon.

 :-)

Hi

 I started on Keppra six weeks ago - 500 mg a day.

My doctor told me to avoid alcohol for three weeks.

 I had my first two glasses of wine last week with a meal and had the shakes all night.

It's put me off drinking again. I wouldn't risk your health.

I'm finding it hard at the mo. My workmates don't know I'm on Keppra or my condition so also trying to avoid the pregnancy rumours on social drinks out!

 I just hope maybe I can have the odd drink again soon.

 :-)

Re: Keppra and Alcohol

Submitted by Cassiopeia on Mon, 2008-02-11 - 23:48

The effects are different for everyone...part of the beauty of epilepsy, eh?

I live with epilepsy; I am 42 and I began having seizures at age six.

I take several meds for epilepsy, keppra among them. I also enjoy a drink now and then...I hope you find that sweet-spot.

Take care...

The effects are different for everyone...part of the beauty of epilepsy, eh?

I live with epilepsy; I am 42 and I began having seizures at age six.

I take several meds for epilepsy, keppra among them. I also enjoy a drink now and then...I hope you find that sweet-spot.

Take care...

Re: Keppra and Alcohol

Submitted by monroera on Mon, 2008-02-25 - 18:09
Hey, I'm a 26 year old female who has been a bartender/dancer (ballet/jazz, etc...) for the last few years.  I had my first partial seizures about a year and a half ago and my first tonic clonic a little over a year ago.  I still wasn't diagnosed until this past summer with epilepsy and I was told drinking wasn't the cause, so I've continued and nothing has really changed- even on Keppra and Lamictal.  I feel like my health has still declined-I've had about 5 or 6grand mals in the last year and countless partials and the meds don't help at all as long as I'm still drinking.   Despite the fact that I've been told I have temporal lobe epilepsy and drinking is not a major factor, I recently stopped drinking altogether.  I was going out a lot and given where I work and the lifestyle I lead, it's extremely hard to say no to a drink with friends and the idea of not drinking is daunting. I am not an alcoholic but I know what you mean about how hard it seems to believe you can never have a few too again.  I know it's cliche, but I'm just taking it one day at a time.  You have to trust your own body.  I am doing my own experiment now after a year and a half of not getting better to see if alcohol is the primary factor in my epilepsy and if it is, then I would rather not drink again and listen to my own advice than heed the advice of doctors and suffer what I have been for the last year and a half.

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