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Keppra and Alcohol
Mon, 02/04/2008 - 13:49I 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 banffgirl on Tue, 2008-02-26 - 13:57
i have had e all my life. in my early 20s i did drink, had only abscence seizures at the time. after a night of drinking socially, in bed at 11pm, i had my first tonic clonic. spent time in the hospital getting on new meds. the neuro back then, it was the mid 80s said ok to a drink now and than, well the next time i had a magarita, at about 3or 4 in the morning i had a siezure so violent it dislocated my shoulder so again my hubby had to call an ambulance for i was out of it and when i got out of the postical state, the pain was excrutiating. i stoped drinking and was under control for 20 years, at 45 i started having siezures again, neuro said occasion wine or beer ok. well i went thru many meds and after 10 months he gave up and sent me to a epilepsy specialist, who told me to stop drinking completely, no alcohol at all! cuz i put down i occasionally had a glass of beer or wine on paperwork they give you. said alcohol and e do not mix and neither do siezure meds and alcohol. also found out that stimulants such as sinus meds alter the way siezure meds work as well. so you are playing with fire. you only have 1 brain. dont fry it by mixing stuff that may not hurt you as you see it today, but long term effects are killers. you need a new doctor, a epilepsy specialist that will give you the straight info. regular neuros knew some e stuff but treat alot of other neurological disorders so their training in e is limited compared to the specialist. hope this helps, there is also lots of info on this website.
God Bless!
banffgirl
i have had e all my life. in my early 20s i did drink, had only abscence seizures at the time. after a night of drinking socially, in bed at 11pm, i had my first tonic clonic. spent time in the hospital getting on new meds. the neuro back then, it was the mid 80s said ok to a drink now and than, well the next time i had a magarita, at about 3or 4 in the morning i had a siezure so violent it dislocated my shoulder so again my hubby had to call an ambulance for i was out of it and when i got out of the postical state, the pain was excrutiating. i stoped drinking and was under control for 20 years, at 45 i started having siezures again, neuro said occasion wine or beer ok. well i went thru many meds and after 10 months he gave up and sent me to a epilepsy specialist, who told me to stop drinking completely, no alcohol at all! cuz i put down i occasionally had a glass of beer or wine on paperwork they give you. said alcohol and e do not mix and neither do siezure meds and alcohol. also found out that stimulants such as sinus meds alter the way siezure meds work as well. so you are playing with fire. you only have 1 brain. dont fry it by mixing stuff that may not hurt you as you see it today, but long term effects are killers. you need a new doctor, a epilepsy specialist that will give you the straight info. regular neuros knew some e stuff but treat alot of other neurological disorders so their training in e is limited compared to the specialist. hope this helps, there is also lots of info on this website.
God Bless!
banffgirl
Re: Keppra and Alcohol
Submitted by Ambika on Mon, 2008-03-31 - 12:05
Hi,
Am taking Keppra 500 mg twice a day for the past 2 months. I had beer last week and the next day I had a mild siezure in my work area. Thank God, my collegue who knows about this helped me. I have complex partial seizure since my 10 years of age and now am 23. For these days I was taking carbamizene and gardinal. i switched to keppra onlt 2 month back. So, is there anything like, keppra does not support alcohol consumptuion ? carbamizene was supporting.
Hi,
Am taking Keppra 500 mg twice a day for the past 2 months. I had beer last week and the next day I had a mild siezure in my work area. Thank God, my collegue who knows about this helped me. I have complex partial seizure since my 10 years of age and now am 23. For these days I was taking carbamizene and gardinal. i switched to keppra onlt 2 month back. So, is there anything like, keppra does not support alcohol consumptuion ? carbamizene was supporting.
Re: Keppra and Alcohol
Submitted by George R on Mon, 2008-02-25 - 22:43
George - NYC -- A neurologist I am not, but I have had virtually all versions of epilepsy and the seizures connected to them for 35 years. Fortunately, I've never seen drinking alcohol wise--socially or health-wise. Maybe having a couple of grandparents die a young life because of drinking taught me quite a lesson. I am on Keppra (2250mg), Depakote ER (1000mg), and Lexapro (20mg) and know well that drinks and anti-seizure pills mean "war" within our systems. And it's not a matter of letting of precious bodies have time to adjust to the swigs aimed at them; it is our logical acceptance of taking pills and aiming our loose change at things far wiser than alcoholic drinks. If this sounds Victorian, let it. However, ask people who have had epilepsy for decades, not merely those who just been told about it.
George - NYC -- A neurologist I am not, but I have had virtually all versions of epilepsy and the seizures connected to them for 35 years. Fortunately, I've never seen drinking alcohol wise--socially or health-wise. Maybe having a couple of grandparents die a young life because of drinking taught me quite a lesson. I am on Keppra (2250mg), Depakote ER (1000mg), and Lexapro (20mg) and know well that drinks and anti-seizure pills mean "war" within our systems. And it's not a matter of letting of precious bodies have time to adjust to the swigs aimed at them; it is our logical acceptance of taking pills and aiming our loose change at things far wiser than alcoholic drinks. If this sounds Victorian, let it. However, ask people who have had epilepsy for decades, not merely those who just been told about it.