What would happen if I took alcohol/drugs alongside anti seizure medication?

[jess_degreeff]

I've had at least 15 seizures in the space of a year, and I'm awaiting an MRI scan to find out the cause of them. I think its due to sleep deprivation, but taking MDMA caused a few of the seizures. Its usually always the morning after, or when I've taken WAY too much of the MDMA. If I do get given anti-seizure medication, could I take it for a course of time, stop, and then maybe I'd stop having seizures from drugs/alcohol/sleep deprivation? Or should I just completely stop with drugs and alcohol?

[EpilepsyAction1 Partner Epilepsy Action]

Hi Jess

Like you say, the answer to some of your questions will be related to what the possible cause of your seizures is.

If you are diagnosed with epilepsy and given epilepsy medicine, then it is important to take it exactly as prescribed. If you were wanting then to stop taking it, you would need medical guidance on the safest way to do that. Stopping epilepsy medicine suddenly can, in itself cause seizures.

Using drugs and alcohol would be likely to make epilepsy worse, so it would be important to bear that in mind when making decisions about how you look after yourself.

You might find it useful to look through our information about epilepsy and wellbeing. We have this as webpages and also as interactive pages on our E-Learning website.

If you wanted someone to talk to about stopping the drugs, then one place you could try is Talk to Frank.

I do hope this information is useful for you and that you can reach a place where you are looking after yourself as well as possible.

Cherry

Advice and Information Team

Diagnosis: epilepsy.org.uk/info/diagnosis

Epilepsy medicine: epilepsy.org.uk/info/treatm...

Alcohol and epilepsy: epilepsy.org.uk/info/alcohol

Wellbeing: epilepsy.org.uk/info/wellbeing

E-Learning: learn.epilepsy.org.uk/cours...

Talk to Frank: talktofrank.com/

[Hidden]

Hi Jess,

Follow what EpilepsyAction has said... If you are drinking you are only asking for trouble. Alcohol and drugs are triggers for epilepsy... Get yourself off alcohol and also be sensible.

[sarm]

I dont do drugs but I drink sometimes. When I di drink its far too much... its not a gd idea and is stupid cz makes me feel terrible after my muscles twitch and go maf which is scary... but when I have had it in moderation it had been ok. Different for everyone I think. My mate gets off his face and he has epilepsy and is totally fine afterwards lol. He also smokes weed. I dont know its all risky and silly . But obviously drugs is a different thing that I cant comment on. But if u do give in to drinking take it slow and dont do loads of shots and stuff.