Can alcohol cause seizures?

While having an occasional drink is normally an enjoyable experience, it can cause major health risks such as seizures. When taking anti-epileptic drugs or if someone has epilepsy, heavy drinking is not suggested. Anti-epilepsy drugs (AEDs) can exaggerate the side effects of alcohol and make yor body more sensitive to the alcohol, making it easier to get drunk off of fewer alcoholic drinks.

After heavy drinking, AEDs can cause your body to have “withdrawl seizures” that can begin within 7 to 72 hours. Binge drinking can cause seizures even amongst people who are not epileptic, but the seizures are not caused by “withdrawl”, but rather the toxic effects of alcohol.