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I just got through reading a thread where someone (sorry, I forgot who) was talking about their alcoholic spouse having a grand mal -- I realize from the reading in context this was a withdrawal thing... My ex AW had very recently quit drinking when we met. When we'd be asleep in bed she would have cycles of significant seizures all night. But they never went away. Anyone else seen seizures and alcoholism in any combinations other than withdrawal?
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Peace comes from within. Do not seek it from without. Buddha
My wife had her first seizure about a day after she had binged at a labor day party, and wouldn't admit it. We had had our first real fight over her drinking that night, then the next morning she was talking to me and suddenly froze up, then hit the floor and seized. Scared the living daylights out of all of us, I called the ambulance. She went on Kepra for seizures, had cat scans, sleep study, and it was officially a non-diagnosed seizure syndrome. She probably had 4 more seizures over the next year.
We were still in denial about her alcoholism to an extent, but soon she went into rehab. We noticed she tended to have seizures around low blood sugar events. Continued Kepra.
She didn't seize during withdrawal because she was at rehab in detox both times on meds.
She hasn't had a seizure for over 2 years now. Shes been sober for 1.5 years. And much fewer low blood sugar events. And our medical bills in general have been much lower this year than they have been in 4-5 years.
So, my conclusion is that alcohol was ruining her health and costing us exorbitant healthcare expenses.
Yes, Spooky, I have seen this. My AH had significant seizures either while drinking or just a few hours after drinking. Several times they took place in bed. At first we thought he just had "falling out of bed syndrome." I saw next-morning seizures, just like Kenny described.
My AH will be on anti-seizure medicine for the rest of his life. The med has some undesirable side effects (tremors) but is better than having seizures. I have to say, he was usually honest with doctors about how much he drank, but he sure didn't like it when they told him he had to stop. And he did relapse to drinking within 3 months after a major seizure with injuries that put him in the hospital for a week. I am sorry you had to experience this, but be assured it is a real thing, and it is frightening.
-- Edited by Freetime on Thursday 4th of June 2015 12:05:03 AM
-- Edited by Freetime on Thursday 4th of June 2015 12:19:07 AM
My A has seizures, usually only when drinking although there have been a couple where he swore black and blue not to have had a drop and I believe it to be true. I have noticed they are much worse when he has very sugary drinks such as premix whisky and coke or red wine and usually triggered by getting agitated. He goes completely rigid and cannot move even his eye-balls for 1-2 minutes at a time, it's unlike anything I or any of his doctors have ever seen before as he doesn't convulse but just becomes completely paralysed and it can happen up to around 15 times in a night if he is drinking. Weird scary stuff. It has never stopped him though; in fact in all of our time together the one thing he felt most upset abut in life was that he couldn't drink without having seizures; it ruined his favorite past-time as he would often be thrown out of bars and clubs when it happened because it freaked people out. When we have played that "if you could have one wish" game his one wish has been repeatedly to be able to drink without seizures although I'd hazard they have probably saved his life many times over.
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If I had a world of my own, everything would be nonsense. Nothing would be what it is, because everything would be what it isn't. And contrary wise, what is, it wouldn't be. And what it wouldn't be, it would. You see? (Lewis Caroll)
I am not A, but I have these "seizures" when my blood sugars are dropping too fast. They come on very quickly for me and my husband and daughter are the only ones wh seem to be able to bring me out of them. I am usually "made to drink" small sips of juice and given tiny bites of cheese or peanut butter. If it is caught before it it really bad, I come out of it al out immediately, but if we wait too long, it takes quite a while to regain my true functioning. Mine started around age 12 and I was finally diagnosed with extreme idiopathic reactive hypoglycemia. Sweet drinks ar the biggest trigger for me, as they raise my sugars very quickly and cause a plummet that happens VERY fast. Adrenalin episodes can also cause it and sometimes they just happen without warning. The symptoms vary from just passing out (but I can hear those around me talking) to full seizures. When the blood sugars level out, the seizing stops and my body returns to a "normal" state. If had this for approximately 34 years and have been tested for everything under the sun.
I also found out a few years ago that I have a severe pituitary disorder which may (or may not) be part of this. I take shots for that, but nothing for blood sugar issues. The seizures are the same with, or without the HGH shots.
Yes...one of my friends who I got sober with in AA at the same time.... It was like he drank himself into a seizure disorder. He had them less and less in sobriety, but he still had them. When we were about 2 years sober, he had a large seizure and almost bit through his tongue. Now that we are coming up on 7 years, he hasn't had a seizure for quite some time. I think if maybe a person is epilepsy prone, alcoholism can exacerbate a seizure disorder. I think some people may have brain damage from drinking that results in seizures too. Not a doctor and just guessing here. I bet an internet search might yield more info.
I do want to ask Spooky, why does it matter now that you are broken up? Don't let the ex-AW live in your head rent free. I know that is easier said than done. I also know you will be more than likely going through a divorce and she is not totally out of your life.
My son would have seizures when he was trying to quit...which was many times. He would prop himself up on his side with pillows just in case he would have one in his sleep. One time at my house he went into a seizure and hit his head on the way down. I didn't know at the time to roll them on their side so they can breath....which I found out after my son was turning blue because of his tongue in the way cutting off his oxygen. I just happened to pick up his head to hug him and he started breathing again....that was scary. When he first got to prison he that around 3 more but now without alcohol for a year and a half he doesn't get them anymore. My son would also pass out a lot because of low blood sugar caused by drinking.
In my son's case even to stop drinking for 8 hours would cause withdrawals which in turn caused a seizure. He needed to keep a constant level at around .18 BAL to be normal for him. Scary but true.
((( hugs )))
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Lord, put your arm around my shoulder and your hand over my mouth
Speak only when you feel that your words are better than your silence.
Thanks, everyone -- it does seem like there is some strange thread, perhaps. Thanks, pinkchip, for your question. For me as an academic I think I am seriously just interested in these things. All the books I have written are based on interesting and unexpected connections or common threads. I think it's the way my mind works. I am pleased to say that I have not at all been obsessing about my ex. I think I was pleasantly surprised (though obviously I have to go through grief) at the amount of energy I have for different things now. I don't think I was at all aware of how much of my energy was taken up by the stuff we are all familiar with: walking on eggshells, trying to avoid fights, doing most of the work, feeling "responsible" for the alcoholics in our lives. I have been waking up ready to face the day, I take the dogs for a walk every day (there is a major trailhead about a mile from my house), and getting old projects done I just didn't have energy for before. And not in a "manic" way, but just feeling a sense of ease and a sense that things will be accomplished.
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Peace comes from within. Do not seek it from without. Buddha
I hope you run into a super hot Gillian Anderson looking woman while walking your dogs :) Super shallow, but that is yet another good way to forget about the ex lol.
Ha! That is so funny!!! I did put out an ad to start meeting people with things in common with me. I have friends and supporters, but not any gay friends or vegetarian friends...so I thought it would be a good idea to just get out and meet people. I made it clear I'm not looking to jump back into a relationship, I would just like to know that women find me fun and interesting to have tea with. LOL I can't get over how isolated I let myself get over the last years. So -- shallow or not -- Gillian Anderson, here I come! LOL
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Peace comes from within. Do not seek it from without. Buddha
Alcoholism is a very cunning, powerful and baffling disease which affects the mind, body, spirit and emotions. The chemical alcohol is mind and mood altering...it is not like root beer or milk...this stuff is responsible for all kinds of negative including fatal and near fatal consequences. One of the natural expectations I learned in recovery was that when my alcoholic/addict wife drank and/or used was that she would die sooner or later of it. We had several near fatal episodes which considering I was powerless were soul threatening. "Admitted we were powerless over alcohol and that our lives had become unmanageable" That describes it all for me. Keep coming back ((((hugs))))
