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Alcohol Withdrawal Seizures

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A condition where seizures occur in association with ethanol abuse (ALCOHOLISM) without other identifiable causes. Seizures usually occur within the first 6-48 hours after the cessation of alcohol intake, but may occur during periods of alcohol intoxication. Single generalized tonic-clonic motor seizures are the most common subtype, however, STATUS EPILEPTICUS may occur. (Adams et al., Principles of Neurology, 6th ed, p1174)

Also Known As:

Alcohol Withdrawal-Induced Major Motor Seizure; Alcohol Withdrawal-Induced Seizure; Alcohol Withdrawal-Induced Status Epilepticus; Major Motor Seizure, Alcohol Withdrawal-Induced; Alcohol Withdrawal Induced Major Motor Seizure; Alcohol Withdrawal Induced Seizure; Alcohol Withdrawal Induced Status Epilepticus; Alcohol Withdrawal Seizure; Alcohol Withdrawal-Induced Seizures; Alcoholic Seizure; Alcoholic Seizures; Major Motor Seizure, Alcohol Withdrawal Induced; Seizure, Alcohol Withdrawal; Seizure, Alcohol Withdrawal-Induced; Seizure, Alcoholic; Seizures, Alcohol Withdrawal; Seizures, Alcohol Withdrawal-Induced; Status Epilepticus, Alcohol Withdrawal Induced; Withdrawal Seizure, Alcohol; Withdrawal Seizures, Alcohol; Withdrawal-Induced Seizure, Alcohol; Withdrawal-Induced Seizures, Alcohol; Seizures, Alcoholic; Status Epilepticus, Alcohol Withdrawal-Induced

Networked: 69 relevant articles (7 outcomes, 13 trials/studies)

Relationship Network

Disease Context: Research Results

Related Diseases

1.	Alcohol Withdrawal Delirium (Delirium Tremens)
2.	Seizures (Seizure)
3.	Alcoholism (Alcohol Abuse)
4.	Substance Withdrawal Syndrome (Withdrawal Symptoms)
5.	Delirium

Experts

1.	Bleich, Stefan: 8 articles (01/2012 - 05/2004)
2.	Kornhuber, Johannes: 8 articles (01/2012 - 05/2004)
3.	Hillemacher, Thomas: 7 articles (01/2012 - 11/2004)
4.	Bayerlein, Kristina: 6 articles (11/2007 - 11/2004)
5.	Frieling, Helge: 4 articles (01/2012 - 05/2006)
6.	Batra, Anil: 4 articles (09/2010 - 09/2005)
7.	Wilhelm, Julia: 3 articles (01/2012 - 10/2007)
8.	Lutz, Ulrich C: 3 articles (09/2010 - 12/2006)
9.	Adès, Jean: 3 articles (01/2008 - 01/2003)
10.	Boni, Claudette: 3 articles (01/2008 - 01/2003)

Drugs and Biologics

Drugs and Important Biological Agents (IBA) related to Alcohol Withdrawal Seizures:

1.	HomocysteineIBA 05/01/2004 - "Taking into account that high plasma homocysteine levels are helpful in the prediction of alcohol withdrawal seizures, early anti-convulsive therapy could prevent this severe complication. " 05/01/2004 - "Furthermore, taking into account that high plasma homocysteine levels are helpful in the prediction of alcohol withdrawal seizures, early anticonvulsive therapy could prevent this severe complication. " 05/01/2006 - "The aim of the present study was to calculate the best predictive cutoff value of plasma homocysteine levels in actively drinking alcoholics (n = 88) with first-onset alcohol-withdrawal seizures. " 05/01/2006 - "Recent studies have shown that high homocysteine levels are associated with alcohol-withdrawal seizures. " 06/15/2005 - "The aim of the present study was to determine plasma homocysteine levels in actively drinking alcoholics and patients with early abstinence in order to evaluate whether there is an additional association between elevated plasma homocysteine levels and a history of alcohol withdrawal seizures. "
2.	Phenytoin (Dilantin)FDA LinkGeneric 05/01/1991 - "A prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study of adequate size was designed to assess the efficacy of phenytoin in preventing recurrence of alcohol withdrawal seizures. " 04/01/1981 - "Protection against alcohol withdrawal seizures was not observed when phenytoin serum levels were below 8 micrograms/ml. However, with phenytoin serum levels between 8-25 micrograms/ml, only 1 out of 32 rats had alcohol withdrawal seizures." 04/01/1981 - "The efficacy of phenytoin in the prevention of alcohol withdrawal seizures was studied in rats. " 12/01/1989 - "Our goal was to evaluate the effectiveness of intravenous diphenylhydantoin for prevention of alcohol withdrawal seizures in high-risk patients using a prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study design. " 12/01/1989 - "Placebo-controlled trial of intravenous diphenylhydantoin for short-term treatment of alcohol withdrawal seizures."
3.	ProlactinIBA 10/01/2007 - "Aim of the present study was to investigate the association between prolactin serum levels and previous alcohol withdrawal seizures. " 10/01/2007 - "Elevated prolactin serum levels and history of alcohol withdrawal seizures." 10/01/2007 - "Patients with a history of alcohol withdrawal seizures had significantly higher prolactin levels (17.8 ng/ml, SD=12.1) than patients without previous seizures (13.0 ng/ml, SD=8.1, p<0.05). " 02/01/2007 - "A combination of both, homocysteine and prolactin, may help to assess the individual risk of alcohol withdrawal seizures in clinical practice." 02/01/2007 - "The aim of this study was to evaluate the predictive qualities of a combined assessment of homocysteine and prolactin for previous alcohol withdrawal seizures. "
4.	Phentermine (Adipex-P)FDA LinkGeneric 04/01/2006 - "Collectively, these findings show that coadministered phentermine plus 5-HTP is effective in reducing alcohol intake and suppressing alcohol withdrawal seizures. " 01/01/2000 - "In conclusion, the coadministration of phentermine plus fenfluramine produced a moderate reduction of alcohol consumption and was completely effective at reducing alcohol withdrawal seizures." 01/01/2000 - "Finally, 8 mg/kg phentermine plus 8 mg/kg fenfluramine completely abolished alcohol withdrawal seizures, compared to a 78% rate in saline treated rats. " 01/01/2000 - "Effects of phentermine and fenfluramine on alcohol consumption and alcohol withdrawal seizures in rats." 04/01/2006 - "Following a 9-h withdrawal period from the alcohol-containing diet, phentermine enhanced the effects of 5-HTP on both reduction of alcohol withdrawal seizures as well as changes in striatal serotonin. "
5.	FenfluramineIBA 01/01/1997 - "The findings indicate that coadministration of amphetamine and fenfluramine, a treatment effective in reducing alcohol withdrawal seizures, also selectively attenuates alcohol consumption." 01/01/2000 - "In conclusion, the coadministration of phentermine plus fenfluramine produced a moderate reduction of alcohol consumption and was completely effective at reducing alcohol withdrawal seizures." 01/01/2000 - "Finally, 8 mg/kg phentermine plus 8 mg/kg fenfluramine completely abolished alcohol withdrawal seizures, compared to a 78% rate in saline treated rats. " 01/01/2000 - "Effects of phentermine and fenfluramine on alcohol consumption and alcohol withdrawal seizures in rats."
6.	Amphetamine (Amfetamine)FDA LinkGeneric 01/01/1997 - "The findings indicate that coadministration of amphetamine and fenfluramine, a treatment effective in reducing alcohol withdrawal seizures, also selectively attenuates alcohol consumption." 09/01/2002 - "The aim of the current experiment was to investigate the consequences of repeated withdrawal from ethanol on amphetamine-induced behaviours in the rat and compare this with animals with electrical kindling of the amygdala, a procedure that has been shown to enhance alcohol withdrawal seizures [Pinel et al. (1975) Can. "
7.	5-Hydroxytryptophan (5 Hydroxytryptophan)IBA 04/01/2006 - "Collectively, these findings show that coadministered phentermine plus 5-HTP is effective in reducing alcohol intake and suppressing alcohol withdrawal seizures. " 04/01/2006 - "Following a 9-h withdrawal period from the alcohol-containing diet, phentermine enhanced the effects of 5-HTP on both reduction of alcohol withdrawal seizures as well as changes in striatal serotonin. "
8.	BenzodiazepinesIBA 01/01/2005 - "Benzodiazepines offered a large benefit against alcohol withdrawal seizures compared to placebo (relative risk [RR] 0.16; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.04 to 0.69; p = 0.01). " 06/01/1995 - "To describe the clinical characteristics of alcohol withdrawal seizures in patients treated with a standardized protocol of short-acting benzodiazepines. " 01/01/1985 - "Kuwaiti patients were more likely to be violent while drunk and to receive benzodiazepine prescriptions while non-Kuwaiti patients were better educated and suffered more alcohol withdrawal seizures. " 01/01/2015 - "Benzodiazepines are used for multiple indications (anxiety, seizures, alcohol withdrawal, muscular relaxation and anesthesia). " 08/01/2008 - "Based on this data, clinicians should limit the use of benzodiazepines to those patients with anxiety, seizures, alcohol withdrawal, or in whom a deeper level of sedation or therapeutic paralysis is required. "
9.	Dopamine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins (Dopamine Transporter)IBA 05/20/2004 - "Previous studies have found an association between the A9 allele (nine-copy repeat) of the dopamine transporter (DAT) gene and two complications of alcohol withdrawal, namely delirium tremens (DT) and alcohol withdrawal seizures (AWS). " 01/01/2003 - "The A9 allele of the dopamine transporter gene is associated with delirium tremens and alcohol-withdrawal seizure." 01/01/2008 - "Some studies have reported that the A9 allele of the variable nucleotide tandem repeat (VNTR) of the gene which encodes the dopamine transporter (DAT1/SLC6A3) is associated with alcoholism withdrawal symptoms such as alcohol withdrawal seizures (WSs), whereas others did not. " 09/01/2005 - "It was investigated whether the allele A9 of the dopamine transporter gene (DAT1; SLC6A3) is associated with alcoholism, delirium tremens (DT), alcohol withdrawal seizures (AWS), or the daily alcohol intake. " 01/01/2003 - "The dopamine transporter (DAT) plays a key role in homeostatic regulation of dopaminergic neurotransmission and could thus be involved in the variability of two severe alcohol-withdrawal symptoms, alcohol-withdrawal seizure (AWS) and delirium tremens (DT). "
10.	Neurotransmitter Agents (Neurotransmitter)IBA 01/01/2011 - "There is emerging evidence that endogenous neurosteroids may play a key role in the pathophysiology of catamenial epilepsy, stress-sensitive seizure conditions, temporal lobe epilepsy, and alcohol-withdrawal seizures. " 06/01/2006 - "As the inhibitory neurotransmitter gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA) modulates ethanol consumption, alcohol withdrawal symptoms and seizure generation by interacting with the GABAB receptor, the genes encoding for the GABAB receptor can be considered as candidate genes for alcoholism and alcohol withdrawal seizures (AWS). " 08/21/2000 - "homocysteic acid) are putative neurotransmitters and agonists at the NMDA receptor, the aim of this study was to assess the influence of levels of homocysteine on alcohol withdrawal seizures. "

Therapies and Procedures

1.	Anesthesia 01/01/2015 - "Benzodiazepines are used for multiple indications (anxiety, seizures, alcohol withdrawal, muscular relaxation and anesthesia). "