Can people with epilepsy stop taking drugs?

Basically, those who suffer from epilepsy are much more vulnerable than other people. The question that arises is whether these people can tolerate the process of quitting drugs, which is a stressful thing. In this article, this issue is discussed.

Epilepsy one Common brain disease It is in people that its treatment takes a long time and it is considered as one of the long-term diseases. If we want to explain in simple language what happens during epilepsy, we must say that epilepsy causes seizures and seizures are caused by a nervous disorder or abnormal electrical activity in the brain, and the presence of this disorder causes a decrease in the level of consciousness. Abnormal behaviors, muscle spasms, etc. occur. Even though epilepsy is a chronic and widespread disease in the world and many people are suffering from it, research and examination of the causes of its occurrence in people are still being investigated.

The probability of contracting this disease is the same in both men and women. Regardless of gender and age, any person may suffer from this disease.

Keep in mind that a seizure is not the same as epilepsy, a seizure is a nervous attack that affects a person and manifests itself with body shaking, foam coming out of the mouth, locking of the lips and other symptoms.

But epilepsy is the general name of a disease in which seizures are one of its common symptoms or perhaps its only symptom. Of course, it is not possible to diagnose the cause of epilepsy just by having a seizure once. The occurrence of several consecutive seizures with short intervals and without any other stimulus is needed to diagnose epilepsy, which of course still requires various tests and examination by doctors.

Various factors cause seizures. These include head injury or trauma, tumors and infections, blood sugar abnormalities, high fever, drug or alcohol withdrawal, and an allergic reaction to the drug. Doctors should check these things before diagnosing epilepsy and make sure that these factors are not the cause of seizures. If the cause of the seizure is one of the above factors, the person does not have epilepsy. Epilepsy has several types, and the seizure pattern of a person determines the type of his disease. Some people with one seizure and diagnosis of the possibility of subsequent seizures by the doctor are also known as cases of epilepsy.

The relationship between seizures and drug use

Drug use has many side effects. so that people suffer serious complications even when they quit it, except under the supervision of a doctor and getting advice from The best addiction treatment center It is not possible to pass this course. One of the problems that people face when quitting or using drugs is seizures. So that a person’s daily life is disturbed.

The use of drugs and alcohol can cause seizures, and on the other hand, people who suffer from epilepsy make their condition worse by using drugs. What is clear is that the use of drugs in those who suffer from epilepsy makes the process of recovery from epilepsy more difficult.

Amphetamines, ecstasy, cocaine, and heroin all increase the frequency of seizures in people with epilepsy. Also, hashish drug is included in the category of disease-stimulating substances and one should avoid its use. For some people, recreational drug use can also cause epilepsy.

Addictive substances can also be a risk factor for SUDEP (sudden unexpected death in epilepsy). Therefore, if a person suffers a seizure due to drug abuse, it is better to go to specialized addiction treatment clinics for his recovery period and to prevent fatal accidents, and there, under the supervision of doctors and experts in this field, he can monitor his recovery process. start

But can people with epilepsy stop using drugs? The answer is yes. But this process should be done under the supervision of a doctor and in specialized addiction treatment centers to prevent irreparable damage to the body.

What happens during a seizure?

Seizures are caused by malfunctioning brain neurons. In fact, a seizure occurs due to an uncontrolled and sudden electrical explosion in the brain. Seizures have different types, and their symptoms and severity vary from person to person. The types of seizures differ depending on where they start in the brain and how they spread. When a person has a seizure It takes 30 seconds to 2 minutes to return to normal, but if it takes longer, it is a medical emergency and you should see a doctor immediately.

Seizure symptoms vary depending on the type, but the following are usually seen during all seizures:

• Temporary confusion (the person does not understand his position in terms of space and time)
• staring without blinking at a point (usually the ceiling)
• Uncontrollable shaking and rapid movement of arms and legs. (fast paddling)
• Locking of the mouth (usually after this, the person has bitten their lips and tongue, and for this reason, they put a napkin in the person’s mouth or between the lips during a seizure)

Doctors classify seizures into two types, focal and general, depending on where the disorder starts in the brain. In a focal seizure, there is electrical activity in one area of ​​the brain that sometimes occurs without loss of consciousness. People who experience this type of seizure appear awake but unresponsive to their surroundings. They may even repeat fixed words or move in a circular path continuously and finally after the seizure subsides, they do not remember anything from those moments. During this type of seizure, a person may experience different emotions, including sadness, fear, happiness, or emotions that cannot be properly expressed. Some of the symptoms of focal seizures are similar to other diseases such as migraines or mental illnesses, and these two diseases may be confused.

Generalized seizures involve almost all parts of the brain when they occur. This type of seizure itself is divided into subcategories, each of which has its own unique symptoms. Staring of the eyes, contraction of the muscles of the back of the arm and the back of the legs, frequent blinking, strong impulses of the hands and feet, lack of mastery of the muscles, especially the neck, etc. It is one of the complications of this type of seizure.

Naturally, the use of drugs in people who have a history of seizures or epilepsy helps to aggravate these diseases, and they must be admitted to the best addiction treatment center during withdrawal to avoid the risks caused by the simultaneous withdrawal of addiction and epilepsy.

How does drug abuse affect epilepsy?

The effects of different types of drugs on this disease are different. Some drugs have a direct effect on this disease and cause its aggravation or multipleness, and some with Anticonvulsant drugs which are prescribed to control this disease, it interferes.

Sometimes convulsions occur due to withdrawal from alcohol and other narcotics, which is better to control that person during this period under the supervision of a doctor. It is obvious that the longer the period of drug use and the higher the dosage, the greater the possibility of seizures during withdrawal. Alcohol, all forms of cocaine, marijuana, and almost all drugs, whether inhaled or injected, may cause seizures in a person.

A person who has epilepsy aggravates his disease by taking drugs as a drug. Drug interactions and forgetting epilepsy control drugs while taking drugs are one of the factors that cause seizures, because it is necessary to have a specific schedule and dose of medication to control epilepsy and prevent seizures.

People suffering from epilepsy should start the process of drug withdrawal under the supervision of a doctor and under the name of their disease. There is a difficult path ahead. But by taking epilepsy and anticonvulsant drugs and in parallel with reducing the use of drugs, you can survive this disease. After quitting, the number of seizures may decrease After the detoxification period And addiction treatment program is possible.