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-- While we typically associate seizures within the context of alcoholism with physiologic withdrawal, studies have shown that there is a dose-dependent relationship between the consumed amount of alcohol and the onset of seizure activity, independent of alcohol withdrawal.
-- Specifically, Ng and colleagues found a 3-fold increase in seizure occurance with 50 to 100 grams of ethanol per day, compared to an 8-fold increase with 101 to 200 grams of ethanol per day.
-- This study further found that ex-drinkers (abstention for >= 1 yr.) were not at any increased risk of seizure and that drinkers who had seizures did so well outside of the conventional window of withdrawal.
References
- Ng S. K. C. et al. "Alcohol Consumption and Withdrawal in New-onset Seizure." New Engl Journal of Med 319(11).