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Chlorine Exposure and Seizures

Mon, 09/24/2007 - 14:06
Topic: Living With Epilepsy - Youth
Hi, I'm pretty new around here, and I really appreciate all of the great information. Some of it is applicable, and all of it is informative. Thanks. Anyway, my 5 year-old has been diagnosed with Focal Onset Seizures. She has had two Complex Partial Seizures in as many months, and is now on Keppra (after an alergic reaction to Trileptal). We're just waiting for the next one. In some of the research that I have done, I have found a couple of studies that linked Chlorine exposure to seizures. Most chlorine exposure research focuses on lung damage, but these focused on neurological damage that caused seizures. My question, is it possible to get elevated levels of exposure to Cholorine from a pool / hot tub? Daily use? Hot tub vapors? Over chlorination? All summer exposure? Another question might be "Do epilepsy diagnosis go up in the summer or among children who are exposed frequently to pools? I know this is a far reach, and there is no supporting research, that I have found on the relationship between pool use and epilepsy, but I thought that I would throw this out there and see if anyone else sees an similarities in their situation. Thanks again for the awesome information. Cris

Comments

Re: Chlorine Exposure and Seizures

Submitted by jillybean on Sat, 2008-07-05 - 10:29

Thanks for your post Chris- Our 9 year old daughter had two seizures last summer- the first in June and the second in August - both times she had been swimming the day before and the temperatures had been in the high 90's - She has not had a seizure since August and after she was diagnosed with benign rolandic epilepsy we chose not to give her any medication but I can't help feeling that either exposure to certain chemicals in the pool or her bodies inability to process heat somehow triggered her seizures. All of the doctors that I spoke with did not think that this was the cause but you obviously have been drawn to a similar conclusion with your daughter's situation - I hope she is doing well and I will post any research on this subject that I am able to find - Jill  

 

Thanks for your post Chris- Our 9 year old daughter had two seizures last summer- the first in June and the second in August - both times she had been swimming the day before and the temperatures had been in the high 90's - She has not had a seizure since August and after she was diagnosed with benign rolandic epilepsy we chose not to give her any medication but I can't help feeling that either exposure to certain chemicals in the pool or her bodies inability to process heat somehow triggered her seizures. All of the doctors that I spoke with did not think that this was the cause but you obviously have been drawn to a similar conclusion with your daughter's situation - I hope she is doing well and I will post any research on this subject that I am able to find - Jill  

 

Re: Chlorine Exposure and Seizures

Submitted by hardmantracey on Wed, 2008-10-01 - 22:33

I am representing a client who developed severe seizure disorder after toxci exposure to chlorine resulting from a very negligent well 'repair'- IF there is any information that any of you have- PLEASE share it with me so I can help this woman.

 

I would be willing to pay someone if they have done signficant research.

 

Thanks very much, I can be reached at hardmantracey@yahoo.com

I am representing a client who developed severe seizure disorder after toxci exposure to chlorine resulting from a very negligent well 'repair'- IF there is any information that any of you have- PLEASE share it with me so I can help this woman.

 

I would be willing to pay someone if they have done signficant research.

 

Thanks very much, I can be reached at hardmantracey@yahoo.com

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Chlorine Exposure and Seizures

Submitted by mlecare on Sat, 2007-10-27 - 01:05
From what I've read, chemicals such as chlorine may not necessarily be the cause of the seizures but they can be a seizure trigger. From what I've read everyone has their own seizure triggers but people with seizure disorders have a much lower tolerance for these triggers. My son happens to be very sensitive to chemicals. I haven't noticed a problem when we go swimming, but when he was at preschool his seizures would always happen between naptime and the time I picked him up. Come to find out the two times they mopped the floor during the day were at naptime (when his head was close to the floor) and right before everyone went home. When I was trying to pinpoint exactly what chemicals could be triggering him at preschool, I did a lot of reading up on chemicals and found something interesting I never thought about before. A lot of floor cleaners have Ammonia in them and most schools clean their tables with a chlorine bleach solution. When you combine ammonia and chlorine, it produces a deadly gas so you have to be very careful that you don't use them at the same time. I still don't know if my son is just sensitive to chemicals in general or if it was the combination of the two chemicals that triggered his seizures. At any rate, I try to keep him away from the smell of chemicals as much as possible so as not to trigger more seizures. Emily C

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