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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

My daughter has been swimming

Submitted by DW_59bffd7c86fad on Mon, 2017-09-18 - 13:08
My daughter has been swimming weekly for years. Until 2016 she had been three years seizure free, but in last 18 months she has had six seizures. All of the seizures were a few hours, or next day, after swimming. Called the pool and they said 18 months ago they switched to a state of the art "salt water chlorine" system. I did some research and these systems are know to produce more haloforms, especially a compound called bromoform. These compounds are known to cause seizures. Correlation does not equal causation but we are very suspicious and we are going to take a break from this swimming, and if we try again at other pools we will enquire about what kind chlorination system they use.

Re: Chlorine Exposure and Seizures

Submitted by baboom on Wed, 2008-12-03 - 02:17

Hi Kat,

I am also very sensitive to smells. Chlorine may not be the only reason why your sister had a seizure in the pool. Its dangerous for epileptics to have pressure on the head, so tell your sister not to put her head under the water. I went for a swim yesterday, and I put my head under the water a few times. After that I was feeling nauxious and dizzy, so I left the pool. Later in the night I could not fall asleep and I had buzzing in my head. The smell of chlorine from my hair was bothering me, and making me feel very hyper. I stood up in the morning, fell asleep in the afternoon, and had a seizure. For the first time during my seizure, I experienced that I was choking on my tongue. The suffocation woke me up. So again, its best not to have any pressure on the head, both physically and mentally.

 Regards

Hi Kat,

I am also very sensitive to smells. Chlorine may not be the only reason why your sister had a seizure in the pool. Its dangerous for epileptics to have pressure on the head, so tell your sister not to put her head under the water. I went for a swim yesterday, and I put my head under the water a few times. After that I was feeling nauxious and dizzy, so I left the pool. Later in the night I could not fall asleep and I had buzzing in my head. The smell of chlorine from my hair was bothering me, and making me feel very hyper. I stood up in the morning, fell asleep in the afternoon, and had a seizure. For the first time during my seizure, I experienced that I was choking on my tongue. The suffocation woke me up. So again, its best not to have any pressure on the head, both physically and mentally.

 Regards

See a Lyme specialist

Submitted by Pjlee.team on Mon, 2020-03-02 - 22:04
My 10 year old son had a seizure after working out on dry land on the deck of an indoor swimming pool. After 5 neurologists and 3 doctors and 3 ER hospital systems, we finally had to find an ILADS.org lyme literate doctor and he was diagnosed with Lyme. The seizure comes from bacteria dying from his own immune system and overloading his lymphatic system, kidneys, and liver to be able to detox as fast as the bacterial death. They release toxins when they die. Exposure to the pool chlorine air got absorbed into his body and overloaded his ability to detox. Sometimes it was the food he ate or stress triggering it because he is so blocked full of oxidative stress from the bacteria die off. I urge you to have your son tested for Lyme by a specialist.

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