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Epilepsy and Food
Tue, 05/12/2009 - 17:00Hi,
I am 26 years old and was diagnosed 4 months ago with generalized Epilepsy but have had grand mal seizures for 15 years of my life. Im on Keppra 2,000mg a day and doing great. Some side effects like headaches but no biggie. Anyways, I never went to a neurologist (until January this year) becuase I would link my seizures either to my period or food. I have noticed that my seizures get worse when I eat a lot or when I eat greasy food. Luckily I get deja vus, auras and I just feel I will get a seizure which mostly happen at night. My neurologist says that there are no food restrictions with epilepsy, but I just feel weird when I eat a lot or eat greasy meals. Has this happened to anyone? Please let me know.
BTW - I think this website is awesome. Having lived through many grand mals in my life and still be here telling my story has made me count my blessings. I always try to repeat to myself that my higher power does not give me something I cannot handle :) Good luck to all!
Thanks,
Adrilu
Comments
Re: Epilepsy and Food
Submitted by aariaa on Fri, 2010-09-17 - 20:11
I would like to support this suggestion about link with my case. I have been though a lot. I was diagnosed with epi when i was 16. i took medicine neurotine, topamax, and etc...I could not even recognise my mum because of seizures, which were caused by there medications. Thanks god my mum understood that medication is only making me worse!!! i discovered the articles online about nutritional deficiencies caused by food senitivities. I dont have celiac disease, but once i have pizza, which is rich in bith glutamic acid due to wheat content and casein acid die to cheese- i have a fit!!! so now I am gluten and dairy free and also try not to eat other food which is reach is glutamic acid and dont drink coca coca, fanta and sprite and similar drinks- aspartic acid causes us seizures!!!! try this even if you dont have allergy, because its different!!! and i am a prove of it!!! also tale 800mg of magnesium- it works really well on me and stop taking that insane poison called anticulvusant medication!!!! diet is on webiste about GARD diet. www.dogtorj.com
and what is equally important monitor your sodium levels, sometimes when i feel worse i just buy crisps to prevent seizure!!! sodium levels have significant importance too.I would like to support this suggestion about link with my case. I have been though a lot. I was diagnosed with epi when i was 16. i took medicine neurotine, topamax, and etc...I could not even recognise my mum because of seizures, which were caused by there medications. Thanks god my mum understood that medication is only making me worse!!! i discovered the articles online about nutritional deficiencies caused by food senitivities. I dont have celiac disease, but once i have pizza, which is rich in bith glutamic acid due to wheat content and casein acid die to cheese- i have a fit!!! so now I am gluten and dairy free and also try not to eat other food which is reach is glutamic acid and dont drink coca coca, fanta and sprite and similar drinks- aspartic acid causes us seizures!!!! try this even if you dont have allergy, because its different!!! and i am a prove of it!!! also tale 800mg of magnesium- it works really well on me and stop taking that insane poison called anticulvusant medication!!!! diet is on webiste about GARD diet. www.dogtorj.com
and what is equally important monitor your sodium levels, sometimes when i feel worse i just buy crisps to prevent seizure!!! sodium levels have significant importance too.Re: Epilepsy and Food
Submitted by seizethemoments on Sun, 2010-11-21 - 21:13
Masterjen---
I watched a show once where a child had seizures as a symptom of his celiac disease; his body was not getting proper nutrition. I think it was Mystery Diagnosis. Just wanted to let you know!
Masterjen---
I watched a show once where a child had seizures as a symptom of his celiac disease; his body was not getting proper nutrition. I think it was Mystery Diagnosis. Just wanted to let you know!
Re: Epilepsy and Food
Submitted by Masterjen on Tue, 2010-09-14 - 14:30
Like a couple of other posters have said or implied, gluten could be a factor in your suspicions that food may be a trigger. I was diagnosed with celiac disease (a severe form of gluten intolerance in which the intestinal villi have atrophied) in Feb. 2010, and 3 months later I started having seizures. I'm still having seizures despite religiously following a gluten-free diet, however my antibody levels are still not back to normal, either. I STRONGLY feel there is a connection between the two (how can I go from being very fit, active and healthy to being diagnosed with 2 relatively uncommon conditions inside of 3 months?? However, my GI specialist and Neurologist both say they haven't encountered patients with both conditions (and therefore there can't be a connection, despite my telling them that many medical articles posted on the internet clearly state there is a connection). But, anyway, my point: ask your doctor to test you for gluten-intolerance/celiac disease (the process starts with a blood test looking for gluten antibodies, and if this is positive, then an endoscopy is performed to look at the small intestine to confirm celiac (painless both during and after).