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Diet Coke Aspartame Seizure Link?

Mon, 08/24/2009 - 17:12

Hi,

I am new to the site today and have been doing my own research to try and help myself understand what is going on with my epilepsy.  I am 26 and have had seizures since 18 years old.  Sometimes I go a year, two years without a seizure.  The doctors give me the yeah yeah you had a breakthrough seizure, not sure whats causing my seizures.  I'm sure you all know what I mean....   Anyway I had been seizure free for 2 1/2 years until last week when I had a breakthrough seizure.   I am currently on Lamictal 500mg/day and this has been way better than the dilantin and other meds I had before.  While talking about this most recent seizure somebody suggested to me that aspartame could be causing my seizures.  I wasn't sure what aspartame was.  So I looked it up and it is an artificial sweetener used in Diet Soda's etc.  I drink Diet Coke like a drug addict !!!  At least until last week that is.....   Nobody ever said anything to me like this, and I figured I may have started drinking Diet Coke around the age when I started having seizures.  Does this mean anything to anyone?

Comments

Re: Diet Coke Aspartame Seizure Link?

Submitted by ticked-older-guy.59 on Sun, 2011-05-22 - 23:01

     I have been drinking Diet Coke, Pepsi, and others for years with no problem.  For years, means 30+ years,  Until 2010 there has been no problem.  I am not saying that the Aspertame won't cause seizures,  I am just saying after 30+ years I didn't have a problem until 2010.  I drink it like an adict as well,  so if it does cause seizures why did it take over 30 years to have a reaction.  If anyone has a definate science based reason for the diet drinks with aspertame to cause seizures,  PLEASE,  let us know so we can take it to our Doctors and find out for sure what the    H--- can be done to correct this issue, besides not drinking it...

     I have been drinking Diet Coke, Pepsi, and others for years with no problem.  For years, means 30+ years,  Until 2010 there has been no problem.  I am not saying that the Aspertame won't cause seizures,  I am just saying after 30+ years I didn't have a problem until 2010.  I drink it like an adict as well,  so if it does cause seizures why did it take over 30 years to have a reaction.  If anyone has a definate science based reason for the diet drinks with aspertame to cause seizures,  PLEASE,  let us know so we can take it to our Doctors and find out for sure what the    H--- can be done to correct this issue, besides not drinking it...

Re: Diet Coke Aspartame Seizure Link?

Submitted by deep c on Fri, 2011-06-17 - 20:37
I'm not disagreeing with anyone, but the way I was told, aspartame interacted with my medication. Tegretol at the time. I've had it here and there and don't attribute any seizures to it, things were well controlled by medication, but I avoided it as much as I could when I was on tegretol. that has never been asked of me since being off of tegretol. Just like when I was on depakote, they don't want you taking aspirin even an aspirin regimen for heart health. like I said, that has always been how things were explained to me by neurologists, and following that advice never had seizure I could attribute to those things. but have since never been advised on any other drugs than tegretol to avoid aspartame, and aspirin since depakote. - Carl

Re: Diet Coke Aspartame Seizure Link?

Submitted by tcameron on Fri, 2013-06-14 - 23:31

It hasn't been found to be there, however it doesn't mean it's not.  Think about it:  I found out two things before  medical science did.  They didn't know birth-control pills interacted with Dilantin until I got pregnant.  Now several AED's are proven to interact with birth-control pills.

When I shattered my R knee in '84, my orthopedist told me not to waste my money on Glucosamine/Chondroiton.  I didn't need a prescription because it's a food suppliment, so I kept on taking it.  The next time I saw him I said, "you might think it's a waste of money, but my knee feels better."  Now doctors everywhere are advising their patients to take it!  The only way to know for sure, is to prove it. 

It hasn't been proven to interact with AEDs, but it hasn't been proven not to interact.   If you feel better without aspartame, stop using it; Diet Coke, etc.  Give it a while to prove it doesn't make a difference to you.  Also, last but not least, you could be allergic to aspartame.  

It hasn't been found to be there, however it doesn't mean it's not.  Think about it:  I found out two things before  medical science did.  They didn't know birth-control pills interacted with Dilantin until I got pregnant.  Now several AED's are proven to interact with birth-control pills.

When I shattered my R knee in '84, my orthopedist told me not to waste my money on Glucosamine/Chondroiton.  I didn't need a prescription because it's a food suppliment, so I kept on taking it.  The next time I saw him I said, "you might think it's a waste of money, but my knee feels better."  Now doctors everywhere are advising their patients to take it!  The only way to know for sure, is to prove it. 

It hasn't been proven to interact with AEDs, but it hasn't been proven not to interact.   If you feel better without aspartame, stop using it; Diet Coke, etc.  Give it a while to prove it doesn't make a difference to you.  Also, last but not least, you could be allergic to aspartame.  

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