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Caffeine and seizures

Tue, 01/30/2007 - 16:16
Do all people with E get triggered by stimulants like caffeine? and if not, why would only some people have it as a trigger...why wouldn't be a universal trigger like sleep deprivation?

Comments

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Caffeine and seizures

Submitted by suebear on Sat, 2007-09-08 - 06:11
I'm not worried with the fact that it has caffeine in it. LOL! Caffeine is actually the least of my concerns when it comes to causing seizures. In fact, I grind my own gourmet coffee beans every so often. *smile* As a matter of fact, I just got a breakfast blend the other day when my husband and I were out which is marvelous! :)

Re: Re: Re: Re: Caffeine and seizures

Submitted by Anonymous on Mon, 2007-08-27 - 06:51
First step in changing it is to do just what you did - track what and how much you drink to know where to start changing. Since caffeine can affect someone like a drug - and actually is considered one by many people, talk to the doctor first about how caffeine affects you and what to do.

Here are a few general ideas....Since caffeine can affect sleep, which in turn will affect seizures, limiting caffeine in the afternoon and evening can be the first step. This includes the caffeinated sodas, coffee and teas. Then try changing to decaff coffee or tea - sometimes it's easier to first change coffee to 60 % caffeine and 40% decaff then 50/50, then 40/60 then all decaff.. Then try changing to sodas that don't have caffeine.

To make changes work, pick one habit at a time to change, make a schedule to help you follow it, and do it slowly. If headaches occur when making these changes, talk to the doctor about how to treat these. Once the body gets used to the changes, the goal would be for headaches to be better!

Work with the doctor or nurse if there's one working with him about plans to come off caffeine. They may have some helpful tips and their support and encouragement will help you be successful. Good luck!

Epi_help

Here are a few general ideas....Since caffeine can affect sleep, which in turn will affect seizures, limiting caffeine in the afternoon and evening can be the first step. This includes the caffeinated sodas, coffee and teas. Then try changing to decaff coffee or tea - sometimes it's easier to first change coffee to 60 % caffeine and 40% decaff then 50/50, then 40/60 then all decaff.. Then try changing to sodas that don't have caffeine.

To make changes work, pick one habit at a time to change, make a schedule to help you follow it, and do it slowly. If headaches occur when making these changes, talk to the doctor about how to treat these. Once the body gets used to the changes, the goal would be for headaches to be better!

Work with the doctor or nurse if there's one working with him about plans to come off caffeine. They may have some helpful tips and their support and encouragement will help you be successful. Good luck!

Epi_help

Re: Caffeine and seizures

Submitted by lepetitrouge on Wed, 2007-09-12 - 07:26
I remember a few months after I was first started on anti-convulsant medications, I was constantly tired and foggy in the brain, and had the concentration span of a three year old. It probably wasn't only symptoms of the medications, but of the seizures too. Anyway...I'd just started tertiary study (bad timing) and couldn't deal with feeling so drowsy all the time. So I started to take these caffeine pills ('No-Doze') and quickly grew addicted to them. As a consequence, I started to get the most trippy temporal lobe seizures, and my hands were always shaking. However, I LOVE coffee, and sometimes am prone to drinking an awful lot of it. It's never had the same side-effects as those damn caffeine pills though ;-) And after three years of taking epilepsy meds, I can handle the drowsiness a little better (without abusing stimulants!).

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