drowsinessworse with Keppra
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UPDATED: Sat, 03/29/2008 - 10:45pm
BIGair
Soda (non-diet) and epileptic seizures
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I have been epileptic now for over 6 years and I have been having seizures that are very regular. I need very much to make changes in my life and consequently, I am writing this while I am in a drug rehabilitation center. Not only have I been addicted to drugs for over half of my 28 year life, but I have excessively consumed non-diet soda (Pepsi, Coke, etc.) for at least 18 years. I am interested in hearing from anyone who is willing to reply about the affects of this type of soda on seizures; regardless of the input type, I want to know anything that is relevant.
By BIGair at Sat, 03/29/2008 - 10:45pm | 106 views | 8 comments
Recent Comments on this Discussion
About caffeine, sugar, hidden food additives, FD&C Yellow Food Color No. 5 (tartrazine), sodium saccharin (artificial sweetener), the ADHDs, the epilepsies, environmental health, and so on. Try:
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/Tartrazine_and_ADHD/
Caffeine and other stimulants (aka the strong prescription stimulants such as Ritalin, Dexedrine, Adderall, etc. used for ADHD) are known to lower the seizure threshold for some of those with epilepsy. Good luck.
Hi BIGair
I am not use if this helps.
But i was born with AVMs - abnormal vessels in my brain basically if you didnt know. I had the first haemrhoage when i was 8 and then another at 18. The second was brought on by my heavy drug use and addiction to everything and anything. It was finally brought on the second time but a high dosage of speed
My epilepsy as a result of these operation i believe can be affected by alchohol, coke, coke and alcohol 2getha, coffee, cigarettes, the great things in life! I dont believe its the direct cause but i feel like every time i have had a fit at some stage i was smoking or drinking coffee
Hope that helps
Caffeine, even in excess, would not CAUSE epilepsy but if you're very sensitive it might bring on a seizure. I drink caffeine but no more than a couple of cups of coffee to get me going.
I have been a binge drinker for for like 6 years, not sure if this caused my epilepsy to start at the age of 21, but I kept doing it after the diagnosis and it never made me have seizures, apart from the two that I had. Stopped drinking eventually because my Keppra makes the hangover too intense - especially nausea.
I think it depends on your seizure threshold if it's low or high. I think mine is lower than the average population but higher than most epileptics.
I used to drink regular Coke, and had never heard of it being a problem with Epilepsy. I now drink Coke Zero for my waistline, regular Coke had too many calories for me and I was putting on too much weight. I also take Lamictal, and from what I've read, Lamictal can cause weight increase. In my case, a strong wind can blow me over, so putting on a little weight for me right now isn't a problem. Coke zero is sweetened with Aspartame.
Hey you Aspartame drinkers and eaters, can you say, "Class action law suit?"
http://form.douglassreport.com/reports/Aspartame.pdf
Hi! My son is newly diagnosed with Absence seizures. I do think there is a connection between sugar level in your body and seizures. If he has a soda (not something we normally do), we do see an increase in seizures the next day. There is research on hypolycemia or just low blood sugar levels and seizures. I think everyone should eat and drink a variety of foods and the healthier the better. It can't hurt to try getting off the soda and drinking water instead. Good luck to you!
Hi There,
I can't really relate to the drug addiction you mention. My nickname here (GodivaGirl) is due to a love of chocolate - specifically treating myself to stuff from the Godiva Chocolate store once in awhile, that's it.
Personally though, I've been epileptic since I was 5, and I'm now 33. So, the only "drugs" per say I take are my seizure meds - keppra, topomax & clobazam. So, to address what you want to know.
Well, everyone is different, but for me ANYTHING with aspartame in it triggers seizures. It could be diet coke (used to love the stuff), or it could be having too much gum that has aspartame, or even buying HALLS for my throat, or yogurt that has aspartame in it. It's not that it's "diet" it's the aspartame. Splenda (also a diet sugar) is okay for me. Nestea (sp??) iced tea makes some great drinks with splenda. Yoplait has a great yogurt, and there are more and more diet products with splenda instead of aspartame. Splenda = Sucralose (sp) from a reading labels perspective.
Also, for me being on Topomax any kind of pop tastes like metal on that med. - it's one of the side effects. So, I've switched to "steamers" (warmed milk type drinks from Starbucks) and iced tea - purely because they don't taste like metal.
Don't know if this is relevant or not, but I know my neuro tells me to watch the caffeine intake as well. He always tells me no more than 3 sources in a day....can be 2 things with chocolate, 1 lattee or whatever, but no more than 3, preferably less. Too much caffiene isn't a good thing. Better to stick to natural sugars.
Hope this helps.
~Erin/GG
well I'm glad you have seen a little improvement. when you get tired of half baked results and you want to stop having seizures altogether you could do what my wife did who has been seizure free for 13 years after several years of them before we marrried. when she married me she reluctantly started to eat more like me. I eat 85% raw fruits and veggies and no refined or processed food. I dare you to try it. check out the halleluya diet. I won't bore you with the long list of other chronic "incureable" illnesses that disappeared from our bodies like bad dreams. this is not a prank or a joke it's the truth and it has been documented in hundreds upon hundreds of people. now if you want to go on taking medications that's your choice. your doctor may say that this is not true but he's not really in a possition to be objective is he. I'm not saying he's a bald faced liar. it's called selective perseption. many very smart folks [like doctors] miss the most simple solutions because of choice not lack of intelligence. in other words if what I say is true he would only be able to make money from emergency type procedures because chronic illness is 100% preventable. this is a very unatractive prospect for him. Sorry doc. I'll come see you when I get a broken leg or I'll shake your hand at church.