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Diet Triggers - Peanut Butter

Tue, 04/07/2020 - 19:16
Hi everyone. I have complex partial seizures centered in the temporal and parietal lobes. I know all of my dietary triggers: caffeine (even chocolate chip cookies), particular non-caffeinated sodas like Sprite & 7-Up, eggs, fish high in iodine, alcohol, and nuts. Most have gotten better since starting treatment. Now I can have eggs and iodine high fish, like shrimp, in moderation. Hopefully, this helps you guys identify some triggers you haven't thought of/noticed. By the way, I find that salt alleviates symptoms after they start. But now to my point... I can also have peanut butter now BUT, only Skippy creamy peanut butter. I think that's weird. EVERY other brand I have personally tried has triggered symptoms for me. I decided to look into it. If you look at the ingredient labels, the only difference I've noticed is that Skippy isn't processed... it doesn't have mono and diglyceride synthetic food additives listed in the ingredients. Has anyone else noticed this kind of pattern? I tried doing some research and can't find much so, I came here. Mono and diglycerides are types of emulsifiers or "detergent-like food additives" that can be linked to gastrointestinal inflammation. A person can also have an allergy, but that's all I've found. I highly doubt that this is something most people would notice so, I kind of want to get this out there for people to watch out for and also see if anyone else has had similar experiences. If I find that other people have the same complaint, is there somewhere I can report this information so it can be looked into and so other people and doctors can know about it too? I hope I don't sound crazy. It's the only known discrepancy between the brands. I can have *as much* Skippy as I want with no side effects whatsoever, but if I have the tiniest bit of another brand... I'm done... barely able to function. I've tried at least 3 other brands. Any input? Thanks!

Comments

Thank you! I'm a newbie

Submitted by Link74 on Wed, 2020-04-08 - 00:05
Thank you! I'm a newbie scientist (in a non-health related field) so, I get a little too curious by nature. I hope I'm onto something helpful.

Scientists and doctors have

Submitted by birdman on Wed, 2020-04-08 - 08:36
Scientists and doctors have learned much about epilepsy.  There's a neat book you'd like called, The Falling Sickness by Temkin that describes the history of epilepsy and its treatment.  When you read this you appreciate where we are today, but it has taken time for us to learn and accept the truths.  It's good to believe that our doctors are very knowledgeable about what they do. But it is also good to understand that they / we have much to learn.  We as patients with epilepsy are all unique.  Doctors and patients need to work together as they learn together to come up with the best treatment for each individual.  The best epilepsy treatment comes with teamwork.

Hi, Thank you for posting. It

Submitted by Anonymous on Wed, 2020-04-08 - 09:18
Hi, Thank you for posting. It’s important that you're able to identify and recognize your triggers. Sometimes people are sensitive to certain food types that may aggravate seizures, so it’s best to avoid those foods. https://www.epilepsy.com/learn/managing-your-epilepsy/managing-triggers/tips-lifestyle-modification/diet . It may be helpful to keep a journal or a diary to help keep track of your triggers.This can help you and your healthcare team detect potential patterns, allowing you to modify your behavior and lifestyle, as appropriate. It’s also important that you’re following up with your healthcare team to explore this further and if you experience any changes in seizure types/frequency, side effects, behaviors, moods or symptoms,to determine what individual treatment plan is best for you.Talk with your doctor about where the most appropriate place would be to report this issue to, they may recommend the FDA or have other recommendations. In addition to identifying your triggers, documenting your symptoms and how your feeling in detail, (like you did in your post), will be very helpful to review with your doctors. My Seizure Diary can be used to organize your health issues, manage medications, record side effects, other therapies or personal experiences and more which can be shared with members of your healthcare team. https://www.epilepsy.com/living-epilepsy/epilepsy-foundation-my-seizure-diary . Additionally, you may always contact our 24/7 Helpline, where trained information specialists are available to answer your questions, offer help, hope, support, guidance, and access to national and local resources. 1-800-332-1000, contactus@efa.org. epilepsy.com/helpline  

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