Can diet cause epilepsy? Can faulty enzymes be the cause of seizures?

Question

My 9 yr old daughter has been diagnosed with epilepsy & is suffering from multiple seizures plus loss of balance. lacks coordination has learning difficulties. She takes medication but is not controlled. Her seizures worsen when she is hungry, ill or tired. Consultant is at a loss what to do next. Any help would be welcomed

Answer 1

wow this is a very interesting idea! I have often thought that a lot or most of human illnesses etc may be caused by diet and other environmental factors!

I wonder if the following website has any information for you:

www.thedoctorwithin.com

Answer 2

little and often meals, protein foods, vegetables. Raw carrots, celery, apples, assorted fruits in between meals to eliminate hunger. this is what i chose to do for my son.
obviously there is nothing you can do if she is ill only care for her well being. regulate her play time, i know 9 year olds can be quite adventurous at times but at least if you explain, then perhaps her tiredness will also subside. i had to take my son's consol games off him too due to him becoming tired which elevated his seizures. my son had rolandic seizures, these occur usually as the child is awakening from sleep, this is a different type of epilepsy, but just as distressing, he was diagnosed when he was 6 years old, and he grew out of these when he was 10 years old. you may need to get referred to another consultant and your daughter should really have medication which helps to control her seizures. ketogenic diets may help reduce the amount of seizures, i don't know much about them but you could look on the net for more info: hope you find the answer xxxxxxx

Answer 3

I know how you feel, my eight year old daughter has exactly the same symptoms, so I will be very interested to read responses.
We're still experimenting with medication (currently epilim, clobazam and ethosuczamide) - had an MRI scan this week - hope that will shed some light on the matter.
She'll be going into hospital soon to try out the ketogenic diet which can work for some people - might be worth looking into.
Best of luck.

Answer 4

Epilepsy- A recurrent, paroxysmal disorder of cerebral function characterized always by variable clouding of consciousness, often associated with localized or generalized convulsions, and due to an abnormal discharge of nerve impulses in the brain. Epilepsy can be divided on causation: (1) Symtomatic (known), e.g. cerebral tumor, trauma, and vascular abnormality; (2) idiopathic (unknown). Or on clinical features; (1) grand mal- loss of consciousness with generalized convulsions; (2) petit mal-clouding of consciousness with no convulsions; (3) Jacksonian-convulsions beginning in one muscle group and either remaining localized or else spreading in an orderly march to involve wider muscle groups, and which may then involve loss of consciousness.
Please see the webpage for more details on Epilepsy.

Answer 5

Epilepsy is as a results of mind complications or nerve equipment etc.there is no longer a lot remedy.in case you discover out reason surgical correction plausible.you may want to be certain nuerologist and unique investgation is needed.from time to time even as the youngster grows siezures fade away or kind of activities shrink,immediately get corrected.Prayers and remedy required.

Answer 6

pls bear with me the document is long but you need all the information, a friend of mine has epilepsy and i understand what you are going through


Epilepsy
Around 2% of the population suffers from epilepsy, which untreated can cause seizures, or fits. Epilepsy usually starts between the ages of three months and the teens.

Around 60 per cent of children with epilepsy grow out of it, but for most other people, it can be controlled with medication.

What is epilepsy?
Epilepsy is characterised by seizures, sometimes called fits or convulsions. These occur when some of the nerve cells in the brain become overactive, and fire off uncontrolled random signals.

Some people have one seizure and then never have another again. But people who experience repeated seizures – whether once a year, or several times a day – have epilepsy.

The cause of epilepsy is not known, but it’s generally thought to be the result of a chemical imbalance in the brain. People can be more at risk if they have had a stroke, head injury, meningitis or if they have a history of drug or alcohol abuse.

Epilepsy sometimes runs in families, and can be the result of a brain injury at birth or a brain tumour. In most cases, though, it is not known why some people get epilepsy and others don’t.

Seizures
The main symptom of epilepsy is repeated seizures. Most people have no other symptoms, and live perfectly normal lives.

Seizures may come on without warning, although they can be triggered by flashing lights. They are sometimes preceded by an "aura", which may be a strange smell, taste or feeling.

There are different kinds of seizures. Some people experience just a fleeting loss of awareness. Others lose consciousness and suffer stiffening or jerking movements in their body.

Seizures can last just a few seconds, or may go on for some minutes, and can be barely noticeable or quite traumatic.

Types of epilepsy
There are several different types of epilepsy, each with different symptoms.

Primary generalised epilepsy
In this kind of epilepsy, also known as grand mal epilepsy, nerve cells in both sides of the brain become overactive at the same time. Seizures usually last for about five minutes, and can be alarming.

In a grand mal seizure, people are likely to experience some or all of the following:

falling to the ground,
losing consciousness,
stiffened muscles or jerking movements, known as involuntary movements,
stopping breathing for a few seconds,
the jaw going rigid, frothing at the, mouth and biting the tongue,
urinary or faecal incontinence,
feeling confused and drowsy when coming round.
Absence seizures
Absence seizures, also called petit mal epilepsy, is not as alarming as grand mal. There may be a loss of consciousness, or more often just a loss of awareness, but this kind of seizure doesn’t involve falling down or experiencing involuntary jerking movements. In fact, people may just look as if they are daydreaming.

This kind of seizure is most common in children aged between five and nine. Most grow out of them by the time they are 13. For more information, see the BUPA factsheet, Epilepsy in children.

Juvenile myoclonic epilepsy
During a juvenile myoclonic epileptic seizure, the hands, arms or whole body will start jerking, but the person doesn’t lose consciousness or awareness. This type of epilepsy usually develops in late childhood. It tends to run in families.

Temporal lobe epilepsy
Temporal lobe epilepsy has quite different symptoms. They include:

making strange faces and noises,
chewing, swallowing and smacking the lips,
plucking at the clothes.
People may seem to be awake, but they won’t respond to what is going on around them.

Diagnosis
To diagnose epilepsy, a doctor will need a detailed description of the seizures – family members or friends can often help with this.

The doctor may then arrange for some tests. These can include an EEG (electroencephalogram), a brain scan – either CT (computerised tomography) or MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) and blood and urine tests.

Treatment
There is no cure for epilepsy, but drug treatment can control the seizures in around 70 per cent of people. These drugs sometimes have side-effects, though, such as drowsiness or a rash.

If someone who has had epilepsy doesn’t have a seizure for two years, their doctor may suggest they come off the medication (or reduce the dose).

Some children with particular forms of epilepsy are recommended a "ketogenic" diet – one high in fat and low in carbohydrates.

Brain surgery may be appropriate for some people with severe and disabling epilepsy that is not improved after trying several different anti-epileptic drugs over three to five years.

Managing epilepsy
People with epilepsy may need to avoid certain activities or jobs where it could be dangerous to have a seizure – most obviously, things like flying a plane, but also, for example, operating certain machinery, riding a bicycle in busy traffic, or swimming alone. People who are diagnosed with epilepsy cannot drive until their doctor confirms that their seizures are under control – usually no less than a year since their last seizure.

If a child has epilepsy, it is important to ensure he or she doesn’t get too tired. And older children and adults may benefit from relaxation and anti-stress exercises.

It’s also a good idea for someone with epilepsy to carry a card, necklace or bracelet which says that they have epilepsy. Family, friends, teachers and colleagues should be told what to do in the event of a seizure.

If someone has a seizure
If someone has an epileptic seizure – if they lose consciousness or suffer convulsions – protect them from injury by doing the following:

ask onlookers to keep back,
loosen clothing around their neck,
cushion their head.
When the convulsions stop, put the person in the recovery position. After they regain consciousness, let them rest quietly in a safe place.

Do not try to move or restrain the person, or put anything in their mouth. Do not give them anything to drink until they are fully conscious again.

You should call an ambulance only if any of the following happen:

the seizure lasts more than five minutes.
the convulsions happen again without the person regaining consciousness,
the person injures themselves during the seizure.
If someone has a seizure that does not involve loss of consciousness, do the following:

help them to sit down in a quiet safe place,
talk to them calmly and reassuringly,
stay with them until they feel well again.
Further information
The National Society for Epilepsy
01494 601400
http://www.epilepsynse.org.uk

Epilepsy Action
0808 800 5050
http://www.epilepsy.org.uk


take care God bless you and give you strength to care for the child

Answer 7

You could try alternative medicine such as Homoeopathy, it can be taken along with allyopath medicine and will either help your child or be harmless. Children and animals often respond very well to this treatment.