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[wcmike]

Hi all!

Does anyone have experience with seizures caused by high blood sugar?

I've had epilepsy since age 4 and been on Dilantin since 1985. Recently discovered that my blood sugar is out of whack, and probably has been for a long, long time. At this point I don't know if it's the dilantin causing this (it's known to suppress insulin production and so cause high blood sugar) or if it's completely independent of the dilantin. I'm wary of changing from dilantin to something else because it took so long and so many medications tried, to get the seizures under control back in the 80s. At least with dilantin I don't get the grand mal seizures.

Now that the blood sugar is under control with diet, I notice that if I stray from the diet, I get focal-seizure-like symptoms after eating carbohydrates, at the same time blood sugar levels surge. I think I didn't notice the focal problems before because they were lost in a sea of general mental fogginess. I wonder, though, whether this is a sign that blood sugar played a role in the gran mal seizures, too. Low blood sugar was ruled out, but as far as I know there was never any test for high blood sugar (which is the problem now).

If anyone here has had experience with dilantin causing blood sugar problems, or seizures due to high blood sugar, I'd like to hear what your experience has been in getting it diagnosed and treated. Are there specific meds for blood sugar seizures? I know now that dilantin is not intended for seizures with metabolic causes, but are any? Is managing blood sugar levels generally effective at preventing seizures?

[Ruth]

I am not on Dilatin but I have Diabetes Type 2. High blood sugar can cause seizures and even a coma. You really need to keep your blood sugar under control.

I was having status epilepsy until I was diagnosed with Diabetes. When I keep my diabetes under control, I have fewer seizures.

Here is a link that I think you will be interested in:

http://www.isletsofhope.com/diabetes...eizures_1.html

[wcmike]

Thanks for the link, Ruth. The site looks like it has a lot of good information.

I just started on Januvia to help keep blood sugar under control, but plan on sticking with a low-glycemic diet. I've learned what foods to avoid, and compulsively read ingredient labels.

What I find astounding is that my blood sugar must have been problematic for at least the past two decades, but it was not discovered until just a few months ago, and no doctor's diagnosis until last week.