Link between Epilepsy and Alzheimer's

[epileric]

I think that is always a problem when the media report on exciting preliminary research. Everyone, especially those of us who really want a cure, tend to overlook the little details like the fact that it's only helped that malady on mice so far.

I've been reading doctors blogs for a while & I get the impression that even if they never watched or read the news they can tell what science was reported by what their patients ask for when they come to the office.

[Ruth]

Hi epileric,

A lot of medicines for different illnesses are advertised on TV. Then they go and ask their doctor for it, without knowing what the side effects really are. They might not even need a medicine that they are asking for.

[Cint]

I started testing myself more often. I am going to have to see what I have eaten wrong in the last 24 hours. I know it was not my breakfast because all I had was Oatmeal and non-fat Milk.

My husband yesterday told me that my snacks that are very low carb add up. I will try eating less snacks and see if that works. I have to find out which snacks are raising my blood sugar.

What was your fasting glucose level? Do you test it before bedtime? Keep track of what you eat the day before because that will catch up with you the next day. I usually have oatmeal with blueberries for breakfast. Then 2 hours later I check my glucose level again. Here is a website to help figure this and keep track:

http://news.diabetesnet.com/food-dia...-carbohydrates

http://www.diabetesnet.com/diabetes-...l/numbers-know

http://news.diabetesnet.com/about-di...women-diabetes

[Cint]

I've been reading doctors blogs for a while & I get the impression that even if they never watched or read the news they can tell what science was reported by what their patients ask for when they come to the office.

If they would just admit it.

[Ruth]

Cint, that is one thing that they not admit, lol.

Thank you for the links, I will look them up.

I forgot to test when I woke up. That is the problem with AD, forgeting. I will have to ask my hubby to remind me.

[Ruth]

I have mentioned this article before and the link, I am going to add more to it to show what I am going to do to treat my Alzheimer's.

http://www.alz.org/we_can_help_adopt...althy_diet.asp

According to the most current research, a brain-healthy diet is one that reduces the risk of heart disease and diabetes-encourages good blood flow to the brain, and is low in fat and cholesterol. Like the heart, the brain needs the right balance of nutrients, including protein and sugar, to function well. A brain-healthy diet is most effective when combined with physical, mental activity and social interaction.

Manage your body weightfor overall good health of brain and body. A long-study of 1,500 adults found that those who were obese in middle age were twice as likely to develop dementia in later life. Those who also had high cholesterol and high blood pressure had six times the risk of dementia. Adopt an overall food lifestyle, rather than a short-term diet and eat in moderation.

Each day I am going to put in another part of this diet and show how it affects me and can affect us with epilepsy. I became overweight when I was put on medicines for my Diabetes. The doctor did not start with diet and exercise.

I was sent to a Diet Nutritionist. He had me put down what I ate for a week. Each week I came back with what foods I ate. He said that I was eating correctly.

He was wrong, the foods that he said were all right put a lot of weight and made me obese. I weighed over 200 pounds after a while. I weighed 125 pounds before I was diagnosed Later on, I changed my diet but it was still not for the better. I had no idea what I was suppose to eat. I tried different diets and none of them worked. We did not have the Internet then. The research on Alzheimer's was not good either.

When I keep my Diabetes under control, it helped lessen my Epilepsy seizures. I believe that the same is true of Alzheimer's. I will be proving it in my future research. Each day I will be writing down a part of the article and other articles dealing directly with diet. I also have a lot of other links that I will add.

At the end of each day I will be adding what I ate each day.

Ruth

[Ruth]

Sorry, that I have not put in what I am eating each day. I am doing more research. I found out something that puts a bad taste in my mouth.

So far, there are 5 medicines that the FDA has approved. Four are cholinesterase inhibitor drugs. They work the same way. If you are allergic to one you are allergic to all of them. I am allergic to all of the cholinesterase inhibitor drugs. I was tried on all of them. Why, I do not know.

The four cholinesterase inhibitor drugs are Aricept (donepezil, Reminyl (galantamine), or Exelon (rivastigmine) and the Exelon Patch. They are for the mild to moderate stages of Alzheimer's Disease (AD).

The fifth one works on the excess glutamate in the brain. That is the one that might work for me. Yesterday, I asked my neurologist for for this particular medicine. It is Ebixa (memantine). It is for the moderate disease to the severe disease.

My doctor told me that I cannot be given that medicine because I am in the mild stage, not the moderate stage.

I was shocked. These are the FDA standards for each medicine.

The diet that is recommended for Alzheimer's is the Mediterraine (simple partial?) Diet. That does not make sense to me. It is the excess glutamate that is the problem.

I will be going on the no-gluten diet to stop the excess glutamate

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/glu...e-diet/my01140

I will need help with this diet. I need your feedback. I am on Almond Milk, which is gluten free. The Mayo Clinic says that oatmeal is all right as long as it is not mixed with wheat.

[RobinN]

I need your feedback. I am on Almond Milk, which is gluten free. The Mayo Clinic says that oatmeal is all right as long as it is not mixed with wheat.

That is correct - though the oatmeal is not mixed with wheat, it is processed in a factory that also makes wheat products. Look for oatmeal that is marked Gluten Free... such as Rob's Red Mill .

[Ruth]

Thank you Robin, but we do not have Rob's Red Mill store in the small town that I live in. Each time I go shopping, I will look for gluten free foods. I especially want bread. Do you know what brand is gluten free.

I can see that it is going to take me time to change over to the diet. I will put a list down here of the positive foods that I can have. I will be positive, like I am with all of my challenges.

[RobinN]

Bread is a difficult item once you go gluten free. You might ask your grocer if he will begin stocking it. They can keep it in the freezer to make it last longer. I did not find one that I particularly cared for. There are some that you can purchase online, and some that you can make yourself if you are so inclined.

I personally began to see the direct connection to the amount of refined grain products in our diet. I slowly began to wean us away from them and find meals that did not rely on the "bread" products. That is not to say that I don't consume grains. It just is not in the form of bread per se. When I want a sandwich, I do use a Ezekiel Pocket Bread product. That way I have cut back on 50% at least of the product. I make GF muffins if I am craving a bread, but I put good things in them... fruit or zucchini, and I make the mini ones... again to cut back about 50% of the product.

I understand the need to remain positive. Not always easy, but when I take that approach, I tend to have a much better day, in general.

[Ruth]

Thank you Robin,

I will try the Ezekiel Pocket Bread. How do you make the muffins?

[Ruth]

Great News!!

I have been on a partial gluten free diet. Last month I was in the hospital for my epilepsy. My doctor did an excessive amount of MRI's. I did not understand why.

Yesterday, I saw my neurologist. He was quiet and he gave me the results of my MRI. It has reversed and now my brain has a mild cognitive impairment.

AD did not show up at all. My partial gluten free diet has worked.
The gluten free foods I am eating are: soy milk, Almond milk, corn and/or brown rice pasta, oatmeal and vegetables.

Isn't that great!! I had noticed that my memory has been improving. I had no idea that it reversed.

I am going to stay on my partial gluten free diet.

[Nakamova]

That is so great Ruth! Congratulations! That's so amazing and inspiring. Maybe your docs will learn from this and suggest dietary approaches to others.

[Ruth]

I did not realize it until I saw my neurologist. He gave me the results of the MRI. I read it when I got home.

That is a great idea!! I will tell my doctors how it happened and see what they say about the nutrition aspect. Most doctors are only into pills and not nutrition.

[Ruth]

I have some exciting new research from UC Davis:

http://www.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu/publish/news/newsroom/6508

A major obstacle in developing Alzheimer's Disease therapy is that most molecules will not cross the blood-brain barriers. Potential treatments given orally or injected into the bloodstream cannot enter the brain where they are needed. Fluorene compounds are small molecules that have been shown to penetrate the brain well.

Now that they know why the medicines do not work, they can concentrate on what will work. First, they are going to test the fluorene compounds on animals.

I believe this one will become the first medicine that can control AD.

I remember when Dilantin came out for epilepsy. It worked for my sister but I was allergic to it. I had to wait 2 more years for a medicine.