ADD-ADHD as related to epilepsy

[rex]

I am looking to conferm and find out how ADD-ADHD and Epilepsy are related. Any information and or coments would be apresated.

[Bernard]

Hi Rex, ADD / ADHD has similar effects to absence seizures. I'm not sure how exactly doctors differentiate between them. Here's some potential leads for you:

Symptom differences in children with absence seizures versus inattention.

Absence seizures

[rex]

To make things a bit more clear. Knowing the diffrence is easy for me. I have both. I also know that both are sespected of being genetic. But what I am looking to conferm or dispove is a statment that I was told that ADD is a carrier for Epilepsy and that people with ADD have a higher risk of devaping Epilepsy.

[MyBabyGirlAbigailFaith]

I am looking to conferm and find out how ADD-ADHD and Epilepsy are related. Any information and or coments would be apresated.

I am not sure how they are related but my daughter has adhd and epilepsy. She cannot take a stimulant ADHD med. b/c it can cause seizures all by themselves and is not recommended. As this is what my childs neurologist says.

[Bernard]

Hi MBGAF, welcome to the forums.

EEG neurofeedback is an accepted treatment for add/adhd and it may help with seizure control too.

[edit - saw in another post where your daughter is 3... she may be too young to benefit from neurofeedback]

[POSITIVEPERSON]

Have you checked into homeopthy for the add and the epilepsy? I went for homeopathy for the epilepsy after 39 yrs of meds (i ran out of meds to take). I am very satisfied.

Children who use homeopathy have a better chance of going off all meds than someone
who has waited like me.

Riva

[RobinN]

For me having one grown child with high functioning Asperger Syndrome, and another with Epilepsy, I have done some homework in this area. I am in the "freshman course" though so bear with the vocabulary glitches.

I know I have read that the frontal lobe of one with ADD/ADHD is either smaller or does not function as quickly as in a NT brain. So that the person "with", actively seeks those activities that stimulate the brain. I would think also those with any form of lobe "birthmark" this could also possibly trigger seizures. Then there is the theory that the brain remembers how to seize and therefore continues to do this during stressful times. (can't remember what that was called)

There is also the nutritional connections. So much is written about this that it is the basis for my personal search for a clue.

[Bernard]

Robin, I think part of the problem is that "epilepsy" is used to describe different disorders that have similar symptoms/results. There appear to be several different possibilities for the root cause of a low seizure threshold. The more I read about neurofeedback though, it appears that the brain is very adaptable and can learn to overcome problems if given the chance.

[montse]

My daughter has ADDH, the first psycologist we had, after knowing about my epilepsy found a solutionthat she had absences, I was very worried and I had a talk with my neurologist, who saw me see the stupid "theory", because at school, they only noticed that her attention was not good.
My neurologist told me "you know how seizures are, do you think she is going to have them from 9 to 5??".
The second one told me that she had ADDH, that happens one or two children every class, somo children with ADD or ADDH have more probabilities of having epilepsy, but it is not a rule, because their EEGs show problems,there is still a lot to investigate.
But I can tell you that it is very tiring having a child with it.

[POSITIVEPERSON]

I would check out homeopathy , for ADDH and the epilepsy.But thats me.

Riva

[RobinN]

YES! Bernard, that is what I have finally realized. Why then is it so difficult for the medical community to look at say... differences in blood results, or connections to nutrient availability, or heart relationships, or calcifications, or....?
I keep reading about new discoveries every day. In fact a friends husband was on ASD's for two years. Still had seizures, and luckily the cardiologist found a blood disorder that he has. He produces too much iron. Why are the doctors not ruling out possibilities? I guess I live in a make believe world. I just don't understand how our medical system got to the point it is today.

[Birdbomb]

Still had seizures, and luckily the cardiologist found a blood disorder that he has. He produces too much iron. Why are the doctors not ruling out possibilities? I guess I live in a make believe world. I just don't understand how our medical system got to the point it is today.

If you are refering to Hemachromatosis my brother has that. This genetic disorder was only discovered 11 years ago! It is of celtic origin and we are of Irish descent (potato fammine refugees) I have been tested and do not carry the gene yet every month, my brother has to be bled!

Why then is it so difficult for the medical community to look at say... differences in blood results, or connections to nutrient availability, or heart relationships, or calcifications, or....?

Just like my RA went undiagnosed for 30+ years. The symptoms are vague, mimic other medical problems and the blood work was always..."just a little off" never enough to be concerned just enough to be noticed. But "little off" turned out to be something WAY WAYoff.

Ahhh...science

[RobinN]

Has anyone ever charted their blood tests, vs other aspects of their "life". Hormonal changes, diet, supplements, stressful events, etc. I wonder what kind of a graphing program would work. I am an artist, not a math or statistics major.

[Bernard]

You can use any spreadsheet application (like Excel) to chart just about anything (assuming you have data points).

[brain]

ROBIN:

They suspected I had ADD/ ADHD, but
that was ruled out, and I was merely
named as "hyperactiveness", however,
if you look in today's Neuroscience they
are finding out there is a correlation between
temporal lobe epilepsy (Temporal Lobe Epilepsy), FLE (FrontoLobe
or Front Lobe Epilepsy), MTLE (Mesial Temporal
Lobe Epilepsy) - and hyperactiveness has
association with it. From my researching and
studying, the earliest date I found I believe
was 1996 (?) from Milano, Italy and I'm finding
more and more in 2000's from all over the ties
and connection between the two and two;
but yet no one has confirmed it conclusively
YET ... this part I await.

The reason all because is, I do not carry the
characteristics of ADD/ADHD - I just am hyper,
and so far from reading it it seems to be those
upon individuals who have carried a birth defect
or a genetic / inherited disorder.

So it's going to be interesting when they come
up with the finalization when they ever come up
with one.

[RobinN]

Just curious...
Have you ever been tested for metal toxicity?

[brain]

Just curious...
Have you ever been tested for metal toxicity?

RobinN?

To whom are you speaking to?

[RobinN]

Sorry... to you Brain, but others if they want to jump in.
There has been quite a lot of discussion online about ADD/ADHD , hyperactivity .... all due to metal toxicity.
My daughters metal test was high in antimony and tin. The doctors just look the other way. Many have seen these neurologist symptoms disappear when these metals have been cleared from the body.
I was just wondering if you, or anyone that has posted on this thread has explored this direction.

[brain]

RobinN:

No, I do not have any metal
toxicity, if you are referring to
metals like mercury, lead, etc.
That's all been checked and
rechecked.

[Bernard]

Stacy's doc also checked her for heavy metal toxicity and she was high in mercury and a few others. She did some chelation therapy to help remove the heavy metals from her system.