Epilepsy - Schizophrenia - Nutrition

[RobinN]

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/26192.php

People with a history of epilepsy are at increased risk of developing schizophrenia and schizophrenia-like psychosis, concludes a study published online by the BMJ today.

The authors suggest that the two conditions may share common genetic or environmental causes.

http://www.schizophrenia.com/sznews/...es/000623.html

"Results from four out of five placebo-controlled studies in England,
as well as a cross-national analysis of schizophrenia outcomes in
relation to national dietary practice, all confirm that an excess of
sugar and saturated fat in the diet appears to worsen the long-term
outcome of schizophrenia.

Consuming high amounts of sugar and fat cause the brain to produce
less of the protein product brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF).
BDNF plays an important role in forming new neural growths and synapses.

Dr. Malcolm peet of Swallownest Court Hospital confirms the effects of
diet. "It appears that the same dietary factors which are associated
with the metabolic syndrome, including high saturated fat, high
glycemic load, and low omega-3 PUFA, may also be detrimental to the
symptoms of schizophrenia, possibly through a common mechanism
involving brain-derived neurotrophic factor."

http://www.nmrc.ca/
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15041037
http://articles.latimes.com/2005/aug.../he-briefly8.2
http://www.alternativementalhealth.c...izophrenia.htm

Why is the nutrition aspect totally ignored in "psychiatric " illness?

[Cint]

Why is the nutrition aspect totally ignored in "psychiatric " illness?

$$$$$. The pharmaceuticals & the mighty $.

Cindy

[RobinN]

I agree with you Cindy, but what about the patients own accountability?
There is just a mentality of not wanting to give up their food addictions.

I would like to hear from people to see what is on their shelves. How many of you actually read the printed list of ingredients.

[Cint]

I read the ingredients because I am diabetic, also. But I think the majority of Americans don't pay attention to what goes into their bodies. Too many fast food places & junk food in the stores. That's why America has become the obese nation.

[Kathie]

I agree with you Cindy, but what about the patients own accountability?
There is just a mentality of not wanting to give up their food addictions.

I would like to hear from people to see what is on their shelves. How many of you actually read the printed list of ingredients.

Hi, This is my first time trying to do anything in this. My son Alex has had stomach problems since he was around 12 years old. The Doctor told us it was all in his head, he should try to relax and not let things bother him so much, this was at Sick Children's Hospital in Toronto, Canada.,He had his first "tonic clonic" seizure at 16, was put on trileptal and has been seizure free for 7 years and has just had 2 tonic clonic seizures within the past month. We feel his seizures are food related. He stopped eating gluten a year ago this past June and was finally starting to feel good, putting on some weight and exercising. When he had the first seizure we started looking at his food, we would not buy products with msg in them because we worried that was one of his triggers. The neurologist's that he has seen so far have not been supportive other than to prescribe medication. We thought maybe the gluten was the cause, I have read people can have gluten seizures?
I really want to find out all I can about diet and the brain as well as the medication. Any help I can find is much appreciated. I confess to denying the fact that he had epilepsy, we have put our heads in the ground because we did not want to admit this. Now it has blown up in our faces and we have to get him seizure free.
Thank you for listening.
Kathie

[Meetz1064]

it's true that some seizures can be brought on by food allergies.......particularly by gluten, MSG, and soy and dairy and corn. The following link is a great resource.......as is the one following it. You might want to go check them out.....

http://www.coping-with-epilepsy.com/...gard+diet.html


http://www.coping-with-epilepsy.com/...lepsy+101.html

I am one of those whose seizures are irritated by gluten......although my meds do a pretty good job of keeping them in control, the alck of gluten is the icing on the cake for me..........

[Kathie]

Thank you for your quick response. I am feeling a little overwhelmed by everything I have read this evening so I am going to have to take a break now, but I definately will check out those links. Alex went to a naturopath this summer and she told him he has an allergy to corn and dairy, he had cut that out of his diet suddenly and then slowly started eating it again. I will talk to him about his diet again, I am so terrified and I know he is too. He does not like to look too closely at any of this because he is really afraid. Thank you!! Kathie

[RobinN]

Kathie - It is overwhelming. My daughter had her first seizure at the age of 14. She is 16 now, so I remember the feeling rather well.
I don't blame you for being in denial... all the word Epilepsy means is that the patient has had two or more seizures. Conventional Medical Doctors don't have the time or the resources to figure out why, so out comes the prescription pad as a first resort.

Your son, and a few others here have a definite link to food related seizures. Someone I met online at the beginning of our rollercoaster ride was a vet. He has a great website.
www.dogtorj.com
He has been able to control seizures in his animals with nutritional changes. I decided to read all I could on his website. Then I was seeing how other sick children are helped with diet, and removing foods, and it all began to make some sense.

I do think something else comes to play here... and that is something known as kindling. It is where the brain learns to release it self in a particular pattern... aka:seizure
We made the decision to do neurofeedback to stop this type of patterning, and to stabilize the brain. It has worked better than any medication.

I am also now on a new direction, and I am healing Rebecca's liver. I believe it was congested with toxins, was not able to function at its peak. Thus also affecting the adrenal glands, so that hormone changes and stress put her over the edge. Nutritional changes are important in this healing as well.

The health of the intestines, the elimination of waste, is all so very important in the absorbtion of nutritients for brain function.

Gluten, Casein, Soy, and Corn are the four top allergens to humans

WELCOME KATHIE AND ALEX
Being a teenager and dealing with this is not easy. Rebecca comes around here occasionally, but we also have other teens here at CWE and I know they have felt a deep sense of trust here, knowing that there are others that understand.

[googly389]

Ditto on the gluten thing Kathie. My mom always suspected me to be intolerant as a toddler and young boy (because I would get a lot of ear infections) and she tried the diet on me for a while. However, having divorced parents, my father thought it was all a croc and allowed me to have gluten when I visited him on weekends (I don't blame him at all). So, my mother eventually gave into my demands and thought it was ok for me to eat gluten. Kind of wished she hadn't. I remember having my first complex partial at the age of 10; a year or so after dumping the diet. This progressed into a grand mal at 16 and I am just now (19) starting to see the connection. I started the diet again about 6 weeks ago and I'd say I've noticed minimal results mostly in energy and no headaches, but I must confess I cheated, and as Robin told me that starts the whole thing over since it takes a while to get out of your system. Plus, as your getting rid of the gluten and abstain from it for a while, I believe when you reintroduce the smallest amount your symptoms are worse.

I cheated fri. night with onion rings and pigs in the blanket and guess what? I've had about three or four intense deja vu spells since then. I believe there is a connection. Sorry to ramble

[Kathie]

I appreciate your experiences, it's just amazing to me over the past few days about the diet. I look back over the years, back to when Alex went to the hospital regarding his stomach issues around 12 - 13 and they (the experts) told him it was in his head. I could tell it wasn't just anxiety, I could see the pain in his eyes and see his suffering, but not having much knowledge back then I just couldn't figure it out, but I knew it deep down. I kept thinking of things like spicy foods or cheese, that type of thing, never in a million years did I ever suspect that giving him a piece of toast could be what was causing so much of his problems. When he was diagnosed with epilepsy, I kept trying to search for information but I never found anything like I have on this forum, it's amazing.
One thing about Alex is how strongly he feels about staying away from gluten, his will power has been great, I don't know if I could be that way. I would probably feel like you and think, oh! this one night won't hurt.
I appreciate you all so much for the time everyone is putting into it. Knowledge is power!
Thanks,
Kathie