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I would like to see the same study replicated on adults. Perhaps then there would be an outcry.
Systemic administration of high doses of homocysteine in animals produce convulsive seizures, a fact that has been exploited in models of experimental epilepsy
most anticonvulsants lower plasma folate levels, and as a result, almost half of patients treated with anticonvulsants had homocysteine levels sufficiently elevated to put them at high risk for vascular disease
...
Elevated HCY (Homocysteine) levels ...
I have never ever forgotten the words of the pharmacist who says "EVERY drug has side effects".
The cited study that looked at homocysteine levels (http://www.metabolismjournal.com/article/S0026-0495(97)90087-1/abstract) looked at 130 patients, some of whom were on multiple AEDs for at least 7 years, so it's hard to know how widespread this issue is. It would be extremely helpful if folks on AED therapy had their homocysteine and folate levels tested as a matter of course -- particularly if they had greater risk factors for vascular disease (age, family history, long-term polytherapy) -- but even if they were not obviously at risk.
One thing noted in the study was that folate supplementation reduced the elevated homocysteine levels to at or below those of the control group. -- which suggests that folks who are on AEDs should consider a folate supplement if they aren't taking one already.
As my daughter's neurologist said, everything has risks. Each medication has risks, other interventions have risks, and doing nothing also has risks. It's a matter of weighing those risks and benefits to find the right balance for you.
And the only way to do that is to have as much information as possible! So thank you to everyone who continues to research and inform us.
I never heard of it until I read Dr Perlmutter's books.I think there's been a lot more studies done on HCY levels in adults taking AEDs. I'll go look. However, apparently it isn't routine to test HCY levels in children or adults taking AEDs. Jon's never been tested for that, to my knowledge. Have any of you?
Thank you for this. This re-inforces my plan to get off the pheno first and work on the depakote later if I can.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC320963/
This study found that some AEDs are worse than others in raising HCY levels and depleting folate levels.
The baddies
Phenobarbital
This study said that Valproic Acid (Depakote) didn't affect HCY and folate levels in adults (although other studies found that it did in children).
On the Paleo/Primal sites, it is amazing the range of things that are cleared up for people when they just go basic gluten free and low carb. Allergies, digestive issues, aches and pains, sleep disorders, migraines, blood sugar dys-regulation, weight normalization, and so much more. For me it reduced my seizures with less dependence of meds, cleared up my chronically stuffy sinuses, made my knees stop being all creaky and achy, and made my fingernails and hair grow in strong.And, with dietary interventions, there may well be plenty of patients who would benefit from easier formats than the strict Keto diet (where there's all that calculating and weighing everything, etc.) -- like the LGIT, or simply eliminating gluten and sugar (changes that wouldn't harm anyone), maybe adding in a little coconut oil or MCT oil and some helpful supplements. And of course the vitamins!
Exactly. It's the inflammation. Since I have gotten rid of cow dairy products, the last of the sinus congestion is gone.
Garlic and ginger are not only very good for you but are yummy too. I take fresh garlic cloves and ginger root and run them through the blender together and then put the paste in a jar in the fridge for use in al sorts of things. I find once I have it in that form, I am more likely to use it than if I have to stop and peel and slice.
One of my favorite "brain food" recipes is to take a salmon fillet and smear it thickly with the garlic/ginger paste and let it sit for an hour or so. Then saute hot and fast in a combo of coconut oil and coconut aminos (a good sub for soy sauce). The garlic/ginger paste makes a kind of crispy coating and keeps the juices in.
Not surprisingly, given all the metabolic, physiological, and hormonal changes induced by the KD, there is an expanding number of potentially relevant mediators involved. However, it's unlikely that a single mechanism, however well substantiated, will explain all of the diet's clinical effects. The complex mechanisms that are involved in seizure genesis and epileptogenicity, as well as the diverse treatments taken clinically, strongly suggest that successful approaches, including the KD, are based on fundamental mechanisms that are multiple, parallel, and at times synergistic.