My Personal N=1

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Forgive me if you already stated this, but what do you attribute the muscle cramps to?

I sometimes get them, but I exercise alot and just figured it was from running.
 
I think mine was due to an electrolyte imbalance. The magnesium is great. I've tried taking pill Mg but had digestive problems with that so the transdermal fits for me.
BTW, exercise will cause soreness but there is a big difference between soreness and the kind of cramps that wake you out of a sound sleep screaming in pain.
 
Yes. I've had those charly horses in the middle of the night that hurt like hell and leave your calves sore and tight for days.
 
Dignan, you might also want to look at salt--not sure how your salt consumption already is, so may not be an issue. But I run as well and I have to up my salt intake on my long run days to keep cramps at bay. I up both salt and water. For me anyway, low salt has more to do with muscle cramps than anything I've found.
 
Dignan, you might also want to look at salt--not sure how your salt consumption already is, so may not be an issue. But I run as well and I have to up my salt intake on my long run days to keep cramps at bay. I up both salt and water. For me anyway, low salt has more to do with muscle cramps than anything I've found.

I've got the same problem and now I'm on an antidepressant to help with my anxiety and it lowers sodium levels.
 
thanks guys, I'll look into that when I get my next physical, but I dont want to hijack Aloha's thread here.
 
That's OK. And also if you are trying really hard to stay hydrated because you are exercising and/or you are listening to people saying you should drink X# of glasses of water a day or face dire consequences, you could also get something called hypernatremia

This is an interesting book:
[ame="http://www.amazon.com/Waterlogged-Serious-Problem-Overhydration-Endurance/dp/145042497X"]Waterlogged: The Serious Problem of Overhydration in Endurance Sports: 9781450424974: Medicine & Health Science Books @ Amazon.com@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51yHkfhBUAL.@@AMEPARAM@@51yHkfhBUAL[/ame]

You basically can be flushing away (literally) all your minerals including salt, potassium, and magnesium when you drink more water than you need.
 
Hi All,
I'm back in San Diego for a couple of weeks where I grew up and where I still have friends one of whom is getting married next week.
So I will be checking in now and then (using Mom's computer)

I adore my Mom and the buddies I left behind but I still can't wait to get back to my island home. It's just too crowded here and the freeways are insane. I miss the quiet and really dark nights of Molokai. I wish I could have brought my Hawaiian healer with me. After a whole day flying, my back is all in knots.
 
Hi All,
I'm back in San Diego for a couple of weeks where I grew up and where I still have friends one of whom is getting married next week.
So I will be checking in now and then (using Mom's computer)

Can I stay at your place on the island while you're gone? I could use a vacation!! :woot:
 
Thanks for the book link Aloha! This doesn't only apply to athletes--people keep hearing to drink LOTS of water, and I know so many people that say they drink over a gallon a day or more, and complain about being thirsty and having muscle cramps. Anyone who drinks too much can have the same problem. I had this problem after everyone said to drink a ton of water on topamax until my neuro finally told me to stop, or replace electrolytes, that too much water was flushing everything out of my system. Very helpful! You are very knowledgable (and well read, I might say :)).
 
Have fun on the Left Coast!
Thank you, Nak!

Can I stay at your place on the island while you're gone? I could use a vacation!! :woot:
Sure. I left the door open. Seriously. Nobody locks their houses on Molokai. It's one of the things I love about it. People leave the keys in the car. It's a little bitty island. Who is going to steal anything and where could they go to get away if they did. Besides everybody knows everybody.

Thanks for the book link Aloha! This doesn't only apply to athletes--people keep hearing to drink LOTS of water, and I know so many people that say they drink over a gallon a day or more, and complain about being thirsty and having muscle cramps. Anyone who drinks too much can have the same problem. I had this problem after everyone said to drink a ton of water on topamax until my neuro finally told me to stop, or replace electrolytes, that too much water was flushing everything out of my system. Very helpful! You are very knowledgable (and well read, I might say :)).
Thank you. I really think it's silly when people keep repeating stuff so often that it becomes accepted "wisdom" e.g. "If you wait until you are thirsty to drink water, you are already doing damage to your body on a cellular level." Horsepucky! If that were true, humanity would never have survived life on the savannah where the nearest water might be a half day walk away. Thirst is your heads up that it might be a good idea to start looking for water not the death knell for your cells. Mother Nature is not that stupid. Besides, all those prescriptions of X# of glasses/ounces/etc don't take into account body size, age, gender, activity level, climate conditions, etc. People just want a simplistic number handed to them.
 
Are still you going to be tapering off your AEDs, or is that postponed for now?

I think it might be beneficial, if possible, to get some hormone labwork done to establish baselines, both for the effects the AEDs can have on hormones and to know what your current ratios are prior to your use of prog as part of your program. If for no other reason than to see what you are at while you are feeling good.

In my past experience, I wished I had had some of this type of labwork done before ending a drug, as it messed me up for awhile and I felt terrible, but we had nothing to compare my current "normal" labs against from the past, so it was hard to determine what "my" normal was.

The docs may not understand that everyone's normal is different, but having those numbers for yourself might save you a headache later, if you indeed go that route.

you probably have already considered this, but in case not, just some food for thought.
 
It's postponed until I get back to my healthful island. I'm here in San Diego where I grew up until tomorrow. The wedding of some friends involved too many celebrations, food I shouldn't eat, booze I shouldn't drink, etc.

Yeah, I would love to get some lab work done and plan to see if I can get Kaiser to authorize that soon.
 
Well, back home safe and sound. Ahhhhhhhhhh.......

I have an appointment with my Hawaiian healer for tomorrow. I couldn't wait til my regular appointment on Monday. My neck and back are all in knots and my ankles are all puffy (not normal for me). I think my body is complaining about being fed booze, sugar, and other junk while on vacation.

It was lovely to see all those people that I left behind but I am very glad to be back home.
 
Dearest Aloha,
I have been reading your posts and I know exactly how you feel. I am 56 and now my Dilantin levels are way out of whack. Have I done anything differently? Nothing.
I wonder why I don't have seizures until I put food in my body. Unless, it is just more about the glycemic index?
Are you allowed goat cheese? I gave up dairy of the cow but there are lovely goat cheeses.
I am on 3 drugs and still having lots of seizures. I have been the poster person for compliant but now I have added a few tokes of a high indica medical strain marijuana and I totally feel great, calm a bit sleepy but Its not like I have a car anyway.....
 
I think there is just a cumulative effect of so many years on any medication.
The glycemic index is definitely a factor for me.
Goat milk products don't have the high glutamate that cow milk products do so I enjoy some goat cheese now and then. There is a place on Maui called The Surfing Goat Dairy. I know there are goats here on Molokai but I have yet to run across anyone selling goat milk or cheese.
I should be getting my medical MJ card any day now. My carpenter put in some lovely big porch planter boxes where I am going to do my herb gardening. I drive but my seizures are only nocturnal so I would only be indulging in the evening when I was inside for night.
 
So Hawaii sounds spectacular!!
My son wants to go next Christmas so we are looking into it. Coming from Canada is a long trip. I have always been fascinated with my lack of seizures when I don't eat......
Apparently I am not the only one.
 
Hippocrates wrote about fasting as a treatment for seizures.

Yes, Hawaii is magnificent.
 
Deeds got me thinking a bit more about fasting. ^^^

I talked it over with my healer yesterday and he thinks it would be a good cleans for me to get all the big city toxins out. He was recommending fasting with just coconut water, noni juice, lemon juice, and my moringa supplements. That way I would still be keeping my electrolytes from getting wonky and getting my vitamins, amino acids, and antioxidants but giving my digestive system some time off from solid food.

He worked on my puffy feet which now feel so much better. Lymphatic circulation is a good thing. And he got most of the knots out of my neck and shoulders so I really *slept* last night.

I have some venison in the fridge that needs to be eaten soon. My carpenter was here putting in the planter boxes for my "herb garden" and he must have bagged a deer too while I was gone and left me some. I made Venison Vindaloo last night which was yummy and there is enough for tonight too. So after that I think fasting is looking interesting.

Anybody ever tried any longer term fasts? Like more than 48 hours?
 
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