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Katesmom

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Hello everyone!
My daughter was diagnosed with Epilepsy almost 3 years. Grand Mal seizures is what she has, although that is not what they call them anymore. She had the initial seizure, then not another one for almost 2 years, and recently she has had 2 in the past 2 months. She is on Topomax. She was recently diagnosed as having extremely low Vitamin D level. Does anyone know if this can be related to increased seizure activity?
My daughter is 16 and has been such a good sport about all of this, but I am a nervous nelly!
Thanks for listening!
Kates mom
 
Hi Katesmom, welcome!

Your daughter's low Vitamin D level is most likely caused by the Topomax. Many of the epilepsy meds result in low calcium and low Vitamin D levels. Ironically (or annoyingly), a Vitamin D imbalance may also play a role in lowering seizure threshold, but at this point, the science isn't clear on cause-and-effect. It's definitely a good idea to ask her doctor about adding a D supplement.

I'm a total sunbunny, and my Vitamin D levels were still low the last time they were checked. So I'm currently taking 5000 IU of Vitamin D to help.

The recent seizure activity could be related to your daughter's age. Teenagers tend to have fluctuating sleep habits, metabolisms, and hormones -- all of which can lower seizure threshold. Does your daughter have any sense of what might have triggered the seizures?
 
Hi, Katesmom,

Welcome!

When I was on topamax my vitamin D levels fell significantly, to unhealthy levels. It stayed low on trileptal and lamictal. I'm on 50,000 IU once a week (by prescription).

Nakamova just created a post about vitamin D and seizures. It's a good read.

I know when my levels were low I felt really strange. Kind of like jittery but hard to describe. Then when D levels started getting back up to reasonable levels I felt much better.
 
Thank you

Thanks for your replies!
The first seizure she had after such a long absence of them, we were on a cruise, and she had not been drinking any water or not much anyway, so I am pretty sure dehydration is what triggered that one, but the second one we are not sure, possibly the same thing, but I don't know!
I hope she starts feeling better after a few doses of the Vitamin D. I feel bad for her, she was supposed to be able to get her drivers license next month! I guess that is just one less thing for me to have to worry about, a teenage driver! haha!
I hope everyone has a good weekend!
 
Hello katesmom,
welcome to this site. I am new too, am not a sufferer but my husband is. Hope to "meet" you online again.
 
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