Weather & E

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137Alice

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A long time ago i noticed that my "bad days" (specifically aphasia) in 90% coincide with weather changes. I know that many people without E suffer on those days but i never found any USEFUL info about how to deal with it. There are of course some hilarious advices like take vitamin C or taurine, but perhaps somebody has more practical info.
 
Hi Alice,
My Epileptologist told me that some people can have seizures when there's a low pressure and this often happens to me. According to my Dr. what's happening is the air is so heavy that in turn it can sometimes effect a persons hormones and that in turn can trigger seizures for some people.
I have also found out I have seasonal seizures which means a person can sometimes have more seizures at certain times of the yr. I always have more in the fall and winter and it's all do to the lack of serotonin there is in the fall and winter compared to the spring and summer. Last yr. I started to do light therapy and turned on a lot of bright lights in my home during the winter when it got dark out early and it did help reduce my seizures. Keep track of your seizures and take note if there's a low pressure in the weather a couple days before you have any seizures.
 
What really is interesting - i find that my bad days happen before the weather changes. And it is not necessary pressure that changes. it can be wind direction or whatever. I found a "Bioweather" table for my specific region and it shows what can be happening this day - headache, heart problems, etc. And it is also seems strange for me that my E is better in summer, though before E i was always suffering something awful in hot weather (hot for me starting after 23 in shade!!!).
 
Hi Alice,

Just like you I get headaches before a low pressure and according the my Dr. this can happen days before the low pressure happens. Tonight we are under a flood watch where I live and I have a headache now but when I sit around the bright lights in the house I feel better because there's more serotonin in the room. Give it a try and see if it works. Wishing you only the best and May God Bless You!

Sue
 
It can be hard to gauge, but weather or barometric changes seem to be triggering for some. Might be subtle effects on sleep or circadian rhythms, or might be something else entirely...

Below are a few CWE threads on the topic that might be of interest:

http://www.coping-with-epilepsy.com/forums/f27/hot-cold-weather-climates-seizure-triggers-6489/
http://www.coping-with-epilepsy.com/forums/f23/seizures-weather-16531/
http://www.coping-with-epilepsy.com/forums/f23/weather-seizures-4964/
http://www.coping-with-epilepsy.com/forums/f23/weather-change-causing-breakthroughs-19259/
 
Weather does not make my E worse, but it does make my chronic pain worse which makes me sleep less and the lack of sleep makes my seizures worse.
 
Heat is bad for me, I am a bit better with it now that I have been exercising religiously for a couple years, but I still have to be cautious with getting too hot.

Wintertime and lowered serotonin production go together, it is the basis for seasonal affective disorder http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-...ective-disorder/basics/treatment/con-20021047

I use light therapy from November until about March/ April and it makes a big difference for me. Light therapy is not quite as simple as just turning on any old light and you feel better, the light is supposed to be in a certain color spectrum (blue/ white light I believe around 6400K) and a strong intensity.
 
Hi, Frink, could u be a bit more specific about light therapy. A few years ago i had a GP who had some sort of apparatus for treating insomnia. U had to sit for quite a short period in front of it in very dark glasses (like in sun studio). Do u mean the same thing or it is something absolutely different?
 
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Weather does not make my E worse, but it does make my chronic pain worse which makes me sleep less and the lack of sleep makes my seizures worse.

Heat is bad for me, I am a bit better with it now that I have been exercising religiously for a couple years, but I still have to be cautious with getting too hot.

Same thing here with the pain.

Also if I get very hot I'm prone to have a seizure.
 
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