Seizures induced by eating

[Birdbomb]

Howdy

Here's something I found

Seizures induced by eating

Seizures induced by eating are characterized by seizures closely related to one or several parts of eating. The clinical triggers of a seizure are usually stereotyped for each patient, but patients may have some points in common. Rare patients have seizures at the very sight or smell of food; others may have them immediately after a heavy meal suggesting gastric distension as a trigger in such cases (Gastaut and Poirier, 1964). Seizures with eating are typically focal motor seizures, with or without auras or automatisms of temporolimbic type, almost always related to a symptomatic epilepsy. Seizures induced by eating are usually associated with localized or regional EEG epileptiform activity either from temporolimbic structures or from suprasylvian regions in association with larger lesions. EEG epileptiform activity that is generalized from the start is rare.

Rémillard and associates suggested that patients with temporolimbic seizures activated by eating have fewer spontaneous attacks and are more likely to have such attacks from the onset of their epilepsy than are patients with extralimbic, usually suprasylvian, seizure onset who have less constant activation by eating. Patients with suprasylvian seizure onset usually have more obvious extratemporal structural lesions and possible activation by specific thalamocortical afferents (Rémillard et al 1998). They may also have seizures with other forms of buccal stimulation such as tooth brushing or kissing. Koutroumanidis et al (2001) reported a case of adult-onset sensitivity to toohbrushing only, with normal imaging and interictal left frontal epileptiform activity and suggested that this was a cryptogenic reflex epilepsy.

Many patients with eating epilepsy have seizures that can be activated only by obvious combinations of stimuli (Fiol et al 1986), and alerting stimuli have been reported to abolish attacks (Ganga et al 1988), providing at least circumstantial evidence for involvement of an increasing cortical mass and of subcortical influences, which may promote or inhibit seizure occurrence in some cases of reflex epilepsy. It appears that localization of seizure onset and the nature of the seizure trigger are related in these attacks. Patients with suprasylvian lesions may be triggered by other oral activities and may represent a particularly noticeable type of seizure induced by proprioceptive or by somatosensory stimulation. They may be different from patients with temporolimbic-onset seizures, in whom taste and autonomic afferents may play a more important role, and in some of whom seizures may also be related to emotional or autonomic components of eating or to gastric distension, with possible participation of limbic and autonomic afferents.

A prevalence of approximately 1 per 1000 to 2000 epileptic patients has been reported (Vizioli 1962; Nagaraja and Chand 1984). The unusually high figures reported for Sri Lanka (Senanayake 1990) seem related to an idiosyncratic definition and to ascertainment methods.

It is our impression that patients with eating epilepsy and extralimbic seizure onset are more sensitive to either somatosensory or proprioceptive stimuli during eating and are more likely to report that seizure induction can be prevented by altering the sensory characteristics of their food. Some will drink through a straw rather than from a cup or avoid biting into a whole fruit by cutting it into small pieces. Stimulus alteration can reduce seizure frequency in what can otherwise be an intractable or socially disabling condition. Some patients take advantage of a refractory postictal period by inducing a seizure to avoid a later attack in an embarrassing setting. Drugs effective for partial seizures are necessary but medically intractable cases should be recognized early and assessed for surgical treatment.

Precipitating Stimuli for Reflex Seizures

 

[RobinN]

There is also information and research done that states there are the same chemicals in the stomach as there is in the brain. They call it a brain in the gut.

http://www.foreverwell.com/gut_brain/gut_brain.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/23/health/23gut.html

"What brains do is control behavior," Dr. Wood said. "The brain in your gut has stored within its neural networks a variety of behavioral programs, like a library. The digestive state determines which program your gut calls up from its library and runs."

This has all made me more sure that nutrition is extremely important

 

[POSITIVEPERSON]

Alot of my acupuncturists called the szs "wind of the stomach".

They beleived whatever upset the stomach caused the seizures.

I have seen a select few be able to stop a sz with acupuncture.

Riva

 

[brain]

Like Birdy had posted - "Reflex Seizures";
and if you read about it - it's not just limited
to eating, but also other types of reflexes
that will trigger seizures as well.

I suffer from "startle" seizures on very rare
occasions which is a Reflex Seizure, and
Gelastic (laughing) Seizure - is a Reflex Seizure
as well.

Reflex Epilepsy from eMed

Reflex Seizures from Epilepsy Ontario (note - more listing is on the left column on seizure list)

 

[Zoe]

Brain,
I had startle seizures too! Even the phone, or someone knocking loudly on the door could set them off. Frustrating! Here's more info on the gut brain and seizures. Have you ever tried any kind of behavior modification to retrain your startle reflex? That helped me quite a bit.
Think "gut brain" as in enteric nervous system. These are links to good articles on abdominal seizures and on the enteric nervous system. Do you know that 95% of our serotonin receptor sites are in our digestive tracts? Much to ponder here.

"
ABDOMINAL EPILEPSY


The association of abdominal symptoms with epilepsy has been recognized for many years. For example, "gastric and intestinal disturbances" were viewed as primary etiological factors by medical doctors during the late 19th and early twentieth century (Musser & Kelly, 1912). The invention and clinical application of the electroencephalo-gram (EEG) during the 1920's shifted the focus of medical attention from the abdomen to the brain where, for the most part, it has remained to this day.
Another example of the abdominal connection in epilepsy is the aura which is common in certain types of epilepsy. For example, temporal lobe epileptic seizures frequently begin with an aura. In neurological terms, an aura is actually a mild seizure which precedes the primary seizure. It can be thought of as a warning that a seizure is about to happen. Most often, auras manifest as an altered consciousness or peculiar sensation. "The most common aura is of vague gastric distress, ascending up into the chest" (Gordon, 1942, p. 610)."
Full article:
http://www.meridianinstitute.com/abepilep.htm

The gut brain:
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/23/health/23gut.html?_r=1&pagewanted=print&oref=slogin


For those of us with seizures, the connection between "gut reactions" and seizures should be obvious, like triggering a startle reflex or fight or flight reflex.

 

[brain]

ZOE:

All mine were during my sleep. I had only maybe
experienced a reflex seizure maybe two or three
times when I was awake in my entire life. But they
always manifest in my sleep, according to Neuros
and then later the Epi, they were in phase II and III
going into sleep and one time my Neuro reported in
phase VI. And it's been reported coming out of sleep
from phase II to I - but I have no memory of it.

I've been told I've been "non-responsive and non-
compliant" when they attempt to arouse me, and
if they did manage to arouse me, I wasn't functioning
properly. I have no idea what on earth they are
talking about. I've tried to get them to explain it
all in "layman's terms". And they won't discuss it,
except slap me on anti-convulsants (later changed
to AED's).

You know - I'm like "This is MY HEAD, I'd like to
know what's going on up there?" and I still would
like to know what's going on up there. While I do
internet research - I've learned everything from
synapse to MEG ~ but it still doesn't tell me a
darned thing about what's going on in my head!

How about some translations? Why is it happening?
Are they afraid to say "We don't know?"
:dontknow:

 

[RobinN]

Have you considered a reaction to substances like MSG?


Foods always contain MSG when these words are on the label:
MSG, Gelatin, Calcium Caseinate, Monosodium glutamate, Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein, Textured Protein, Monopotassium glutamate, Hydrolyzed Plant Protein, Yeast Extract, Glutamate, Autolyzed Plant Protein, Yeast food or nutrient, Glutamic Acid, Sodium Caseinate, or Autolyzed Yeast

Foods made with the following products often contain MSG.
Malted Barley (flavor) Flavors, Flavoring, Modified food starch, Barley malt Reaction Flavors, Rice syrup or brown rice syrup, Malt Extract or Flavoring, Natural Chicken, Beef, or Pork, Flavoring, "Seasonings" (Most assume this means salt, pepper, or spices and herbs, which sometimes it is.), Lipolyzed butter fat, Maltodextrin, Soy Sauce or Extract, "Low" or "No Fat" items, Caramel Flavoring (coloring), Soy Protein, Corn syrup and corn syrup solids (some companies use another process to make their product, saying it is MSG free), Stock, Soy Protein Isolate or Concentrate, Citric Acid (when processed from corn), Broth, Cornstarch, Milk Powder, Bouillon, Flowing Agents, Dry Milk Solids, Carrageenan, Wheat, rice, or oat protein, Protein Fortified Milk, Whey Protein or Whey, Anything enriched or vitamin enriched, Annatto, Whey Protein Isolate or Concentrate, Protein fortified "anything", Spice, Pectin, Enzyme modified "anythng", Gums, Protease, Ultra-pasteurized "anything", Dough Conditioners, Protease enzymes, Fermented "anything", Yeast Nutrients.


*** these are informative videos about MSG






Considering that glutamate is the most important and powerful neurotransmitter in the brain (from what I've read), it's influence on our body, especially when we get far too much of it, can not be underestimated...even when it comes to diseases like cancer. It shakes up the balance, disrupts our hormones, blood vessels/chemistry, immune response, and so much more. These are no small matters for our systems to handle continually.

 

[brain]

Robin:

I'm allergic to MSG

 

[RobinN]

I would think a good many people are. I never knew before we started reading labels how many names and products it is in. Never knew companies could deceive us like this. It makes me very sad.

 

[RobinN]

The connection between the brain and the "gut" fascinates me. I had no idea of this connection prior to Rebecca's illness. It has been connected to Parkinson's as well, which I have had affect both sides of my family.

To a considerable extent, the new interest in exploring the ENS has come from the realization that both the ENS and the remainder of the autonomic nervous system are richly endowed with neurotransmitters and neuromodulators. Many substances are found in both the bowel and the brain, a coincidence that strikes most observers as intrinsically interesting, if not immediately explicable. (Gershon, Kirchgessner & Wade, 1994, p. 386)

In seeking answers to these questions, the Meridian Institute (a research organization located in Virginia Beach Virginia) has developed a therapeutic model based on the work of Edgar Cayce. Cayce was an intuitive diagnostician who died in 1945. He is widely regarded as the father of modern holistic medicine (Callen, 1979; Mein, 1989). Almost 15,000 of his readings were stenographically transcribed and are now available at the Association of Research and Enlightenment (A.R.E.) Library in Virginia Beach, Virginia and are also available in a CD-ROM format (Cayce, 1993).

His views regarding epilepsy are highly consistent with the medical information presented above. For example, he believed that there are various forms of epilepsy produced by numerous causes. However, he consistently maintained that the primary cause of epilepsy can most often be found in the peripheral nervous systems, particularly the abdomen.

http://www.meridianinstitute.com/epilepsy.htm

 

[Zoe]

The connection between the brain and the "gut" fascinates me. I had no idea of this connection prior to Rebecca's illness. It has been connected to Parkinson's as well, which I have had affect both sides of my family.


http://www.meridianinstitute.com/epilepsy.htm

It's really intriguing; a lot of study was done around the early 1900s then discounted. Abdominal seizures might turn out to be something like Vasovagal syncope, so often mistakenly labeled epilepsy. The vagus nerve also regulates gut action, so an error there my cause the kind of "over-reaction" seen in vasovagal syncope. I found this article from the Meridian Institute on abdominal seizures very interesting:

Meridian Institute - Home PageCommon clinical features of abdominal epilepsy include abdominal pain, ... There are direct sensory pathways from the bowel via the vagus nerve to the ...
http://www.meridianinstitute.com/abepilep.htm

Robin,
You've inspired me to go back and dig out some of the history about the enteric nervous system. Gershon's work, I believe, was also discounted for many years. He found that most of the receptor sites for serotonin are in our digestive tracts. What does that tell us about our "gut reactions"?

This article on food intolerance is really increasing my understanding of the brain\gut\diet connection.

However, when vastly increased levels of inadequately digested proteins (peptides) are found in the gut, it becomes a different story: the percentage of leakiness increases correspondingly and larger numbers of peptides may cross the blood-brain barrier, with an increased opioid effect, which may now have clinically significant consequences, e.g. disruption of CNS function in all important systems, or even neural pruning, neural calcification or this may result in migraine-like headaches or in severe cases, in epilepsy (see Fois, A.; Vascotto, M.; Bartolo, RM & Di Marco, V, 1994; of the Institute of Clinical Pediatrics, University of Siena, Italy in Children’s Nervous Systems 10 (7), p. 450-4, Celiac disease and epilepsy in pediatric patients).

Why Does Mal-Digestion Happen?
Gershon (1999:116) sheds some light as to why there may be increased mal-digestion of some proteins in certain children and adults. His research indicates that the pancreas is at once the “protector of the intestine, a provider of the kind of environment digestive enzymes need in which to function, and a manufacturer of digestive enzymes.” If the pancreas malfunctions for some reason, then critical and vital enzymes are NOT excreted and thus the process of mal-digestion may wreak havoc.

Full article:
http://www.detoxmychild.org/food_intolerances.htm

 

[RobinN]

Zoe - I believe I read that we are processing and cooking the enzymes to death. The body doesn't have what it needs.

 

[Zoe]

Zoe - I believe I read that we are processing and cooking the enzymes to death. The body doesn't have what it needs.

I think you're right, but we need to relearn how to cook properly. Some foods need different cooking times to break down proteins or other components that are hard to digest.

 

[RobinN]

Hard to say what was expected to be cooked and what wasn't back when there were huntergathers. Have our bodies really adapted to the current modern diet?
http://www.earth360.com/diet_paleodiet_balzer.html
http://www.paleodiet.com/

...certainly not cheetos and coke snack afterschool, with a pizza and ice cream for dinner.

 

[Zoe]

Hard to say what was expected to be cooked and what wasn't back when there were huntergathers. Have our bodies really adapted to the current modern diet?
http://www.earth360.com/diet_paleodiet_balzer.html
http://www.paleodiet.com/

...certainly not cheetos and coke snack afterschool, with a pizza and ice cream for dinner.

I think the paleo diet may not be safe due to foods that must be cooked to be eaten safely.
Check out this article and the do a google search on "metabolic acidosis" "seizure threshold"
You might try the search with "cognitive disorders" also.

Vitamin D Newsletter Aug 2006 | Dr. Cannell Answers Readers' Questions... low magnesium, high refined carbohydrates, high sodas, and a high acid residue). ... Today, humans live in a state of low-grade metabolic acidosis, ...
http://www.vitamindcouncil.com/newsletter/2006-aug.shtml

 

[Bernard]

What was the average lifespan of a hunter-gatherer who managed to die of "natural causes"?

 

[RobinN]

Good point Bernard
I just think it needs to be remembered that our modern diet and lifestyle has far exceeded what our bodies were designed to withstand. Will we evolve at this rate, perhaps if we continue to implant bionic parts.

"Socially and technologically, we have evolved light-years from our hunter-gatherer ancestors," he said. "But the DNA in each of the 100 trillion cells in our body is largely the same as it was in our Paleolithic forefathers. And these were not necessarily cave men. The Eskimos, Plains Indians, native peoples in the South American jungles and far reaches of undeveloped Africa were hunter-gatherer societies until just the past two generations or so."

Detractors from this outlook say the hunter-gatherer life span was barely 30 years, while today it's pushing 80.

O'Keefe agreed, but said, "They died of exposure, infections, trauma, tainted water and even insufficient water or food during times of scarcity.

"However ... these were hardy, healthy, vigorous people even into old age - for the lucky and clever ones who made it that long. The studies show no tooth decay or loss, strong bones, great physiques, strong immunity, no high blood pressure, normal hearts, no diabetes and only rare cancers."

Comparatively, he said, "Today the life expectancy has doubled, but the average modern person has a host of age-related diseases and lots of aches, pains and problems."

http://archive.recordonline.com/archive/2006/05/03/features_gohealthy-03hecavemandiet-05-03.html

 

[Shelley]

Yesterday, we had our group lunch for thanksgiving. I felt hot and uncomfortable after eating the ham. Actually, I may have felt uncomfortable cuz I'm normally shy, and was put in a situation where we were forced to hold hands and pray.

 

[brain]

Yesterday, we had our group lunch for thanksgiving. I felt hot and uncomfortable after eating the ham. Actually, I may have felt uncomfortable cuz I'm normally shy, and was put in a situation where we were forced to hold hands and pray.

Most people just comply because it's only a few
moments, and get it over with. But if you really
put your mind on what you are THANKFUL FOR
instead of what the person is saying. It helps.

People have come to me about this feeling like
they had "been put on the spot"; and I just tell
them to join along, and put their mind elsewhere
and to think about what they are THANKFUL FOR
afterall - IT IS THANKSGIVING ... a time to give
thanks ~ so the next time you're in a situation
like that: Try that and block them out and put
your mind on what YOU are thankful for in your
own mind and thoughts.

I know you're uncomfortable, but when you look
at it - there's others that feels the same way,
so don't feel bad - we all have a lot to be thank-
ful for ... like here in CWE - we've got each other!

So remember - it's only but for a moment, it's not
like it's going to be "eternity".

Just my humble opinion here and :twocents:

 

[Zoe]

The link below is to a somewhat long article on reflex seizures from the International League Against Epilepsy's web site. It covers seizures induced by eating, lights, music and a number of other related types. A good read.

It is our impression that patients with eating epilepsy and extralimbic seizure onset are more sensitive to either somatosensory or proprioceptive stimuli during eating and are more likely to report that seizure induction can be prevented by altering the sensory characteristics of their food. Some will drink through a straw rather than from a cup or avoid biting into a whole fruit by cutting it into small pieces. Stimulus alteration can reduce seizure frequency in what can otherwise be an intractable or socially disabling condition. Some patients take advantage of a refractory postictal period by inducing a seizure to avoid a later attack in an embarrassing setting. Drugs effective for partial seizures are necessary but medically intractable cases should be recognized early and assessed for surgical treatment.

http://www.ilae-epilepsy.org/Visitors/Centre/ctf/reflex_seizures.cfm