Does weight gain have anything to do with increased/changing seizures?

[jlarson]

Since starting to gain weight in high school, I noticed that they've become more frequent and changed (seemingly less severe, strangely enough). The only thing I've changed since H.S. aside from eating more processed, etc. food, is about 40 or 50 Lbs. The last day or 2 I've been digging into that issue on-line, but haven't found anything addressing exactly what I'm typing in......
Has anyone ever heard of any connection between the 2? In some articles I've read it does state something about excess weight can contribute to Alzheimer's and Parkinson's as well as it slowing down absorption of drugs. If my logic is right, if it can do that with drugs, then it can do that with vitamins & minerals, and if it can affect other neurological issues, it can affect seizures. If my thinking is accurate there, I can't understand WHY doctors do not discuss that with people....??? If doctors & science would spend the time they use on inventing drug after drug, and instead invest that time, effort and money into figuring things like the above issue out, just think of how much better health this world would be in!

 

[Bernard]

I don't know if there has ever been any research to establish a causal link between weight gain and seizure activity, but there are many studies that show that diet can affect seizure activity. Weight is generally a function of diet (and exercise), so it (weight) could seem correlated while only being a symptom of the underlying factor (diet).

There are several diets that have been studied for seizure response/control listed in the chart:

CAM Chart | Coping With Epilepsy Forums

More recently, I think there are starting to be more studies done on the gut-brain / intestinal microbe/biome. My bottom line takeaway from reading what I've read - avoid processed foods and excitotoxins and limit carbohydrates (white flour, simple sugars).

 

[Army Vet]

I'd say weight gain could definitely change how any drugs and/or nutrition are effecting your body and therefore seizures.

By having more weight, your body needs more energy for everything. Just breathing will be harder which will cause a faster heart rate. A good visual that always helped me put it into perspective when I needed to lose some weight was picking up the weight (carefully of course) at a gym and I'd say to myself, "Wow, for every step I take, I'm walking around with this weight tied to my waist." Of course that's not saying it's all in my waist, but it gives me a feeling/idea of what's going on. Carrying a ball and chain would make it even worse since I'd have to pick it up every time I move. Point being, your body is being worn-out just by doing basic, every day stuff which in turn puts more stress on your overall body.

This would cause deficiencies in everything. My view on any drugs you're taking is that of an example of say, a pot of soup. What's the ratio? Would you add the same amount of salt to a bowl of soup then to a whole pot? Of course not! However, as the amount of soup goes up, so would the amount of salt (or whatever ingredient) to keep the taste the same. Point being, if you're taking 100 mg of something at 100 lbs and now you weigh 150 lbs, your original ratio is way off. Your weight has increased by 50%, yet the drug ratio has stayed the same. Of course that goes for everything such as vitamins, iron, calcium etc. The more you weigh, the more you need (based on your original ratio).

 

[jlarson]

It's just that this is about the only thing I've changed since high school (about 40 or 50 pounds). I was taken off all drugs at 10, and I was just fine until my Jr. year. It was in H.S. I started eating much more fast food (cafeteria as well as restaurant) and I'll admit in the last 30 years my diet is NOT what it had been on the farm. I've explored dozens of roads over the years as far as what is out of balance in my body (I'm MUCH more into the Natural/Eastern/herbal route the last 30+ years than man's drug route). I just started doing some digging on fat & neurons and if that affects things. If too much visceral fat around organs can affect sugar, insulin, cognative function, and other things, then maybe neurons too, logically. The problem is finding doctors (especially specialists) that think beyond drugs at all that I might be able to discuss things like this with.

 

[Sabbo]

My complex partial seizures began long after my weight had come down from its maximum--until then I only had simple partials. What I weighed when I was full term with my older son was close to my actual weight at one time. I lost 45 pounds by doing two things. I changed my diet & walked home three times/week after my classes at the community college. That's also when I began drinking a lot of water daily.

 

[jlarson]

My complex partial seizures began long after my weight had come down from its maximum--until then I only had simple partials. What I weighed when I was full term with my older son was close to my actual weight at one time. I lost 45 pounds by doing two things. I changed my diet & walked home three times/week after my classes at the community college. That's also when I began drinking a lot of water daily.

So, if I understand right, are you saying yours got WORSE with weight loss?

 

[Sabbo]

I'm not sure what triggered the complex partials to start. They began around a year after my older son was born. I've had simple partials since childhood, which were diagnosed after I had 2 or3 tonic-clonics when I was 14--I didn't any before/haven't had any since.
The complex partials have made life VERY difficult for me. Despite completing a double major in college, I haven't been able to work. Once, I nearly fell onto the tracks at the commuter train station. Another time, after I left my downtown office, I collapsed on the street. After that, my husband said not to take any more chances. I've also burned myself severely (2nd & 3rd degree) so many times that I no longer cook if alone. At most, I'll stick things into the oven. That really stinks since cooking was one of my hobbies.

 

[jlarson]

Mine seem to have changed so much over time (especially the last year or 2), and the standard usual medical routes don't seem to offer any answers (actually, they never did all my life), so now I'm trying to dig into what I can and trying to think of a way to get through to doctors that they need to start thinking outside the box if they want to help people who don't respond to drugs and/or surgery.

Ever since I've had seizures starting at 2 weeks old, I've always had plenty of warning to sit down or whatever....up until about a year or so ago. The few grand mals I recall having until high school, I always remember sitting up after and feeling just fine: being able to talk, walk around, and what not basically right away. I was taken off all drugs at 10 and was just fine until suddenly having a black out my Jr. year. After that, it was always half a day to a few days after one of those before I could function decent. Now, the last year or so, it seems even though I still get the auras, or complex partials, or whatever one wants to call them, there have been a few times when I've had a grand mal that I don't recall even starting to have a seizure at all -which has never happened before. I've also been told that even though I apparently come out of them faster for some reason, when I do, I "want to go". I have this intense feeling of need, so to say, to walk around and insist on going where ever. It worries my parents because at their age, they can't hardly keep me still while going on what seems to be instinct. This has never happened before either.

I think it's useless to ask even a neurologist for help with this again, because after 9 or 10 in my life, I've never found one that seems to want to work WITH me to try to find answers to anything. All they all want is to constantly shove drugs at me, which doesn't really help anything to control them. With all the E.E.G's, C.T. scans, M.R.I.'s, etc. that I've had over the years, none of them have ever sat down and explained anything as to what if anything all these tests found, or what they mean -to me or my parents years ago. I'm at the point of trying to dig into possible causes myself (currently thinking if the 45 or 50 pounds since H.S. has directly or indirectly (long story short) caused any of this. Then taking that info. to them and in effect saying; "Here....look at this and tell me if this sounds like a reason why." and "Why hasn't medical science ever put much thought into other things to help find the root cause for things like they had for centuries, and still do in other Countries?" The thing is, that seems to be what the DOCTORS should be doing for YOU.....not the other way around nowadays.

 

[Army Vet]

The problem is finding doctors (especially specialists) that think beyond drugs at all that I might be able to discuss things like this with.

I can definitely agree with you there. Things got so aggravating with me and my first neurologist that I quickly found another one. The first one started me out on lamictal and after that the seizures went away for 2.5 years. Life was great again. I kept seeing him for basic checkups to make sure all was well. Then the seizures came back and all he was doing was checking my weight, reflexes and making shadow puppets when the light went through the other ear. Not to mention he was 35 minutes away. So I found a better one that was about 10 minutes away and he tried many other things. He also suggested my VNS which after two years of fighting the VA I got it approved to be done. Then the VA wanted me to go to one of their doctors. I didn't like him that much (he gave me the creeps for some reason), but he at least finally got a positive reading on my EEG (maybe the fear? lol). So that gave more data and proof that I wasn't "faking it" and proof to the VA and Social Security.

Unfortunately drugs are the only answers from most doctors. Quick and easy. See you for 10 minutes. Write a prescription and hand you the bill to pay on the way out. NEXT! Follow the money instead of the patients. Sad, but true.