Effect of aspartame on seizures

[Music36]

Does anyone know what the latest research indicates regarding the effect of aspartame on seizures and more specifically, different types of seizures?

 

[Music36]

I don't drink diet soda, but I chew sugar-free gum every day and I'm thinking that maybe I should switch to one of the sugar-free gums that does not have aspartame.

 

[Cint]

I use aspartamate and it doesn't seem to effect my seizures or meds. I have CP seizures now.

 

[Nakamova]

This 2007 study https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17828671 concluded that "The data from the extensive investigations into the possibility of neurotoxic effects of aspartame, in general, do not support the hypothesis that aspartame in the human diet will affect nervous system function, learning or behavior."

On the other hand, this study https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28198207 concludes that "that aspartame may be responsible for adverse neurobehavioral health outcomes. Aspartame consumption needs to be approached with caution due to the possible effects on neurobehavioral health. Whether aspartame and its metabolites are safe for general consumption is still debatable due to a lack of consistent data. "

Some individuals -- including those with lower seizure thresholds -- may be sensitive to aspartame since it can increase brain levels of aspartic acid (one of the "excitatory" neurotransmitters) and can affect dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin as well. As far as I know, however, there's no research linking it to specific types of seizures. It may have played a contributing role in triggering my initial seizures (which were tonic-clonics).

 

[Porkette]

Hi Music36,

I have to stay away from anything with aspartame in it or I end up having seizures like crazy. I used to buy diet soda and then I noticed a big increase in my seizures. I saw my
Epileptologist and he thought my drug level was to low but then he asked me what I had been eating and drinking and the moment I told him I had been drinking diet soda he told me to stop because aspartame can cause some people to have more electrical activity in the brain and trigger seizures. I always had absence and complex partial seizures when I drank diet soda or used aspartame. I wish you the best of luck and May God Bless You!

Sue

 

[Music36]

Porkette,

I stopped drinking diet soda close to 28 years ago when I was diagnosed with epilepsy b/c my neurologist at the time told me that the NutraSweet could cause seizures. Sugar-free gum contains a lot less aspartame than diet soda. But, I wonder if it could have an effect and if I should switch to a healthier sugar-free gum. I should add that I have not had a seizure since surgery almost 2 years ago. I do have occasional auras, though.

 

[Porkette]

Hi Music36,

I think that it's great that you haven't had any seizures since the surgery. Another thing I was told to watch is the amount of amino acids in foods or beverages along with corn syrup and fructose. To much sugar and acids trigger seizures for me. Wishing you only the best of luck and May God Bless You!

Sue

 

[KathyJJ]

About 2 years ago, I started drinking one Diet Coke every day. As time passed, I noticed I was having more seizures than I did before I would drink it daily. I ask questions about it here and did some research and found that it could be causing the increase. So, I quit drinking it completely and noticed a difference immediately. Now, I just have seizures occasionally like I did before I was drinking it every day.

 

[Nakamova]

Yes, diet sodas can potentially have a variety of side effects. I had a one-Tab-a-day habit for many years. It didn't affect my seizures (which are controlled), but I finally kicked the habit when I saw this:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...sk-of-stroke-dementia/?utm_term=.9e927186e964

 

[drarvindr]

Aspartame isn't good for you in general , but as far as seizures go the few studies conducted show no association with seizures (though the studies aren't powerful enough to rule out an association statistically)

Sent from my ONEPLUS A5000 using Tapatalk

 

[Music36]

I don't drink soda. I'm concerned about sugar-free gum b/c most of them have aspartame. I'm not sure how much they contain, though.

 

[Howll]

I used to drink a LOT of diet soda, pepsi Max was my thing. I don't think it affects me tbh, but as a precaution I have cut down on Diet Soda and instead drink Diet Flavoured Fizzy Water, which contains sucralose (I believe) as opposed to aspartame.

 

[valeriedl]

I don't buy anything that's sugar free or diet unless that's the only way I can find it in the store. I don't know if it's because it's they only way the store carries it or if it's just the only way it's made in general.

My dad is a diabetic so just about everything he buys is sugar free. I eat at his house a good bit so I know I'm eating a lot of sugar free stuff there.

I've never noticed it having an effect on my seizures because I can go days without eating sugar free stuff then when I do eat some I've never had a seizure.

 

[Andrew]

As far as I am aware Aspartame has no negative effects on my vitamin B6 dependent seizures.

http://pndassoc.org/pdf/Surtees.pdf

https://cdn.intechopen.com/pdfs-wm/35742.pdf

For the reaction to complete, aminotransferases require participation of aldehyde containing coenzyme, pyridoxyl-5'-phosphate (PLP), a derivative of Pyridoxine (Vitamin B6). The amino group is accommodated by conversion of this coenzyme to pyridoxamine-5'-phosphate (PMP).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transamination

Two important transaminase enzymes are aspartate transaminase (AST), also known as serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (SGOT); and alanine transaminase (ALT), also called alanine aminotransferase (ALAT) or serum glutamate-pyruvate transaminase (SGPT). These transaminases were discovered in 1954[1][2][3] and their clinical importance 1955.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transaminase

Glutamate also serves as the precursor for the synthesis of the inhibitory gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in GABA-ergic neurons. This reaction is catalyzed by glutamate decarboxylase (GAD)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glutamic_acid

GAD is activated when bound to PLP and inactive when not bound to PLP

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glutamate_decarboxylase

also see:

In many epileptic patients, anticonvulsant drugs either fail adequately to control seizures or they cause serious side effects. An important adjunct to pharmacologic therapy is the ketogenic diet, which often improves seizure control, even in patients who respond poorly to medications. The mechanisms that explain the therapeutic effect are incompletely understood. Evidence points to an effect on brain handling of amino acids, especially glutamic acid, the major excitatory neurotransmitter of the central nervous system. The diet may limit the availability of oxaloacetate to the aspartate aminotransferase reaction, an important route of brain glutamate handling. As a result, more glutamate becomes accessible to the glutamate decarboxylase reaction to yield gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), the major inhibitory neurotransmitter and an important antiseizure agent. In addition, the ketogenic diet appears to favor the synthesis of glutamine, an essential precursor to GABA. This occurs both because ketone body carbon is metabolized to glutamine and because in ketosis there is increased consumption of acetate, which astrocytes in the brain quickly convert to glutamine. The ketogenic diet also may facilitate mechanisms by which the brain exports to blood compounds such as glutamine and alanine, in the process favoring the removal of glutamate carbon and nitrogen.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4237068/

and:

As a prototypical transaminase, AST relies on PLP (Vitamin B6) as a cofactor to transfer the amino group from aspartate or glutamate to the corresponding ketoacid. In the process, the cofactor shuttles between PLP and the pyridoxamine phosphate (PMP) form.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aspartate_transaminase
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Hi Nakamova

AADC catalyzes several different decarboxylation reactions.
L-DOPA to dopamine - a neurotransmitter
5-HTP to serotonin (5-HT) - a neurotransmitter
...
The enzyme uses pyridoxal phosphate, the active form of vitamin B6, as a cofactor.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aromatic_L-amino_acid_decarboxylase

Dopamine is then converted into norepinephrine by the enzyme dopamine β-monooxygenase

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norepinephrine

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Also see my posts on the http://www.coping-with-epilepsy.com...eneral-epilepsy-experiences-23950/index6.html thread.

**DO NOT ALTER ANY MEDICATION WITHOUT YOUR DOCTOR'S CONSENT**