looking for help

[veena]

Many years ago I read in one of Adele Davis's books that epilepsy was due to a lack of magnesium. She recommended Epsom Salts....half a teaspoonful in a little orange juice every morning.

I had a friend with epilepsy, having grand mal fits every day and on the strongest orthodox drugs. I asked her if she would try the Epsom Salts and she agreed.

From the first day of taking it she never had another fit for three weeks. She walked into her doctor at her next appointment and told him she was "fine" and explained why. He told her if she did not stop "this nonsense" he would take her off his books!! She listened to him, and the fits came back.

I had been inspired though, so I put a small advert in the papers and people kept ringing up....it worked every time! I was asked to give a talk at a clinic in London, and the room was full, including three doctors. Two of them left straight afterwards, but one stayed behind and he said he was going to recommend the Salts to his patients.

You cannot lose....its harmless, and it works!!

My daughter has epipepsy from age of 1. she is 7 years now. that is fronto temporal siezure. We stay at Bangalore, India. kindly suggest where will this epsum salt be available and how much we should give to my daughter?
What is magnesium and even that, how much we should give and how? Kindly educate me in this regard and help me.
(she has been suggested with valparin 900mg and torleva 1000 mg per day now). if she is not been cured with this, doctor has suggested to get operated. we are very much worried. kindly suggest me what I should do.

 

[drarvindr]

Dear Veena,(fellow indian ! i'm from mumbai)
Re: epsom salts , it is magnesium sulfate. You should be able to get it from any major chemist shop. But i advise you to wait and watch for now , because giving mag sulf to a seven year old is not wise if she is already on high dosages of anti epileptic drugs, not to mention that magsulf is not recommended in children below 6 yrs. Do not forget that it is meant as a laxative as well , so watch for diarrhoea .Many people have seen positive results , but i'm not sure about the interactions if any and whether it will prove useful for focal seizures. The surgery that your doctor spoke of is for medically intractable epilepsy and has 70%success rates, which is not great , but better than no control over seizures. I'm not well versed with this magnesium therapy , so the others are more qualified to speak on it.But i again say that magsulf is not safe in children below 6 and 7 is too close to 6 for comfort.
Hope she gets better soon

 

[Bernard]

Hi Veena, welcome to the forum. :hello:

I split your post off from the magnesium thread so members here would have an opportunity to greet you.

There are many opportunities that can be tried to help raise the seizure threshold. Magnesium supplementation is just one of them. What works for one person doesn't necessarily work for another. This is true for both so called alternative approaches as well as AEDs.

I suggest the following: http://www.coping-with-epilepsy.com/forums/f22/proactive-prescription-epilepsy-1254/

 

[skillefer]

Hi veena! Welcome to CWE. I would suggest that before you try magnesium therapy, that you try to make sure that you know what all of your daughter's triggers are. Many of us with Epilepsy have certain things that are more likely to cause us to have seizures. So start keeping a journal. Write down everything your daughter eats and drinks as well as when and how much. Write down how many hours of sleep she gets each night. Write down when she has a seizure, how long it lasts, and what she was doing immediately prior to it. All of this information can help you and the doctor see if there's something that is causing her to seize.

Some of us here are more likely to seize if we don't get enough sleep, or we're stressed, or if we drink too much caffiene, or if we do an activity that causes us to hyperventilate like swimming....or if we see specific patterns or flashing lights. Others are more likely to have seizures if they eat specific foods. So my first piece of advice would be to start a journal, and see if you can identify anything that tends to make your daughter have a seizure.

 

[RobinN]

Hi Veena - welcome to CWE

I have a child with seizures and it has been my wish to find the magic "answer" too. I wish I could tell you I found one.

My recommendation though would be to begin with nutritional changes. It is fairly easy to eliminate certain products from the diet to see if it makes any difference in seizure activity. Many are allergic to wheat products, and some have difficulty with dairy proteins. Also soy and corn needs to be looked into as well.

You can get a food allergy test done, or just start by substituting products. It helped me to stay focused on health rather than just watch my daughter become even less of herself on medication.

We both have been helped by magnesium, though I don't think that epsom salts is what is meant when magnesium deficiency is being discussed. The purer the form the better. One that is readily absorbed into the cells. Epsom Salt baths have been good in my house during periods of detox or relaxation.

 

[ziggidypoo]

Hi and welcome ((((((HUGS)))))

Question: what foods NATURALLY contain absorbable magnesium??

My last hospitalization was due to grandmals back to back with coma due to magnesium deficiency.

2 previous such were due to sodium deficiency - I remedied it by just using a little salt with my food which is hard for me because I hate the taste of salt. Habit of years of a non-sodium diet.

Could this also explain seizures after urination??? Elimination of sodium and magnesium???

We are all learning together.

Again, WELCOME (((((hugs)))))

 

[joan]

This link will give you a list of food and their magnesium content.
I hope it helps.

joan*

http://www.vaughns-1-pagers.com/food/magnesium-foods.htm

From the
USDA Nutrient Database

 

[RobinN]

It is to the best of my knowledge that you can rely on foods when you are sufficiently absorbing the mineral. If you are however experiencing issues in the gut with absorption, you most likely will have to supplement.

Magnesium has been consistently depleted in our soils. It has been further depleted in plants by the use of potassium and phosphorus laden fertilizers which alter the plant's ability to uptake magnesium. Water from deep wells supplies additional magnesium not found in food, but surface water, our common source of supply, lacks magnesium. Food processing removes magnesium. Broiling, steaming and boiling remove magnesium into the water or drippings. High carbohydrate and high fat diets increase the need for magnesium as does physical and mental stress. Diuretic medications and insulin further deplete total body magnesium. As we age magnesium uptake may be impaired. Dieting reduces intake of already low levels of magnesium intake.

So there are many reasons to supplement with the best form of magnesium possible.

 

[seizures4ever]

Hi and Welcome.

I wish you the best as you search for help for your child. :e:

-Julie

 

[brain]

:hello:

And welcome to CWE! I agree with the Doc!
I would shy away from Epsom Salts, as it
can cause some hindrance with the meds
the child is on, and plus, too much salt intake
can actually do more harm than good.

Unless the Neurologist had advised this, I
would seek a second opinion, like the child's
Pediatrician or another Neurologist.

But please do stick around here in CWE,
there's a lot to be learned from by hanging
around here.

 

[veena]

Thanks for the reply and happy to learn so much here

:e::agree:

Thanks a lot for all of you for giving very valuable inputs and suggestions for my kid's problems. I have noted carefully each and every point which all of you have given. I do not know how to tell thanks for sharing my problem and helping me in your good words and ideas. hats off!!!!!

As for as I have observed the causes for My daughter's epilepsy are -- indigestion, too much of water consumption, continuous cold with indigestion(over eating), fasting for long hours, fever, caugh with flem, sleeplessness and tensions. When she is swallowing food only she will have fits attack normally and so may times she had breathing problem at that time because the food will be in the mouth only.

She lacks minerals, vitamins etc from the beginning as she has been left at in a very orthodox family in karnataka in India. Please suggest any corns, food, vegetables which i can given (available in our country) to improve her strength to wards anti epileptic condition.

She stays with my Mom and syster inlaw and their kids, who stays away from me. fortnight once when i have off, I will be meeting my kid . she is slight MR. She is okay staying with my mom and great syster inlaw who takes care of her and sends to special school. but in school also she sleeps more. 13 hours a day she sleeps. I am worried if she sleeps like this what is her future. she can write a little and talks very normal. but she can not do so many things other kids of her age would do. She is hyper active and too much disturbed. she wants attention only to her and nothing else all the time. Even a single second she will not be with patience. physically, mentally she will be busy all the time. How many ever times i tell, she can not understand what i tell and she will be repeating the same sentense (asking for some dish or doll ) without stopping.

Is this the high dosage causing all these things? How to take care so that she does not get fever? the case is too complex with all the other related problems. I worry and pray a lot.

 

[RobinN]

Veena -
Only from what you have written I have to wonder if she has ever been evaluated to be on the autistic spectrum? <autism... aspergers... ADHD>
Many with this neurological disorder also have seizures.

 

[brain]

Veena:

Apparently one cannot "ward" off Epilepsy
as much as we would LOVE to do so, but
the best thing to do is take her to a Doctor,
especially to a Neurologist so the child may
be treated properly. We are not Medical
Doctors here, although we do have some
members here who are Medical Doctors,
but without having seen anyone it's very
difficult to give out diagnostics or advisories
specifically online, which is why we constantly
advise everyone to go to their Doctor or take
their loved one to the Doctor.

There is medication(s) available, but depending
on where you are located at, I am pretty sure
you would be able to receive help, knowing you
are in India as you had implied - I understand the
"Cast" system, but there should be a American
Red Cross or a Red Cross or at least a Catholic
Charity or Church that you can "run into" in spite
of your religious beliefs, it may be for the betterment
for the sake of your child, for many Catholic as well
as other Religious Organizations are out there known
as "Missionaries" do have access to Medical Resources,
and they can be of benefit and of help if you are unable
to obtain it. I hope this will help you, and I realize it
might be a very difficult thing for you to face - for
many times a family will reject the one who ran off,
but the thing is - who is more important in your life?
And who is suffering the most? The Child Is! Do you
really want the child to suffer anymore? Then while
it's hard - sometimes it's the best choice you can make
and once your family realizes the child has improved
and seizures are controlled and things for the better-
ment, things DO change --- sometimes! I know it can
be very rough depending on the area / part of India
you are located at. I wish you all the best!

(((((( Much hugs to you and your little one ))))))))

 

[veena]

Thanks for the advice. I do take care of her. I will be taking her to one neuro surgeon this week.
Thanks for support and sharing and caring.

Regads.
Veena