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imgoingin

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Hey people. this is my first time on this forum and my first thread/post. I really need your guys help because you all seem much more educated about seizures than I am. I was diagnosed with epileptiform several years ago. I had an EEG done and they said I am having slight seizures while I sleep. its nothing dramatic like twitching/jerking. Anyway... enough about the history. I have been having a problem over the past several months which I have ignored and dismissed and I am a little concerned.

I woke up this morning (and a few other mornings in the past few months) to a bang in the back of my head. It felt physical as though someone had just punched me in the back of the head. It hurt and was scary because I have no idea what that "bang" is. I can assume the "hit in the back of the head" is seizure oriented because the bang is accompanied by an electric shock. Again, there is no twitching or jerking associated and I am only dissoriented after the hit for a good 2 or 3 seconds. Then I continue my day as though it never occured.

I think I found the reason for the seizures (if they are seizures). I was taking a lot of supplements for bodybuilding. Nothing steroidal but still stuff that one wouldnt think would cause seizures. A lot of pre-workout energy boosters are loaded with methylxanthines. The tea, herba mate is loaded with methylxanthines also. This caffeine seems to loosen an epileptic's seizure threshold. So, I discontinued ALL of my supplements. The head bangs went away. Yesterday I took creatine for the first time in a while and didnt think that creatine actually affects the CNS and I woke up to another head shock. I am discontinuing the creatine.

The hits in the back of my head have only occured when trying to fall asleep and during times when I am about to wake up. Clearly, I can not use bodybuilding supplements for my own safety. Has anybody else felt this before? Can anybody give a name to the problem i am having so I can have some idea where to start my research? Thank you so much people. Any and all help is appreciated :)
 
Hi imgoingin, welcome to CWE!

If you have a lowered seizure threshold, you can be vulnerable to some kinds of nutritional supplements or additives. The effect can be slow or gradual -- you might not notice anything until a sort of tipping point is reached, and a seizure occurs (This is what happened with me and aspartame). As you've noted, caffeine can be trigger as well (yerba mate is especially high in caffeine).

You might be interested in some anecdotal responses to creatine -- good, bad (seizures), and indifferent -- that can be found at the link below:

http://www.nutritionalsupplements.com/creatineR38.html

The "head bang/electric shock" you describe is consistent with what other folks here on CWE have reported. It can be a kind of seizure, akin to a myoclonic jerk. Since it happens when you are falling asleep or waking up you might want to try things to improve your sleep -- deep breathing and slow relaxation exercises as you lie in bed, and/or relaxing music -- and make sure you are getting proper nutrition, water etc.

Best,
Nakamova
 
I used to work out & found that when I was in the habit of doing it regularly it decreased my seizures. I did try various supplements & they all increased my seizure activity. I tried an amino acid supplement, Creatine, & one other that I can't remember what it was.
 
Not to hijack this thread, but does anyone know about glutamine and seizure activity? I would like to use it for building muscle and healing. Thank you.
 
Actually I think that L-Glutamine was the other supplement that provoked seizures in me.

I found that when Glutamine is broken down Nitrogen is released. We need Nitrogen but excess nitrogen can form ammonia which is toxic to the brain tissues.
 
Actually I think that L-Glutamine was the other supplement that provoked seizures in me.

I found that when Glutamine is broken down Nitrogen is released. We need Nitrogen but excess nitrogen can form ammonia which is toxic to the brain tissues.
Click to expand...

Darn darn darn. But thanks a lot!!
 
A lot of the body building powders have byproducts of MSG ... labeled as other names. Maltodextrin, Natural Flavors, Whey Protein, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, etc
MSG is an excitotoxin / neurotoxin
 
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