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There are two main types of epilepsy known as petit mal and grand mal. Each
follows its own specific pattern.
In petit mal, which is a less serious form of epilepsy, an attack comes and goes
within a few seconds. The patient has a momentary loss of consciousness, with
no convulsions except sometimes a slight rifidity, or there may be slight attack
of convulsions such as a jerk, or movement of the eyes, head trunk or
extremities, with no perceptible loss of consciousness. The patient may not fall.
He may suddenly stop what he is doing and then resume it when the attack is
over, without even being aware of what has happened. Petit mal attacks may
occur at any time in life but are most frequent in children.
The attack in case of grand mal (tonic-clonic seizures) comes with a dramatic
effect. There are violent contractions of the arms, legs and body, accompanied
by a sudden loss of consciousness. Before the onset of an attack, some patients
have a warning or aura in the form of strange sensations such as a current
of air or a stream of water flowing over a body, noises, odours and flashes of
light.
In a typical attack, the patient cries out, falls to the ground loses consciousness
and develops convulsions. With the convulsions may come foaming at the
mouth, twitching of the muscles, biting of the tongue, distorted fixation of limbs,
rotation of the head and deviation of the eyes.
The patient may lose control of his urine and faeces. The attack may last several
minutes and is usually followed by a deep sleep. On waking up, he may
remember nothing of what happened to him.
People who suffer from epilepsy are not abnormal in any other way. They
usually know that fits can be triggered off by particular stimuli. Between
epileptic attacks, their brain functions normally.
One of the main problems that a person with epilepsy has to face is continual
uncertainty about whether or not he or she will have an attack on any particular
occasion. Patients may find themselves increasingly inhibited from engaging in
social events because of the understandable fear that they might embarrass
themselves by having another attack. Such people also encounter difficulties in
employments and other relationships.
The causes of an epileptic disorder are not known in roughly more than half of
true epileptics. A link can often be found in the remaining percentage of
epileptics to some form of trauma or injury to the head, a previous incidence
of a stroke, the presence of a brain tumor, or a brain infection in some cases.
Moreover, it has been shown that even in people who are otherwise not
epileptics, that drinking too much alcohol, a lack of sleep and adequate rest
and stress, or an illness may trigger a seizure quite unexpectedly.
Epilepsy may be caused by several other factors. It may result from allergic
reactions to certain food substances, especially some particular form of
protein which is the main constituent of meat.
The latter two are called excitotoxins – and for good reason. They overexcite
the central nervous system.
Others causes are an excessively fast oxidation rate, copper toxicity and other
toxic metals. Occasionally, infection, pressure from a tumor or irritation from
scar tissue from a trauma or illness are triggering causes. Epilepsy can be
caused by damage to an area of the brain from lack of oxygen at birth and
certain illnesses such as Parkinson's disease.
Often overlooked are biochemical causes not detectable with blood tests, x-rays
or other high-tech scans, for the most part. These are discussed below.
Any Stress is a trigger. In fact, any stressful event can trigger a seizure. It can
be hunger, thirst, fatigue, too much exercise or sun exposure, or any number
of other stressors to the body.
IMMEDIATE TREATMENT
During the attack, arrange the head to facilitate breathing.
Prevent the tongue from being bitten or from obstructing the windpipe. Place a
pad between the teeth during the attack.
HYPOGLYCEMIA
According to some researchers, hypoglycemia – lower than normal level of
glucose (sugar) in the blood - is also involved in most cases of epilepsy. Serum
glucose levels fall just before a seizure.
Are you highly irritable for no good reason? Are you constantly hungry or tired?
Do you often feel depressed even though you have no obvious reason to feel
down? Do you suffer from insomnia, where you often lay awake night after
night unable to get your racing mind to calm down? Perhaps you feel like a
slave to the constant cravings you have for potato chips, soda and candy? If any
of these symptoms sound familiar to you it is possible that you are one of many
millions of sufferers of the debilitating condition known as Hypoglycemia.
Low blood sugar level is caused, paradoxically, by eating too much sugar.
When the sugar reaches the blood, which happens within seconds after you eat
it, the body produces insulin to normalize the blood-sugar level. In a person
suffering from hypoglycemia, the body produces too much insulin. The blood-
sugar level is decreased so rapidly and thoroughly that the person suffers
distressing symptoms including headaches, fatigue, depression, anxiety,
dizziness, lack of mental alertness, and rapid mood swings.
When you eat too much sugar the level of glucose in your blood rise to
abnormal heights. In an effort to return things to normal, your pancreas produces
insulin, the hormone that regulates sugar levels. If you don't have hypoglycemia
- or if you don't regularly eat too much sugar - your pancreas can easily handle
isolated overdoses of sugar. But if you are a virtual sugar addict, your pancreas
goes into overdrive at every rise in blood-sugar levels: It overreacts, flooding
your body with insulin. In response, the adrenal glands release anti-stress
hormones that in turn release the sugar stored in the liver for emergencies.
The result? Everything gets worn out - the pancreas, the adrenal glands,
and the liver. And your symptoms are nervousness, palpitations, anxiety,
headaches, butterflies in the stomach, and so on.
Many people in Europe and USA consume more than eighty pounds of sugar per
person a year or about thirty teaspoons a day. In addition, they eat large
quantities of refined carbohydrates--white flour, for example, which is
turned into glucose in the body. Even if you don't own a sugar bowl, half of
your sugar intake is probably hidden in the foods you buy. Cookies and ice
cream are obvious sources of sugar, but most people are unaware that catsup
(ketchup), prepared frozen meals, and salad dressings also contain sugar.
To fight hypoglycemia you must of course cut out the obvious: sugar, honey,
cakes, candies, cookies, ice cream, sodas, sweetened cereal, canned fruit,
frozen desserts, and other sweetened foods.
Here are the most common sugar additives you'll find listed on a food label:
corn syrup, glucose, molasses, sucrose, lactose, maple syrup, fructose,
maltose, sorghum.
Eat regular meals at regular times. Don't skip breakfast. Don't have a late lunch
dinner. Try to eat your meals at nearly the same time each day if at all possible.
It's important for people with blood-sugar problems to avoid caffeine, alcohol,
and smoking. All of these cause precipitous changes in bloodsugar levels.
Remember to watch out for caffeine in soft drinks.
SUPPLEMENTS
These supplements that are suggested below are not intended to be substitutes or
replacements for prescription medications given to epileptics for the alleviation
of some of the symptoms of the disorder. They are only intended to function in a
supporting role, and may help rectify some of the nutritional deficiencies that
could possibly add to the likelihood of seizures.
Another potential positive role these supplements can play is that they may
eventually allow a physician to reduce the dosage levels of the drugs
administered to the patient; this is a positive aspect because some of the
medications used to treat epileptic conditions have very unpleasant side
effects.
Lecithin (1200 mg) – 1 capsule 2 times a day with meals.
Lecithin (phosphatidyl choline) is a phospholipid found mostly in high-fat
foods. It is said to have the ability to improve memory and brain processes.
Lecithin is necessary for normal brain development.
Some people with epilepsy have also reported reducing their number and
severity of seizures from taking lecithin alone.
Lecithin contains a substance called phosphatidylcholine (PC) that is presumed
to be responsible for its medicinal effects. Phosphatidylcholine is a major part of
the membranes surrounding our cells. However, when phosphatidylcholine is
consumed it is broken down into choline rather than being carried directly to
cell membranes. Choline acts like folic acid, TMG (trimethylglycine), and
SAMe (S-adenosylmethionine) to promote methylation. It is also used to make
acetylcholine, a nerve chemical essential for proper brain function.
Choline and phosphatidylcholine are effective for treating human neurological
disorders with presumed choline deficiencies.
The ketogenic diet (high fat and low carbohydrate diet) although is unhealthy, it
increases the amount of lecithin in the body, which may be one of the reasons
for its success in some cases of hard-to-treat epilepsy. However, because the
ketogenic diet is very unhealthy, it is much better to increase the amount of
lecithin by taking its supplementation instead of using the dangerous high fat
diet.
For use as a supplement or a food additive, lecithin is often manufactured from
soy.
Borage Oil (Borago officinalis) – 1 capsule (500 mg) 1 times a day with meals
or 1 capsule (250 mg) 2 times a day with meals.
Borage oil is also known as borage seed oil or starflower oil. It is extracted from
seeds and is high in gamma linolenic acid (GLA) and the essential fatty acids
(omega 3 and omega 6 fats), which must be supplied by the diet because human
body cannot manufacture it. In the organism the gamma linolenic acid is
converted to a substance that resembles hormones and is known as
prostaglandin E1 (PGE1). This element is used as an antithrombotic and anti-
inflammatory by the body, since it has blood thinning properties and dilates the
vessels. Borage oil is the richest naturally occurring GLA source and contains
almost 20-26 % of this fatty acid.
This oil may be taken internally for epilepsy, diabetes, multiple sclerosis,
arthritis, PMS, cardiovascular disorders, benign breast disease, rheumatoid
arthritis, acute respiratory syndrome, hypertension, eczema and hyperactivity.
Externally, it is excellent for hair, skin, and nails. It helps reduce the
inflammation and itching of skin and doesn’t have side effects, unlike many
medicines.
Folic acid – not more than 400 mcg a day (doses of folic acid, in excess of 400
mcg per day, may trigger seizures.)
The vitamin folic acid (folate) is important in the production of blood cells and
may be important for some nerves. Folic acid is found in leafy dark green
vegetables, citrus fruits and juices, lentils etc.
GLYCONUTRIENTS
Glyconutrients (Swanson Ultra Full-Spectrum Essential Sugars Complex) –
1 to 3 capsules 2 times a day with meals.
Additionally, take D-Mannose (most important of all glyconutrients) - 1
teaspoon 3 times a day with water before meals.
(Both can be ordered from: www.swansonvitamins.com)
In 1997, a group of scientists looked at a total of 135 people with epilepsy. More
than 80 percent of these people had one or more abnormalities in their
cellular immune defences. Because of this people with epilepsy may benefit
enormously from glyconutrient supplementation.
Complete glyconutrition provides immune balance, fortification, and
maintenance. For all people, not just those with epilepsy, glyconutrients support
the body to heal, repair, regenerate, regulate and protect itself.
They are not digested or turned into glucose, but instead go directly to the cell
surfaces to form a type of cellular communication system. As cells touch each
other, they communicate directly through this "sugar code".
There are eight essential saccharides our bodies need in order for this cellular
communication to properly take place. It has been shown that we get only 2 of
these 8 saccharides in our diet. These nutrients combine with proteins and fats
to create Glycoforms that coat the surface of virtually every cell in our body.
Glycoforms function as cellular recognition molecules that communicate the
messages a body needs to function in health. From the very beginning of life,
cells communicate with each other using these sugars on the surface of the cell,
which holds the complex system of the human body together - and keeps out
what doesn't belong. Improper cellular communication can result in a
variety of illnesses, such as auto-immune diseases, chronic fatigue
syndrome, fibromyalgia, epilepsy, tumors and even cancer.
Why are our diets deficient in the 8 essential sugars? The so-called fresh fruits
and vegetables we buy today have few glyconutrients because they are often
grown in nutrient-deficient soil, picked before they ripen naturally, gassed,
irradiated, artificially ripened, stored, cooked, frozen, canned, processed,
refined, pasteurised, genetically engineered, etc. Cooking and processing deplete
glyconutrients further.
And the evidence is also clear that the eight necessary glyconutrients are
essential to maintaining a healthy body in optimal wellness. If we were getting
the essential glyconutrients in our diet in sufficient quantities, we would not
need supplementation, but unfortunately current agricultural practices, leave
our foods with few of the eight essentials.
No matter what our age, the addition of glyconutrients into our health regime
will support our body's incredible ability to heal, repair, regenerate, regulate and
protect itself.
Dr. Benjamin Solomon Carson, the world famous (Seventh Day Adventist)
director of pediatric neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore has
risen to the very top of his medical profession. The Time Magazine and CNN
named him one of the top twenty doctors in America. In 1987 he was the lead
surgeon in the twenty-two hour operation that separated the heads of the Binder
Siamese twins from Germany.
In the summer of 2002 he was diagnosed with prostate cancer and despite three
decades of saving lives, he was faced with the staggering possibility of his own
death. "It was a shock," said Dr. Carson. "I had been living a healthy lifestyle
and getting regular checkups. But I had high grade cancer in a very aggressive
form.
One of Dr. Carson's patients told him about Glyconutrients. Dr. Carson
contacted Dr. Reg McDaniel, an authority on Glyconutrients and medical
director of Manna Relief Inc. "The science made sense to me," Dr. Carson said.
"God gave us (in plants) what we need to remain healthy," he said. "In today's
world our food chain is depleted of nutrients and our environment has helped
destroy what God gave us." Through dietary supplementation, one of the most
significant doctors in the history of medicine decided to support his immune
system with Glyconutrients. And almost immediately he saw an abatement in his
condition. "I had been experiencing some urinary tract problems. The problems
went away within four weeks after I started taking the Glyconutrients," he
said.
“Within twenty minutes of my first dose I felt a profound and incredible change.
I felt a wave of ease and vitality flow through my entire body. I could feel this
sensation flow down my arms and legs and into my thymus gland and heart area.
I could actually feel the health changes in my cells taking place, which was
surprising to say the least! Within three days of taking the supplement, I was
feeling so much better that I was actually able to go swimming in a river and
hike a few miles with my wife. For five months I took a high dose of one
teaspoon a day, and then I dropped to a maintenance dose of a quarter teaspoon
daily. I regained my health!”
Mannose and galactose are the most important of all the different
Glyconutrients. In fact, these two Glyconutrients act as the commander in chief
for all immune system and cell to communication processes. Based on real
scientific evidence, there is absolutely no validity whatsoever when it comes to
the so called eight essential sugar theory that many companies tout in selling
their Glyconutrient products. The bottom line is that the more you increase the
level of other plant sugars in a Glyconutrient product other than Aloe Vera
galactomannans, the more real health properties are diminished.
The primary sources of the 8 simple sugars are mushrooms, gums, and seeds,
while the secondary sources are grains, fruit and vegetables.
1. Glucose is the basic unit of sugar, and is the result of the breakdown of just
about every food we eat.
2. Galactose is present in the fenugreek of the powder and also in a lot of foods
that we normally eat. Galactose is one of the two components of lactose (milk
sugar). Lactose is actually a combination of galactose and glucose that our body
breaks down into its component parts. If you're lactose (milk) intolerant,
galactose is also found in cranberries, blackberries, grapes, apples, figs, brussels
sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, eggplant and asparagus.
Our body is capable of creating the rest of remaining 6 sugars by using the
above two, but because the process is quite complex, it is much easier to
feed our body with those sugars in their native forms.
3. Fucose according to some studies helps with brain functioning and it's mostly
found in reishi mushrooms, kelp and yeast. Another good source of
Glyconutrients (including fucose) is Spirulina (the most nutritionally complete
food on earth and unique vegetarian source of Vitamin B12, and the entire
complex of B vitamins). Spirulina is an excellent source of glyconutrients (16-
20%) including the eight essential monosacccharides, glycoproteins, glycolipids,
etc.
4. Mannose may be the single most important of the eight sugars for us to get
plenty of. One of the main sources is aloe vera, which contains acemannan.
Acemannan is a mannose polysaccharide (i.e. a chain of mannose molecules).
Most commercial supplements of aloe only have very small amounts of
acemannan in them so the best way is to grow the aloe vera oneself.
It is a very handy herb to have in the garden or green house and it is easy to
cultivate and it needs a sunny spot that’s not too moist. We can also use the
glyconutrient powder which does have mannose. This is from the kelp, the
shiitake and the ground fenugreek. Fenugreek contains plenty of
galactomamman, a polysaccharide of mannose and galactose (other sources of
galactomamman are carob gum and guar gum).
Ground fenugreek should be readily available from a good health food store or
supermarket.
Other possible dietary sources of mannose: blackcurrants, red currants,
gooseberries, soybeans, beans, capsicum, cabbage, eggplant, tomatoes, turnip,
celery, cucumbers and radishes.
The recipe for the glyconutrient powder which give large amounts of the key
monosaccharide mannose.
Take 1 heaped tsp twice a day 15 minutes before meals. Sick person should
increase the amount to 2 tsp three times a day. You can mix the powder with an
equal amount of honey or a juice (apple, grape, etc.) just before taking.
Have this with a chondroitin sulphate capsule and you've got all 8 sugars!
To get even more glyconutrients you may (if possible) also take about 5 cm of
an average aloe vera leaf from the garden and using a knife chop it. Aloe
contains a laxative which may lead to diarrhea (from the yellow aloin just under
the skin), so because of that try scraping out and eating just the gel. The aloe
vera needs consuming soon after picking and chopping as mannose is quickly
damaged or degraded after a leaf is picked.
HERBS
Recommended herbs: valerian, hops, burdock root, lemon balm or sweet balm
(Melissa Officinalis).
Avoid drinking salvia (sage) tea. This herb should not be used by anyone with
a tendency to seizures.
One report in a medical journal told of two adults and a child who experienced
tonic-clonic seizures for the first time after using some of these oils. The authors
of this report (Burkhard et al.) listed 11 herbal essential oils that may cause
seizures:
Anyone who has epilepsy should avoid the essential oils on this list. Caution
with others is also a good idea, not only if you have epilepsy but also if you have
other medical disorders or are pregnant. Follow safety instructions about their
use, and let your doctor know if you're planning to use any herbal essential oils.
DIET
For many seizures nutritional treatment have shown amazingly effective results.
The high animal protein diet causes lack of calcium, which plays important role
in sending nerve impulses. Because of that the best solution in case of epilepsy
is the low protein vegan diet.
The main culprits are the following foods that are rich in glutamate and
aspartate, (two very excitatory amino acids):
- Dairy Products: All cow milk products are high in glutamine. Cow-based
cheese that is worst. Casein is very concentrated in cheese and is 20% glutamic
acid by composition.
- Prepared Foods Such As Soups: 70% of prepared foods and many soups
have MSG. AVOID ALL FOOD PREPARED WITH MSG. This may also be
labeled as hydrolyzed vegetable protein, soy protein extract, textured
vegetable protein – or not labeled at all, sadly.
- Meats: All meats are naturally rich in glutamate and aspartate. Rabbit and
turkey are the highest.
- Diet Drinks And Diet or Non-sugared Foods of All Kinds: these are the
primary source of aspartate as they are often sweetened with Nutrasweet, also
called Equal or aspartame. AVOID ALL PRODUCTS CONTAINING THIS
INGREDIENT.
With the large and growing number of seizures caused by aspartame, it is sad to
see that the Epilepsy Foundation is promoting the "safety" of aspartame.
Both the Air Force's magazine, Flying Safety, and the Navy's magazine, Navy
Physiology, published articles warning about the many dangers of aspartame
including the cumulative delirious effects of methanol and the greater likelihood
of birth defects. The articles note that the ingestion of aspartame can make pilots
more susceptible to seizures and vertigo. Over 600 pilots have reported
symptoms including some who have reported suffering grand mal seizures in
the cockpit due to aspartame.
In 1984, there were 3 reports about large amounts of Aspartame increasing
seizure activity. More recently, Aspartame has been found to be unsuitable for
some children with generalized absence Epilepsy. A Queen's University study
looked at the brain-wave patterns in 10 children and the effects of the artificial
sweetener "Nutrasweet". A 40% increase in abnormal brain-wave activity
associated with absence seizures was found in this study.
The list of products that have to be totally excluded from the diet:
All animal products (everything which contains milk, eggs, cheese or meat),
fried foods (if you have to fry use grape seed oil or olive oil), sugar, chocolate,
white refined flower products, cakes, chips, carbonated beverages, hot and spicy
food, pizza, vinegar, pickles, all refined foods, monosodium glutamate.
Avoid all stimulants (alcohol, tea, coffee, cocoa, cola drinks, chocolate, etc.)
Caffeine is so widely consumed around the world in coffee, tea, soft drinks, and
other beverages and foods that you may not think of it as a medicine. But it does
act as a stimulant and a few people report having seizures after they consume it.
It has even been used to prolong purposely induced seizures in psychiatric
patients being treated for depression with electroconvulsive therapy ("shock
treatments"). Besides coffee, tea, cocoa, and cola, you can also find caffeine in
less well-known substances like guarana (Paullinia cupana) and maté (Ilex
paraguariensis). It also appears in combinations of medications and
supplements, so if you don't read the label carefully you may take it
unintentionally. The risks may be greater if it's combined with other stimulants
like ephedra.
Check your diet with pulse and other tests, to know if you are allergic to some
foods (gluten etc).
Do not overeat!
ADDITIONAL RULES
An epileptic should strictly observe all the natural laws of good health and build
and maintain the highest level of general health. He should remain active
mentally but avoid all severe mental and physical stress. And above all, he
should avoid excitements of all kinds.
Drink plenty of the best types of water (soft is better that hard water). When
beginning a nutritional balancing program, distilled water is excellent to help
remove loosely bound toxic metals and toxic chemicals, which may also
contribute indirectly to seizure activity by irritating the nervous system or by
other means.
Toxic metals (lead, copper, mercury, and aluminum) are known to cause
seizure.
Avoid aluminum cookware High levels of aluminum have been found in the
brains of those with epilepsy. Aluminum is a conductor of electricity, and
trace amounts in the brain may trigger seizures.
Do not use aluminum and plastic bags for storing food in the kitchen. Aluminum
can react with food and accumulate in the brain leading to seizures.
Avoid viral infections because it can mobilise the release of dieldrin and
lindane (pesticides) that may be stored in the body's (fat) lipid reserves. This
then increases the probability of convulsions in susceptible individuals during
the period of infection.
Seizures in animals are often worse in winter. This may have to do with lower
serotonin levels.
If the bowels do not move each day, take a lemon enema (juice of 2 lemons in 2
quarts water) before going to bed that night.
Prolonged Neutral Bath daily; sweating process 2-3 times a week; graduated
cold procedures (Tonic Frictions), avoiding prolonged and intense applications.
AFTER ATTACK
Rest; cold to head.
Cmpiled and written by Slawomir Gromadzki: gromaki@btinternet.com