Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Seizure Frequency and Diet

The following excerpt can be found at this site:
http://dogtorj.tripod.com/id21.html

"In addition to successfully managing the epileptic, the dietary solution provides insight into the wide variety of presentations of this elusive condition. For instance, the typical age of onset in the dog ranges from six months to six years. If this is simply a genetic defect of some sort, why does that first seizure occur over such a wide range of ages? Also, why is it often a progressive condition in the afflicted individual, beginning with milder seizures and longer intervals but changing into more violent attacks that are closer together? This suggests that the cause of the seizures is getting worse over time, doesnt it? The idea that there is a lessening of the epileptics ability to handle the glutamate by a progressive deficiency in the reductase enzymes just makes sense. As the glue-induced malabsorption in the gut worsens, the individuals ability to process the rising glutamate in the brain becomes impaired by the dropping reductase levels. This explains both the variance in age of onset and the shrinking intervals between seizures. In addition, the attacks get more violent, especially once we institute anticonvulsant therapy thereby allowing the levels of glutamate to reach more toxic levels."

Monday, September 22, 2008

Gluten Intolerance? Celiacs?

"I am currently off of all seizure & pain meds & doing GREAT! 
When I went low gluten (only the hidden trace sources) I stopped having seizures. I am walking w/o even a cane. Sleeping in regular bed now w/ lots of pillows"

Read this post by cybermommy/Deb on the following website:
"Neurological conditions eg. multiple sclerosis, motor neurone disease,epilepsy, memory loss.
--Associated with Gluten

Diagnosis of Gluten intolerance in elderly patients is disproportionately high. This is because it is misdiagnosed and under-diagnosed by doctors.  Some Gluten intolerance is identified in children. 
But for others, it is not until much later in life that Gluten intolerance is actually suspected. 
Frequently it is triggered by some life event like divorce, job loss or serious illness.

The symptoms of both Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity (NCGS) and Celiac Disease (CD) become worse with age if left undiagnosed.

Many people suffer from headaches, mouth ulcers, weight gain or weight loss, poor immunity to disease, and skin problems like dermatitis and eczema.

But the common and well-known Gluten intolerance symptoms are gastro-intestinal (diarrhoea, flatulence, bloating etc.)

However sufferers improve dramatically within weeks on a 
Gluten-free diet.

After a few weeks on a gluten-free diet, newly diagnosed Gluten sensitive people find they are free of a raft of other symptoms as well which for years had compromised their lifestyle: flatulence, abdominal cramps, tiredness and their tendency to catch ‘bugs’ and viruses easily.

It is surprising how quickly the small intestine actually heals. Soon you will begin to absorb nutrients from food more effectively. The digestive tract gets back to doing its job normally and you will start feeling well again."