Comments on: Epilepsy and Exercise

By: Phylis Feiner Johnson

Phylis Feiner Johnson — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 17:09:16 +0000

I feel terrible for you Rick. My husband (6’5″) has a bad back — bulging disks, torn something-or-other + neuropathy in both legs.

He went to every doc you can think of. But what finally did work for him was: massage, accupuncture and SWIMMING every day. However, it took him 2 years to figure this out and he’s far from ready to run a marathon!!!

By: Ruth Brown

Ruth Brown — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 17:08:28 +0000

Hi Rick, you say you should be quiet now. That is not so, you need to share and help us understand more. This is a support group. we need to help each other.

I have a bad back from my seizures, too. I take codeine for the pain. You say that you fractured your hip. That is the very thing that my doctor is worried about with me. It is quite common for people with epilepsy to fracture bones. Ruth

By: wichitarick

wichitarick — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 16:51:55 +0000

Hello
Yes and I am seeing now these typos are from a “cold” on this machine not my weekly gmals lol.
You know I actually feel like telling myself to shut up at this point because as I sit here at age 47 this last 18mo,s is the slowest of my life and I am weaker now that EVER before .
Just so I am not mis understood I HAVE read huge amounts of info. on these topics but after a while it is what I call “over lapping” information .
I have taken around 12/13 different aed,s and am in a drug study now .
So much Info. is very limited because of the limited research I suppose.
I tend to use info. from college sites though and have rarely “googled” anything except pictures/images .
I am afraid now when I warm up with a long walk that I may not make it back home.
I understand the bad back also ,but something like 1/2 of Americans have some back issues .
O.K. having a real memory here Lol. I have 4 or 5 lower “bulging” disks as defined by 3 doctors I even signed off on this for a insurance settlement from my employer . I just took it in stride took the money and assumed it was working to “hard” and continued working . ok
fast forward a few yrs. I,m still having szs. and thinking about my body/mind a little more and although I was not working I was exercising and remodeling eating well sleeping o.k. and discovered the way I was twisting my body during these LONG gmals probably had a larger factor in how messed up my back was/is than the work?
I truly can see this now because a cpl. of yrs ago I was in the hospital on 24 hr. video and had 3 gmals after about 36 postictal time they gave a brief questionnaire and asked me if my back hurt
duh yes lol because of the way I had twisted in this series of gmals WOW a real awakening .
I was studied some more and given pictures of my back and could see two more disks “bulging” .
This is happening again and now my upper back is pulled . ??? whats next?
Recently over the summer I experienced something new that I have not told to any doctors and few people .
I think (bad habit) I dislocated my hips during gmal szs ? This serious and painful and means I can not walk for extended periods now ,I do not drive and walk with my daughter everywhere so this will be a major factor in my future? I know all the answers from the doctors so I am not wasting time or money to take more pills and sit some more, lol.
On the topic of the exercise I used simple weights and lifted while reading for many mo,s just to maintain my arm strength I now have those silly ankle weights on just to walk around the house and yard but they pull on my knee’s ? lol
Just so I,m understood better my placing of a laugh out loud symbol anywhere is to show especially on certain topics that I still see some of this as big bother to me and to envision my self as weak as I am in just funny .
As phylis says I know death personally also and have most of my life so to see something like a gmal stopping me is a bit odd. Rick

By: Phylis Feiner Johnson

Phylis Feiner Johnson — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 16:47:56 +0000

Sports figures with epilepsy link:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_people_with_epilepsy

You were right all along, Ruth. It just doesn’t go “live” until you hit “submit comment”. Same with edits. After you submit, there will be an “edit this” link under your name, much like they do on the EFA website.

By: Ruth Brown

Ruth Brown — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 16:14:23 +0000

Hi Phylis, you said that the operative word is SLOW. How slow do you mean?

I will try that link again. Is there a way to edit a comment?

How do I underline?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/list_of_people_with_epilepsy

If this does not work would you please put it in Phylis.
Ruth

By: Ruth Brown

Ruth Brown — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 15:58:05 +0000

Sorry, my link is wrong. I will try again:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/listof_people_with_epilepsy

By: Ruth Brown

Ruth Brown — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 15:54:47 +0000

Hi Phylis,

Any exercise I do involves my back somewhat. Whener it is walking or aerobics or other exercises.

Hi Wichitarick,

I agree with you, everyone is different. What one person can do, another one cannot. A slow warm-up and cool down are very important in any exercise.

I use to walk 4 miles 3 times a week. I was very healthy during that time. I had to stop when I had pneumonia.

I can now start up again, but I am starting with half and hour a day. When I can, I will increase it.

You are not rambling, Wichitarick, you are stating facts that we all need. I hope you add more. If you look up this link, you will find that many fa;m;ous sports figures have epilepsy. The link is:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/list of _people_with_epilepsy

You will have to scroll down to the sports.

Ruth

By: Phylis Feiner Johnson

Phylis Feiner Johnson — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 15:41:21 +0000

Thanks. I think that SLOW is the operative word here.

By: wichitarick

wichitarick — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 15:28:21 +0000

Hi
Forgive if this gets lost in the wording but I will try.?
I have been following this since it started making a bit of news in some college papers .
OOps I just remembered I have read a LOT of this recent imfo. and this study with 74 patients lol lol. folks there are 50 states,plus 2 provinces and Canada ,Mexico .
I can apreciate the fact of these links and you highlighted the study of 74 as shown and I feel it is a great study considering the amount of money it might take for hookup 24hrs to eeg and exercise.
it was women and children the kids with intractable E. IT is still limited.
My own findings are similar to what Phylis says
I can only say for me and I am a LOT different than most ,due to hyper activity and just general go,go,go, attitude I had for yrs .
I figured out though it is not the stress from the activity that caused the sz. but when coming down from the activity when the serotonin and other things collapse that the E takes hold and the brain mis fires..also caffeine has an effect at this point
say work,work,run,run,coffee,coffee, then tired put your feet up and brain mis fires.this imfo. was entirely new to me .
But I never noticed I was having partial szs. after work until my saw a clip on t.v. about blacking out and said “oh yeah” you do that all the time lol.
The over heating was not the biggest factor either but the cooling off was and is a big factor for me now.
I know now also that a fever ,heat is a major factor in E and can even lead to death and should be avoided at ALL cost so I do not understand how a marathon can be run leading to a high core temp. a quick cool down then ???? plus the meds side effects mmmmmmmm? I see a HUGE amount of people besides this small study and studies that this effects. I hope my rambling makes a bit offense. warm up slow, cool down slow,and do not over do it. R.C.

By: Phylis Feiner Johnson

Phylis Feiner Johnson — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 13:03:51 +0000

Good idea. I guess your body wasn’t having a very good day and was telling you to quit??? Did you do anything involving your back when you were excercizing?