Three Anti-Seizure Diets That Could Change Your Life…

Three Anti-Seizure Diets That Could Change Your Life… | February 15, 2018

Just when you feel that all is lost, and you’re about to give up on your meds, there is another option. (In fact, there are three!)

They may not beat your epilepsy (although some people say they do!)

But they can help reduce your seizures and the amounts of medication needed.

The Ketogenic Diet — one of the oldest treatments for epilepsy.

There are many children for whom epilepsy medications like Lamictal, Depakote, and Zarotin are ineffective in controlling or even reducing seizures.

These drugs, especially in combination, can also cause unpredictable and serious side-effects.

That’s why many parents have turned to alternative therapies for seizure management.

Because ketones seem to have an anti-convulsive effect, one of the most promising and least invasive alternative treatments for seizures has been the Ketogenic Diet.

The diet is a high fat, adequate protein, low carbohydrate diet which works by fasting which in turn, creates ketones, which are by-products of the fat-burning metabolism that happens while fasting.

And during this time, the body goes into a state known as ketosis— which has an anti-convulsant effect.

Seizures often lessen or disappear during these periods of fasting.

With careful and proper monitoring, the Ketogenic Diet has been found to reduce seizures in two-thirds, and eliminate seizures in one-third, of all children for whom anti-epileptic drugs are ineffective.

And if it is successful, it’s usually continued for two years.

During this time, children are often gradually able to lessen or discontinue the amount of medication they take for seizures.

And interestingly, many children seem happier and more alert on the diet, even before medication is significantly lessened.

The Atkins Diet — may reduce seizures in children with epilepsy.

Along with helping some people shed unwanted pounds, the popular low-carbohydrate, high-fat Atkins Diet may also have a role in preventing seizures in children with epilepsy.

That good news comes from the prestigious Johns Hopkins Children’s Center.

In a limited study, patients 12 years old and younger on the Atkins regimen for at least four months.

Two children and one young adult were seizure-free and were able to reduce their anti-convulsant medications.

Findings of the study, also showed that seizure control could be long-lasting on the diet…for as much as 20 months.

The researchers caution that the Atkins Diet should not lead to routine use in children with epilepsy, nor should it be used to replace the Ketogenic Diet — the rigorous high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet already proven to reduce or eliminate difficult-to-control seizures in some patients.

The common elements in both diets are high fat and low carbohydrate foods that alter the body’s glucose chemistry.

The Ketogenic Diet mimics some of the effects of starvation, in which the body produces ketones, a chemical byproduct of fat that can inhibit seizures.

The Atkins Diet, while slightly less restrictive than the Ketogenic Diet, also produces ketones.

In the short-term, the Atkins Diet could be used by selected patients as a “trial run” for those considering the Ketogenic Diet in the future.

In the Johns Hopkins study, five out of six patients attained ketosis within days of starting the Atkins Diet and maintained moderate to large levels of ketosis for periods of six weeks to 24 months.

MAD — Modified Atkins Diet — more user-friendly.

Although it’s referred to as “MAD”, the Modified Atkins Diet is really the best of both possible worlds.

This modified version of the popular high-protein, low-carbohydrate Atkins Diet can significantly cut the number of seizures in adults and children too.

Offering a new lifeline for patients when drugs and other treatments fail or cause complications.

It’s a less restrictive, higher in protein and carbohydrates, a dietary therapy for epilepsy for those who would otherwise use the Ketogenic Diet.

So far, it’s been used and researched for the past five years with outcomes similar to the Ketogenic Diet.

Recent data has also suggested this valuable new therapy leads to a rapid seizure improvement when effective.

It’s not exactly know, how ketones reduce and eliminate seizures, or why the diet works for some and not others.

Researchers are especially interested in why some children remain seizure-free after discontinuing the diet.

Further research is needed, since the Modified Atkins Diet has only been used since 2004.

But it’s promising to note that clinical research did show that about half the patients experienced a 50 percent reduction in the frequency of their seizures by the first clinic visit.

About a third of the patients halved the frequency of seizures by three months.

Side effects linked with the diet, such as a rise in cholesterol or triglycerides, were mild.

In general, the Modified Atkins Diet is recommended for: adolescents, adults, and younger children with difficulty staying on or starting the Ketogenic Diet…families with limited time…those lacking financial resources to cover the costs involved with the Ketogenic Diet…and patients at centers with limited dietitian support.

Good news: The Modified Atkins Diet doesn’t deprive you of rich foods like butter, peanut butter, mayonnaise, oils, cheese, bacon, eggs, hamburger, and whipped cream.

The diet doesn’t cause children to become overweight, and overweight children often lose weight.

But daily supplements are necessary to replace vitamins that are missing in the diet.

Suggested vitamins include: Vitamin B-1…Vitamin B-2…Vitamin B-3…Vitamin C…Folate…Vitamins D…and E.

Check your multi-vitamin to see if ALL of these are included..

Although there are considerably fewer side effects than with drugs, the Modified Atkins Diet for seizures can cause dehydration, constipation and, occasionally, kidney and gall stone complications.

Side effects can also develop in children who are unable to digest large amounts of fat.

As with all treatments, initial evaluation and careful monitoring by parents, a neurologist, and a nutritionist are all mandatory.

We do know that the Modified Atkins Diet for seizures is as effective, less restrictive, and far easier than the Ketogenic Diet.

It’s an inexpensive alternative treatment option with few side effects that often works when all else has failed.

And that is good news for all of us who have tried previous diets and given up hope or even the strict discipline.

G.A.R.D –The Glutamate-Aspartate Restricted Diet – a life-long elimination diet.

Let me start by saying the G.A.R.D diet is highly controversial.

While some claim “dramatic improvements in the severity and frequency of their seizures,” others find it a diet difficult to maintain.

And if you cheat a smidgen, your seizures will come back.

So, consider this a life-long commitment…or else just skip it.

Essentially, the G.A.R.D is an elimination diet, specifying definite foods (which includes food products and ingredients) that must be avoided.

So strict vigilance is mandatory for this diet to work.

Here is a line-up of the forbidden foods: gluten – commonly derived from wheat and grains…casein – protein found in cow milk (and most dairy products)…soy…corn – including corn syrup and corn derivative products…MSG (mono-sodium glutamate) – a very common food ingredient in processed foods even though it is rarely clearly labeled as such…aspartame – commonly used as a sugar substitute…glutamate – found in high concentrations in most beans/legumes…and hydrogenated oils.

And if that’s not depressing enough, there are no clinical trials proving the effectiveness of the G.A.R.D Diet, just anecdotal evidence.

However, if it does work for you, seizure control could begin within days to weeks after starting the diet.

The only good news I can see, is the G.A.R.D Diet is a carbohydrate junkie’s dream come true.

But there’s so many other foods and ingredients you have to sacrifice, it hardly seems worth it to me.

To subscribe to Epilepsy Talk and receive the latest articles by email, simply go to the bottom box of the right column and click on “Follow!”

Resources:

https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/news/media/releases/ketogenic_diet_shown_safe_and_effective_option_for_some_with_rare_and_severest_form_of_epilepsy__

https://www.webmd.com/epilepsy/the-ketogenic-diet#1

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/transcripts/1585_epilepsy-ketogenic-diet-and-other-dietary-therapies

https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/neurology_neurosurgery/centers_clinics/epilepsy/treatment/dietary_therapy.html

https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/news/media/releases/modified_atkins_diet_effectively_treats_childhood_seizures

https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/news/media/releases/modified_atkins_diet_can_cut_epileptic_seizures_in_adults

https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/news/publications/hopkins_medicine_magazine/archives/winter_2011/atkins_meets_epilepsy

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/11/151125083815.htm

https://www.epilepsy.com/learn/treating-seizures-and-epilepsy/dietary-therapies/modified-atkins-diet

http://atkinsforseizures.com/

https://charliefoundation.org/modified-atkins/

http://dogtorj.com/the-g-a-r-d-made-simple/

https://survivingwonderland2.wordpress.com/2013/11/08/gard-glutamateaspartate-restricted-diet/

Posted in Epilepsy, Medication Issues, Research
Tags: Atkins Diet, Epilepsy, G.A.R.D Diet, Ketogenic Diet, long-lasting seizure control, Modified Atkins Diet, reduce seizures, reduce seizures and the amounts of medication needed

53 Comments »

Any of this work on adults? And to quote Captain Jack Sparrow – “What about the rum?”

LikeLiked by 1 person

Comment by Kate Jacques — February 15, 2018 @ 10:56 AM

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- Both the Atkins Diet and the Modified Atkins diet. I find the Modified Atkins Diet to be most user-friendly.
  
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  Comment by Phylis Feiner Johnson — February 15, 2018 @ 11:24 AM
  
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Hi Phylis-

Always interesting articles. I have read about this diet before; but the problem lies in the carbohydrates; I am diabetic and therefore a certain number of carbs is required each day. Also, I cannot have aspartame. It gives me headaches.

Thanks anyway!

Karen

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Comment by Karen Frandsen — February 15, 2018 @ 12:05 PM

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- Just as well you stay away from any aspartame.
  
  Aspartame interacts with anti-seizure medication.
  
  And over the years, various reports have implicated aspartame in headaches, memory loss, seizures, vision loss, coma, and cancer.
  
  It also appears to worsen or mimic the symptoms of such conditions as fibromyalgia, MS, lupus, ADD, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, chronic fatigue, and depression.
  
  And, after receiving some 10,000 consumer complaints, the FDA compiled a list of 92 symptoms linked to aspartame — including death.
  
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  Comment by Phylis Feiner Johnson — February 15, 2018 @ 2:30 PM
  
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I have been on the Modified Atkins diet for nearly three years. It has been very effective at controlling the complex partial seizures. It has not reduced the auras (simple partial seizures) which I have everyday. So far, the meds my doctor has tried, have also failed to control the auras, often making them more intense. I am very happy with what the diet does for me and do not consider it difficult to keep up with it.

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Comment by david — February 15, 2018 @ 12:07 PM

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- I’m also a fan of the Modified Atkins diet.
  
  But what about those auras? Is there a trigger? A reason? A diagnosis?
  
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  Comment by Phylis Feiner Johnson — February 15, 2018 @ 2:32 PM
  
  Reply
- Hi David,
  Just read article on Keto diet and MAD helping with seizures. I have friend with increasing seizure and change in meds due to bone marrow suppression.. Looking for any alternative or complimentary adjunct to helpd decrease severity. So MAD worked for you?
  Thanks for your time,
  Beth
  
  LikeLiked by 1 person
  
  Comment by Beth — September 30, 2018 @ 8:42 AM
  
  Reply
  - I’ve found the Modified Atkins Diet (MAD) to be the most user-friendly of the epilepsy diets.
    
    Plus there’s the advantage of weight loss and/or weight control.
    
    Here’s some more information:
    
    The Modified Atkins Diet (MAD) for Seizures
    
    http://atkinsforseizures.com/#
    
    LikeLike
    
    Comment by Phylis Feiner Johnson — September 30, 2018 @ 11:09 AM
The G A R D option seems to be more of a realistic choice, after learning THE HARD WAY that KETOGENIC & MAD diets both have MSG’s in the foods or fermented foods are included which can produce more glutamate in the brain, while no MSG would be in the food itself. So what is the problem to tell any person with a seizure condition that all EXCITOTOXINS aka food preservatives, additives & chemicals like MSG’s ASPARATAME’s, NITRITES & NITRATES can all cause seizures & to stay away from any of those foods in your life ? Really this has been a problem for me for over 50 years & still no neurologist will ever make this a TOP PRIORITY in treating & maybe curing anyone living with a seizure condition. It can not be a DISORDER, when any food or many foods ARE THE ROOT CAUSE for why seizures can & will happen. If it were a DISORDER as everyone loves to call it,, there would be more concern maybe of the condition, if there were a drug to solve it, but wait for FDA to ban all of the GOOD coconut oils in the future, as they are not all the same, that some do have MSG in them that FDA allows.

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Comment by C D — February 15, 2018 @ 1:10 PM

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- Coconut oil?
  
  The Miracle of the Coconut
  
  https://epilepsytalk.com/2015/05/12/the-miracle-of-the-coconut/
  
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  Comment by Phylis Feiner Johnson — February 15, 2018 @ 2:35 PM
  
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- To most people, what I say about doctors is not liked. All throw my earlier life, I was having several seizures. Starting in 2014, I decided to have a much healthier diet and to lower my medicine. I did this on my own because I know that my doctors would tell me “no” if I asked them if I could change my medicine. I also know that doctors don’t know a thing about what a good eatting diet should be, for epilepsy. I, on my own, am much healthier than in my past.
  
  LikeLiked by 2 people
  
  Comment by whittemore1958 — February 17, 2018 @ 11:24 PM
  
  Reply
  - Good for you!
    
    You might be interested in this article, although it’s probably not news to you!
    
    Epilepsy Fighting Foods
    
    https://epilepsytalk.com/2015/10/24/epilepsy-fighting-foods/
    
    LikeLike
    
    Comment by Phylis Feiner Johnson — February 18, 2018 @ 10:19 AM
I agree that you shouldn’t dismiss the G.A.R.D. plan out of hand like that. It eliminates all the “junk” e.g. gluten, MSG, fake sweeteners, and hydrogenated oils. It doesn’t have to be an either/or choice. You can do some version of low carb and still keep an eye on these deadly pollutants.
In fact, there is a lot of overlap between going low carb by cutting out bread, Twinkies, and crunchy things that come in a bag, and the G.A.R.D. protocol.
In my personal experience, the G.A.R.D. protocol was the missing piece of the puzzle long after I had gone low carb.

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Comment by paleobird — February 15, 2018 @ 3:36 PM

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- Girl, you sure are more disciplined than me! 🙂
  
  LikeLiked by 1 person
  
  Comment by Phylis Feiner Johnson — February 15, 2018 @ 4:45 PM
  
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  - I am re-reading the GARD plan now. I am replacing all cow’s milk and cheese with goat’s milk-see if this improves things. You may be interested to know that I had a hormone implant in my arm. This increased my seizures from 1-2 times a month to 4! There may have been complex reasons for this (mineral imbalance) Needless to say it’s now been taken out. You do have to be careful.
    
    LikeLiked by 1 person
    
    Comment by teachersian — April 11, 2018 @ 11:02 AM
  - I’d love to know what happens. I find the G.U.A.R.D. diet requires really intense dedication.
    
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    Comment by Phylis Feiner Johnson — April 11, 2018 @ 12:39 PM
- I’ve lived on a diet free of anything like aspartame and MSG for all of my adult life, and large parts of my childhood, but I am still having seizures, so it can’t just be these chemicals that cause seizures.
  
  How do people who are vegetarian, verging on vegan manage on these diets?
  
  LikeLiked by 1 person
  
  Comment by Phyllis Green — September 2, 2020 @ 12:22 PM
  
  Reply
  - That’s a very good question. There is lots of protein to be found in beans, grains and legumes. But I suppose that would be “cheating”.
    
    I think if you’re a vegan, you may have to pass and invent your own diet of eliminations. (Not that you have much to choose from.)
    
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    Comment by Phylis Feiner Johnson — September 2, 2020 @ 2:17 PM
- totally agree 100 % on breads , chips , salts only bread is no gluton tortillas , even the oils , coconut oil organic the best .. for Butter , i switched to Irish butter taste better too .. lost close to 50 lbs , but now , drs are noticing the loss
  
  LikeLiked by 1 person
  
  Comment by Cathy Flowers — March 2, 2022 @ 10:08 AM
  
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The G.A.R.D. protocol also cures migraines. Just sayin’

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Comment by paleobird — February 15, 2018 @ 3:39 PM

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- Wow. Great information to have. Thanks!
  
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  Comment by Phylis Feiner Johnson — February 15, 2018 @ 4:47 PM
  
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I have been doing Modified Atkins Diet mixed with Paleo since 2014. I started with MAD alone from 2010-12 as part of a clinical trial through John’s Hopkins University. I have found it works even better with Paleo. My Functional Medicine aunt recommended that way to me after I went off a year and experienced seizures. MAD with Paleo has been great, plus I have been adjusting it as I find out things I am allergic to. I can’t have Splenda, so I use Lakanto (a Monk fruit sweetener) or Stevia-based ones. Been using a lot of nut-based milks and butters. Grass-fed butter too. Been using a lot of coconut oil too. Also coconut wraps in place of bread. I eat grass-fed meats on my diet, along with trying to get nitrite and nitrate-free bacon. I started the diet after my surgeries didn’t stop my seizures.

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Comment by trekkie80sgirl — February 15, 2018 @ 6:26 PM

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- Wow, it sounds like you been through a lot to find your solution. But it works, and that’s great.
  
  I’m a big fan of coconut, too.
  
  The Miracle of the Coconut
  
  https://epilepsytalk.com/2015/05/12/the-miracle-of-the-coconut/
  
  LikeLike
  
  Comment by Phylis Feiner Johnson — February 16, 2018 @ 8:37 AM
  
  Reply
  - That’s really interesting. I’ll look into the paleo diet too.
    
    LikeLiked by 1 person
    
    Comment by teachersian — April 11, 2018 @ 7:56 AM
  - I’ve never tried it. Tell me what you think.
    
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    Comment by Phylis Feiner Johnson — April 11, 2018 @ 9:33 AM
Thanks, Phylis! BWH recently had an epilepsy group that had a nutritional seminar on the MAD diet. I am glad you warned of kidney stones.

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Comment by megambon2164 — February 16, 2018 @ 8:53 AM

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- I guess great minds think alike.
  
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  Comment by Phylis Feiner Johnson — February 16, 2018 @ 8:58 AM
  
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I have grand mal seizures and had the first one I have known about in 20 yrs. I have not been on medication for more than that. I started Lamictal and Keppra generics as of last night. I have barely been able to function at all today and severely depressed. How long does this last for?

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Comment by DJ — April 21, 2018 @ 3:50 PM

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- Usually, it takes 4-6 weeks to cross the blood/brain barrier.
  
  I don’t take Keppra.
  
  But when I started Lamictal, it made me crazy/hyper.
  
  Once I adjusted my bedtime dose to 6:00 PM, all was well.
  
  No side effects and 99% seizure-free for 10+ years.
  
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  Comment by Phylis Feiner Johnson — April 21, 2018 @ 4:33 PM
  
  Reply
  - Medications are a very personal thing. Lamictal gave me terrible joint pain – it got worse not better as I had to increase the dose, and was still getting worse after three months – and worsened the seizure situation. It affected my hair, too. Keppra gave me insomnia, with nightmares when I did manage to sleep, and memory problems. Tegretol (my current medication) also causes problems, particularly some weight gain, but out of the three that I’ve tried, it gives the fewest. I could try more, but I just couldn’t face going through the switchover period of being on two drugs again, and possibly ending up with something worse with the next one. I’ve gone through the two more modern ones (Keppra and Lamictal). Anything else will be older and so perhaps not so ‘good’. If I keep having seizures, though, I may be forced tothink again.
    
    LikeLiked by 1 person
    
    Comment by Phyllis Green — September 3, 2020 @ 11:48 AM
  - Phyllis, have you considered the VNS?
    
    Vagus Nerve Stimulation…Is it for YOU? https://epilepsytalk.com/2011/03/13/vagus-nerve-stimulation%e2%80%a6is-it-for-you/
    
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    Comment by Phylis Feiner Johnson — September 3, 2020 @ 2:19 PM
  - Thinking about this again, do you really need both drugs? If you’ve not been on medication, I’m a bit surprised that they gave you two right at the beginning. They didn’t do that with me, and I was very sick.
    
    Another thing that you may need to be aware of is the issue of generics. They are supposedly the same as the brand names, but for some people, they just don’t work the same. I think that this is perhaps truer of some of the drugs than others.
    
    LikeLiked by 1 person
    
    Comment by Phyllis Green — September 10, 2020 @ 7:34 PM
  - Phyllis, regarding generic drugs: they are actually 80% of the original formulary and 20% unknown “filler”. A little scary, since you don’t know what that 20% could be.
    
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    Comment by Phylis Feiner Johnson — September 10, 2020 @ 8:40 PM
I never wanted to go onto the atkin’s Diet. I felt like it would not be what I would be interested in because of the types of food. I went onto my own type of food diet, starting back when I was 56 years old. I’m still on it, at my age of 60. I’ll be on this forever. Not 100%, but close to it, I’m gluten-free, soy-free, corn syrup-free, dairy-free, pestiside-free. It’s so much easier than it looks, I feel so much better!

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Comment by whittemore1958 — May 19, 2018 @ 11:34 PM

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- Good for you! And also for finding your own solution.
  
  Congratulations!
  
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  Comment by Phylis Feiner Johnson — May 20, 2018 @ 9:49 AM
  
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I always tell people that they are purposely poisoning the food supply. It’s a form of population control. they know exactly what they are doing. Take GMO foods, and also trees and flowers. Food allergies are increasing as well as the fact we are ingesting the built in pesticides. Pollen in my opinion is worse every year. If the trees are hardier and ressistant to disease then it only makes sense that the pollen is stronger .

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Comment by Tom — April 15, 2019 @ 2:47 PM

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- I think it’s the GMOs that are more at fault.
  
  This article may interest you:
  
  Is it Organic?
  
  Is it Organic?
  
  As far as the pollen goes, that’s a tough one…
  
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  Comment by Phylis Feiner Johnson — April 15, 2019 @ 3:00 PM
  
  Reply
An herbalist I know explained to me how ALL BREADS, no matter how they are made from whole wheat, grains or whatever, they all are saturated with chemicals that affects the CNS & all brain chemistry. It starts with the gluten & the MSG’s they use to make all bread have long shelf life, and years ago I remember as a kid & teenager, seeing store owners throwing out 3 to 4 day old bread out to the birds, dogs & cats to eat. DAVE’S BREADS you can get at WALMART & a few other stores & the bread SIMPLY NATURE that can be bought at ALDI stores are the only 2 I use of the wheat & grain brands. When you SEE & FEEL the differences in those 2 brands compares to all the other brands sold everywhere, you do not mind paying over $4.00 a loaf because I know how a seizure is a HIGH RISK chance of happening, if those other brands of bread were eaten. I need to look more into the replacement dough you can buy from my herbalist again, as it is near $5.00 + to make your own breads & pastas that will not have the toxins in that bread /yeast product.

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Comment by C D — April 22, 2019 @ 8:57 PM

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- Making your own breads and pastas is not a bad way to go.
  
  I have a friend who does it and they’re really yummy.
  
  But what about the other gluten products?
  
  Epilepsy and Celiac Disease
  
  https://epilepsytalk.com/2011/02/24/epilepsy-and-celiac-disease/
  
  Unsafe Gluten Food List
  
  Unsafe Gluten Food List
  
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  Comment by Phylis Feiner Johnson — April 23, 2019 @ 9:46 AM
  
  Reply
Knowing how I have seen that I have been on the G A R D diet, one that I for the last 15 or more years I KNOW is a major job every week when buying foods & drink just WHAT you are to buy to safely eat or drink the VERY FEW foods you can buy & eat without a fear of a seizure happening to you. I have noticed if I decide say to eat MEAT LOAF as all know what that food is like. TOMATO has its own form of MSG, but if or when you may use the P&G products of ANY tomato items in a can, there is ADDED MANUFACTURED & SYNTHETIC MSG’s in it as all ketchup’s have MSG’s. So what do you do if you like those type of foods. My aunt years ago nearly 20 showed me how she used sugar in her good CHILLI, which I thought adding sugar was crazy. I did tell her that it at times gave me seizure feelings which I did not know why. She said to me try sugar on the chilli in a spoonful or 2 &see how I like it. WOW,, it did cut down on the tomato acid, and I didn’t mind to eat more, after eating the 1st bowl, as I just added enough to know there was sugar in chilli. Later I found that I had NO seizure feeling, but to know my aunt, she had small bowls for her food servings, Then I thought back in summer time I eat FRIED TOMATOS with sugar sprinkled on them after 2 to 3 minutes of frying each side & I never had seizure feelings or aruas from those fried tomato slices. So my question is WILL SUGAR ALWAYS DEPLETE THE MSG’s & THE WAY IT CAN FIRE UP THE BRAIN, WHILE GLUCOSE SEEMS TO ADD MORE GLUCOSE LEVELS TO YOUR BRAIN TO PREVENT SEIZURE AURAS & ACTIVITY ? Why can’t a neurologist answer this when you say this to them, they seems to say,,, ”’Well the FDA shows no evidence or facts to the issues of how glucose & glutamate levels can be effected from sugar, but some of them will always say ASPARTAME is better to use than sugar. So maybe buy a $1.50 can of tomato soup have it then see what happens, then have another can & add sugar to it, & see how much more relaxed you feel, as sugar is known to be a feel good food condiment that also can help DOPAMINE levels in the brain for some people. This isn’t rocket science, it’s only brain chemistry that I believe WE ALL HAVE MORE IN COMMON that neurologists & BIG PHARMA wants us to believe that we are SO DIFFERENT, but MOST OF US have the same side effects from the AED’s we all are taking. Ask a neurologist about that, & it is all a coincedence in their world, which I believe we are all MORE similar with side effects & etc,, based on what our BLOOD TYPE is. Neurologist can’t or will not say nothing about that either for us.

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Comment by James D — April 25, 2020 @ 9:11 PM

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I think I’d rather eat like you James than even attempt the G.A.R.D Diet!

That’s like a commitment to hell, IMHO.

But, wow. What you said about sugar is a real eye-opener.

(May I please have some of those fried tomatoes?)

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Comment by Phylis Feiner Johnson — April 25, 2020 @ 9:57 PM

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I have tried many meds and a couple of resections and still didn’t have control. I certainly had gained weight, was tired and just dull. I figured I could try the MAD diet. My epi doc happens to be the head of the epilepsy dietary therapy clinic where I go. So I figured if I was going to try it she would be my best shot. I have great instructions and guidance for her and her dietitian. Unfortunately I didn’t get seizure control with the diet. HOWEVER, I lost all that stupid side effect weight, am awake, alert and feel so much better. We talked it through and I will stay on the diet for all of its positive side effects. I am more than willing to give up carbs and feel back like my old self instead of tired, fat and lazy!

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Comment by Cindy Fiser — April 29, 2020 @ 9:03 AM

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- I found the MAD diet to be the most user-friendly.
  
  Happily, I had been 99% seizure-free before that.
  
  But I feel the same way as you. Better, more energetic, and as a bonus, I’ve been losing weight!
  
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  Comment by Phylis Feiner Johnson — April 29, 2020 @ 12:13 PM
  
  Reply
Re: VNS, I very much doubt that I’d be considered a candidate for it, as medication mostly controls my seizures, whatever I think about the effects of them.

The MAD diet doesn’t seem very easy if you are vegetarian/vegan.

LikeLiked by 1 person

Comment by Phyllis Green — September 3, 2020 @ 4:41 PM

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- It seems you’re between a rock and a hard place. 😦
  
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  Comment by Phylis Feiner Johnson — September 3, 2020 @ 5:58 PM
  
  Reply
I have been on the MAD diet. It did not help my seizure control which is a bummer. HOWEVER, the side effects of the diet have made me feel so much better physically I’m going to stay on it for the positive side effects. I lost all that stupid side effect weight, am more alert, feel more sharp, less tired. All things that made life harder. My epileptologist is with a epilepsy dietary therapy clinic and is fine with that. I am going to transition to the LGIT diet which others have found helpful with seizure control. Some info on that diet would be helpful for others since it is part of the dietary therapy for seizure control group. Thanks for all the info.

LikeLiked by 1 person

Comment by Cindy Fiser — November 17, 2020 @ 9:26 AM

Reply
- Personally, I love the MAD diet and find that not only is it user-friendly, I had the same results as you.
  
  As for the LGIT diet, I know nothing about it, but here are some links:
  
  https://www.epilepsy.com/learn/treating-seizures-and-epilepsy/dietary-therapies/low-glycemic-index-treatment
  
  https://charliefoundation.org/low-glycemic-index-treatment/
  
  https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1528-1167.2008.01832.x
  
  LikeLike
  
  Comment by Phylis Feiner Johnson — November 17, 2020 @ 9:38 AM
  
  Reply
I read over all comments & my own too. Even since my last one, I have realized more so why we ALL need to keep a record & watch the pattern of seizures or seizure activity & always go BACK << to that last meal or last few meals as to WHAT may had been in a food or a drink that gave the seizure experience or seizure activity to happen. Not just foods & drink will do this as AED's like ZONEGRAN & most of the generic made AED's will cause more seizure activity that seizures themselves, BUT never think that could never happen especially as you start that new drugs & see the seizure activity increase more often as you go UP with MGS every week or 2 on that drug. Then while doing that & eating the 95% + of all pro-seizure foods I call them, it gets harder to decide if a drug or a food or drink is making your life hell. It's easier to quit a drug, that to stop eating a food or any drink you are always drinking. DIET & ENERGY drinks are the worst as is BEER with all the NITRATES & NITRITES in beer.I maybe have had 4 beers in my life & less than that of TAB after getting petit mals after drinking it, & other diet sodas & 0 energy drinks in my life. There needs to be a diet called '''the 95-5 diet'''. as less than 5% of the foods are SAFE to have, while more than 95% of the rest of the foods are RUSSIAN ROULETTE foods that in a short time or a long time will destroy brain chemistry & the CNS to where GABA can never be produced naturally & normally with normal brain activity & normal brain function. After over 60 years of having seizures, there's where I am at & I have that same food & drinks, where water & drink 80% or more of & milk maybe 20% or less of daily as I know Calcium is not always a friend to brain chemistry & HEART health as well, which is why more so I ( and most others may) need GABA, the inhibitory acting neurotransmitter that relaxes the CNS, instead of GLUTAMATE that's also made naturally which excites the CNS as an excititory acting neurotransmitter that will effect GLUCOSE LEVELS when then they become lower & GLUTAMATE becomes higher & then is when all the hell starts most of the time for most of us So WHO keeps a job or can even have a good job with a brain chemistry like that ? I like to know how Albert Einstein controlled his brain chemistry, IF he did. I know you can be smart having seizures / epilepsy, but NOT be rich, You come in the world naked, & go out of it, with a suit or a dress on. Why give away to others for those others to fight over what is left when they take 0 with them when they die as you take 0 at the time of your death ?

LikeLiked by 1 person

Comment by James D — June 30, 2021 @ 9:58 AM

Reply
- Fabulous explanation James. Thanks!!!
  
  LikeLike
  
  Comment by Phylis Feiner Johnson — June 30, 2021 @ 11:36 AM
  
  Reply
Can those pills that put you into ketosis work? What are your thoughts on this?

LikeLiked by 1 person

Comment by jackie — July 17, 2021 @ 10:28 AM

Reply
- The pills are a fraud. Only depend upon the nutrition and science of the diet and how it works.
  
  LikeLike
  
  Comment by Phylis Feiner Johnson — July 17, 2021 @ 11:07 AM
  
  Reply
I’ve used the MAD diet but now changed it to the LGIT diet. Is that used as a “keto” type of diet also?

LikeLiked by 1 person

Comment by Cindy Fiser — September 17, 2021 @ 2:46 PM

Reply
- The Low Glycemic Index Treatment (LGIT) is a diet that emphasizes complex carbohydrates over simple sugars, and is not intended to promote ketosis.
  
  Developed in 2002 as an alternative to the Ketogenic Diet, the LGIT constricts both the total amount of daily carbs and the Glycemic Index, referring to the effect on blood glucose after eating.
  
  As a general rule, the rate at which a particular food is digested and absorbed affects its glycemic index – so adding oil to a high carb meal reduces its glycemic index.
  
  The LGIT allows for an increased intake of carbohydrates versus a more strict Ketogenic Diet.
  
  Meals are based on portion sizes rather than measurement, allowing for a more flexible lifestyle.
  
  https://charliefoundation.org/diet-plans/low-glycemic-index-treatment/
  
  LikeLike
  
  Comment by Phylis Feiner Johnson — September 17, 2021 @ 5:52 PM
  
  Reply

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Any of this work on adults? And to quote Captain Jack Sparrow – “What about the rum?”

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Comment by Kate Jacques — February 15, 2018 @ 10:56 AM

Both the Atkins Diet and the Modified Atkins diet. I find the Modified Atkins Diet to be most user-friendly.

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Comment by Phylis Feiner Johnson — February 15, 2018 @ 11:24 AM

Hi Phylis-

Always interesting articles. I have read about this diet before; but the problem lies in the carbohydrates; I am diabetic and therefore a certain number of carbs is required each day. Also, I cannot have aspartame. It gives me headaches.

Thanks anyway!

Karen

Comment by Karen Frandsen — February 15, 2018 @ 12:05 PM

Just as well you stay away from any aspartame.

Aspartame interacts with anti-seizure medication.

And over the years, various reports have implicated aspartame in headaches, memory loss, seizures, vision loss, coma, and cancer.

It also appears to worsen or mimic the symptoms of such conditions as fibromyalgia, MS, lupus, ADD, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, chronic fatigue, and depression.

And, after receiving some 10,000 consumer complaints, the FDA compiled a list of 92 symptoms linked to aspartame — including death.

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Comment by Phylis Feiner Johnson — February 15, 2018 @ 2:30 PM

I have been on the Modified Atkins diet for nearly three years. It has been very effective at controlling the complex partial seizures. It has not reduced the auras (simple partial seizures) which I have everyday. So far, the meds my doctor has tried, have also failed to control the auras, often making them more intense. I am very happy with what the diet does for me and do not consider it difficult to keep up with it.

Comment by david — February 15, 2018 @ 12:07 PM

I’m also a fan of the Modified Atkins diet.

But what about those auras? Is there a trigger? A reason? A diagnosis?

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Comment by Phylis Feiner Johnson — February 15, 2018 @ 2:32 PM

Hi David,
Just read article on Keto diet and MAD helping with seizures. I have friend with increasing seizure and change in meds due to bone marrow suppression.. Looking for any alternative or complimentary adjunct to helpd decrease severity. So MAD worked for you?
Thanks for your time,
Beth

LikeLiked by 1 person

Comment by Beth — September 30, 2018 @ 8:42 AM

- I’ve found the Modified Atkins Diet (MAD) to be the most user-friendly of the epilepsy diets.
  
  Plus there’s the advantage of weight loss and/or weight control.
  
  Here’s some more information:
  
  The Modified Atkins Diet (MAD) for Seizures
  
  http://atkinsforseizures.com/#
  
  LikeLike
  
  Comment by Phylis Feiner Johnson — September 30, 2018 @ 11:09 AM

The G A R D option seems to be more of a realistic choice, after learning THE HARD WAY that KETOGENIC & MAD diets both have MSG’s in the foods or fermented foods are included which can produce more glutamate in the brain, while no MSG would be in the food itself. So what is the problem to tell any person with a seizure condition that all EXCITOTOXINS aka food preservatives, additives & chemicals like MSG’s ASPARATAME’s, NITRITES & NITRATES can all cause seizures & to stay away from any of those foods in your life ? Really this has been a problem for me for over 50 years & still no neurologist will ever make this a TOP PRIORITY in treating & maybe curing anyone living with a seizure condition. It can not be a DISORDER, when any food or many foods ARE THE ROOT CAUSE for why seizures can & will happen. If it were a DISORDER as everyone loves to call it,, there would be more concern maybe of the condition, if there were a drug to solve it, but wait for FDA to ban all of the GOOD coconut oils in the future, as they are not all the same, that some do have MSG in them that FDA allows.

Comment by C D — February 15, 2018 @ 1:10 PM

Coconut oil?

The Miracle of the Coconut

https://epilepsytalk.com/2015/05/12/the-miracle-of-the-coconut/

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Comment by Phylis Feiner Johnson — February 15, 2018 @ 2:35 PM

To most people, what I say about doctors is not liked. All throw my earlier life, I was having several seizures. Starting in 2014, I decided to have a much healthier diet and to lower my medicine. I did this on my own because I know that my doctors would tell me “no” if I asked them if I could change my medicine. I also know that doctors don’t know a thing about what a good eatting diet should be, for epilepsy. I, on my own, am much healthier than in my past.

LikeLiked by 2 people

Comment by whittemore1958 — February 17, 2018 @ 11:24 PM

- Good for you!
  
  You might be interested in this article, although it’s probably not news to you!
  
  Epilepsy Fighting Foods
  
  https://epilepsytalk.com/2015/10/24/epilepsy-fighting-foods/
  
  LikeLike
  
  Comment by Phylis Feiner Johnson — February 18, 2018 @ 10:19 AM

I agree that you shouldn’t dismiss the G.A.R.D. plan out of hand like that. It eliminates all the “junk” e.g. gluten, MSG, fake sweeteners, and hydrogenated oils. It doesn’t have to be an either/or choice. You can do some version of low carb and still keep an eye on these deadly pollutants.
In fact, there is a lot of overlap between going low carb by cutting out bread, Twinkies, and crunchy things that come in a bag, and the G.A.R.D. protocol.
In my personal experience, the G.A.R.D. protocol was the missing piece of the puzzle long after I had gone low carb.

LikeLiked by 2 people

Comment by paleobird — February 15, 2018 @ 3:36 PM

Girl, you sure are more disciplined than me! 🙂

LikeLiked by 1 person

Comment by Phylis Feiner Johnson — February 15, 2018 @ 4:45 PM

- I am re-reading the GARD plan now. I am replacing all cow’s milk and cheese with goat’s milk-see if this improves things. You may be interested to know that I had a hormone implant in my arm. This increased my seizures from 1-2 times a month to 4! There may have been complex reasons for this (mineral imbalance) Needless to say it’s now been taken out. You do have to be careful.
  
  LikeLiked by 1 person
  
  Comment by teachersian — April 11, 2018 @ 11:02 AM
- I’d love to know what happens. I find the G.U.A.R.D. diet requires really intense dedication.
  
  LikeLike
  
  Comment by Phylis Feiner Johnson — April 11, 2018 @ 12:39 PM
I’ve lived on a diet free of anything like aspartame and MSG for all of my adult life, and large parts of my childhood, but I am still having seizures, so it can’t just be these chemicals that cause seizures.

How do people who are vegetarian, verging on vegan manage on these diets?

LikeLiked by 1 person

Comment by Phyllis Green — September 2, 2020 @ 12:22 PM

- That’s a very good question. There is lots of protein to be found in beans, grains and legumes. But I suppose that would be “cheating”.
  
  I think if you’re a vegan, you may have to pass and invent your own diet of eliminations. (Not that you have much to choose from.)
  
  LikeLike
  
  Comment by Phylis Feiner Johnson — September 2, 2020 @ 2:17 PM
totally agree 100 % on breads , chips , salts only bread is no gluton tortillas , even the oils , coconut oil organic the best .. for Butter , i switched to Irish butter taste better too .. lost close to 50 lbs , but now , drs are noticing the loss

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Comment by Cathy Flowers — March 2, 2022 @ 10:08 AM

The G.A.R.D. protocol also cures migraines. Just sayin’

Comment by paleobird — February 15, 2018 @ 3:39 PM

Wow. Great information to have. Thanks!

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Comment by Phylis Feiner Johnson — February 15, 2018 @ 4:47 PM

I have been doing Modified Atkins Diet mixed with Paleo since 2014. I started with MAD alone from 2010-12 as part of a clinical trial through John’s Hopkins University. I have found it works even better with Paleo. My Functional Medicine aunt recommended that way to me after I went off a year and experienced seizures. MAD with Paleo has been great, plus I have been adjusting it as I find out things I am allergic to. I can’t have Splenda, so I use Lakanto (a Monk fruit sweetener) or Stevia-based ones. Been using a lot of nut-based milks and butters. Grass-fed butter too. Been using a lot of coconut oil too. Also coconut wraps in place of bread. I eat grass-fed meats on my diet, along with trying to get nitrite and nitrate-free bacon. I started the diet after my surgeries didn’t stop my seizures.

Comment by trekkie80sgirl — February 15, 2018 @ 6:26 PM

Wow, it sounds like you been through a lot to find your solution. But it works, and that’s great.

I’m a big fan of coconut, too.

The Miracle of the Coconut

https://epilepsytalk.com/2015/05/12/the-miracle-of-the-coconut/

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Comment by Phylis Feiner Johnson — February 16, 2018 @ 8:37 AM

- That’s really interesting. I’ll look into the paleo diet too.
  
  LikeLiked by 1 person
  
  Comment by teachersian — April 11, 2018 @ 7:56 AM
- I’ve never tried it. Tell me what you think.
  
  LikeLike
  
  Comment by Phylis Feiner Johnson — April 11, 2018 @ 9:33 AM

Thanks, Phylis! BWH recently had an epilepsy group that had a nutritional seminar on the MAD diet. I am glad you warned of kidney stones.

Comment by megambon2164 — February 16, 2018 @ 8:53 AM

I guess great minds think alike.

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Comment by Phylis Feiner Johnson — February 16, 2018 @ 8:58 AM

I have grand mal seizures and had the first one I have known about in 20 yrs. I have not been on medication for more than that. I started Lamictal and Keppra generics as of last night. I have barely been able to function at all today and severely depressed. How long does this last for?

Comment by DJ — April 21, 2018 @ 3:50 PM

Usually, it takes 4-6 weeks to cross the blood/brain barrier.

I don’t take Keppra.

But when I started Lamictal, it made me crazy/hyper.

Once I adjusted my bedtime dose to 6:00 PM, all was well.

No side effects and 99% seizure-free for 10+ years.

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Comment by Phylis Feiner Johnson — April 21, 2018 @ 4:33 PM

- Medications are a very personal thing. Lamictal gave me terrible joint pain – it got worse not better as I had to increase the dose, and was still getting worse after three months – and worsened the seizure situation. It affected my hair, too. Keppra gave me insomnia, with nightmares when I did manage to sleep, and memory problems. Tegretol (my current medication) also causes problems, particularly some weight gain, but out of the three that I’ve tried, it gives the fewest. I could try more, but I just couldn’t face going through the switchover period of being on two drugs again, and possibly ending up with something worse with the next one. I’ve gone through the two more modern ones (Keppra and Lamictal). Anything else will be older and so perhaps not so ‘good’. If I keep having seizures, though, I may be forced tothink again.
  
  LikeLiked by 1 person
  
  Comment by Phyllis Green — September 3, 2020 @ 11:48 AM
- Phyllis, have you considered the VNS?
  
  Vagus Nerve Stimulation…Is it for YOU? https://epilepsytalk.com/2011/03/13/vagus-nerve-stimulation%e2%80%a6is-it-for-you/
  
  LikeLike
  
  Comment by Phylis Feiner Johnson — September 3, 2020 @ 2:19 PM
- Thinking about this again, do you really need both drugs? If you’ve not been on medication, I’m a bit surprised that they gave you two right at the beginning. They didn’t do that with me, and I was very sick.
  
  Another thing that you may need to be aware of is the issue of generics. They are supposedly the same as the brand names, but for some people, they just don’t work the same. I think that this is perhaps truer of some of the drugs than others.
  
  LikeLiked by 1 person
  
  Comment by Phyllis Green — September 10, 2020 @ 7:34 PM
- Phyllis, regarding generic drugs: they are actually 80% of the original formulary and 20% unknown “filler”. A little scary, since you don’t know what that 20% could be.
  
  LikeLike
  
  Comment by Phylis Feiner Johnson — September 10, 2020 @ 8:40 PM

I never wanted to go onto the atkin’s Diet. I felt like it would not be what I would be interested in because of the types of food. I went onto my own type of food diet, starting back when I was 56 years old. I’m still on it, at my age of 60. I’ll be on this forever. Not 100%, but close to it, I’m gluten-free, soy-free, corn syrup-free, dairy-free, pestiside-free. It’s so much easier than it looks, I feel so much better!

Comment by whittemore1958 — May 19, 2018 @ 11:34 PM

Good for you! And also for finding your own solution.

Congratulations!

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Comment by Phylis Feiner Johnson — May 20, 2018 @ 9:49 AM

I always tell people that they are purposely poisoning the food supply. It’s a form of population control. they know exactly what they are doing. Take GMO foods, and also trees and flowers. Food allergies are increasing as well as the fact we are ingesting the built in pesticides. Pollen in my opinion is worse every year. If the trees are hardier and ressistant to disease then it only makes sense that the pollen is stronger .

Comment by Tom — April 15, 2019 @ 2:47 PM

I think it’s the GMOs that are more at fault.

This article may interest you:

Is it Organic?

Is it Organic?

As far as the pollen goes, that’s a tough one…

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Comment by Phylis Feiner Johnson — April 15, 2019 @ 3:00 PM

An herbalist I know explained to me how ALL BREADS, no matter how they are made from whole wheat, grains or whatever, they all are saturated with chemicals that affects the CNS & all brain chemistry. It starts with the gluten & the MSG’s they use to make all bread have long shelf life, and years ago I remember as a kid & teenager, seeing store owners throwing out 3 to 4 day old bread out to the birds, dogs & cats to eat. DAVE’S BREADS you can get at WALMART & a few other stores & the bread SIMPLY NATURE that can be bought at ALDI stores are the only 2 I use of the wheat & grain brands. When you SEE & FEEL the differences in those 2 brands compares to all the other brands sold everywhere, you do not mind paying over $4.00 a loaf because I know how a seizure is a HIGH RISK chance of happening, if those other brands of bread were eaten. I need to look more into the replacement dough you can buy from my herbalist again, as it is near $5.00 + to make your own breads & pastas that will not have the toxins in that bread /yeast product.

Comment by C D — April 22, 2019 @ 8:57 PM

Making your own breads and pastas is not a bad way to go.

I have a friend who does it and they’re really yummy.

But what about the other gluten products?

Epilepsy and Celiac Disease

https://epilepsytalk.com/2011/02/24/epilepsy-and-celiac-disease/

Unsafe Gluten Food List

Unsafe Gluten Food List

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Comment by Phylis Feiner Johnson — April 23, 2019 @ 9:46 AM

Knowing how I have seen that I have been on the G A R D diet, one that I for the last 15 or more years I KNOW is a major job every week when buying foods & drink just WHAT you are to buy to safely eat or drink the VERY FEW foods you can buy & eat without a fear of a seizure happening to you. I have noticed if I decide say to eat MEAT LOAF as all know what that food is like. TOMATO has its own form of MSG, but if or when you may use the P&G products of ANY tomato items in a can, there is ADDED MANUFACTURED & SYNTHETIC MSG’s in it as all ketchup’s have MSG’s. So what do you do if you like those type of foods. My aunt years ago nearly 20 showed me how she used sugar in her good CHILLI, which I thought adding sugar was crazy. I did tell her that it at times gave me seizure feelings which I did not know why. She said to me try sugar on the chilli in a spoonful or 2 &see how I like it. WOW,, it did cut down on the tomato acid, and I didn’t mind to eat more, after eating the 1st bowl, as I just added enough to know there was sugar in chilli. Later I found that I had NO seizure feeling, but to know my aunt, she had small bowls for her food servings, Then I thought back in summer time I eat FRIED TOMATOS with sugar sprinkled on them after 2 to 3 minutes of frying each side & I never had seizure feelings or aruas from those fried tomato slices. So my question is WILL SUGAR ALWAYS DEPLETE THE MSG’s & THE WAY IT CAN FIRE UP THE BRAIN, WHILE GLUCOSE SEEMS TO ADD MORE GLUCOSE LEVELS TO YOUR BRAIN TO PREVENT SEIZURE AURAS & ACTIVITY ? Why can’t a neurologist answer this when you say this to them, they seems to say,,, ”’Well the FDA shows no evidence or facts to the issues of how glucose & glutamate levels can be effected from sugar, but some of them will always say ASPARTAME is better to use than sugar. So maybe buy a $1.50 can of tomato soup have it then see what happens, then have another can & add sugar to it, & see how much more relaxed you feel, as sugar is known to be a feel good food condiment that also can help DOPAMINE levels in the brain for some people. This isn’t rocket science, it’s only brain chemistry that I believe WE ALL HAVE MORE IN COMMON that neurologists & BIG PHARMA wants us to believe that we are SO DIFFERENT, but MOST OF US have the same side effects from the AED’s we all are taking. Ask a neurologist about that, & it is all a coincedence in their world, which I believe we are all MORE similar with side effects & etc,, based on what our BLOOD TYPE is. Neurologist can’t or will not say nothing about that either for us.

Comment by James D — April 25, 2020 @ 9:11 PM

I think I’d rather eat like you James than even attempt the G.A.R.D Diet!

That’s like a commitment to hell, IMHO.

But, wow. What you said about sugar is a real eye-opener.

(May I please have some of those fried tomatoes?)

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Comment by Phylis Feiner Johnson — April 25, 2020 @ 9:57 PM

I have tried many meds and a couple of resections and still didn’t have control. I certainly had gained weight, was tired and just dull. I figured I could try the MAD diet. My epi doc happens to be the head of the epilepsy dietary therapy clinic where I go. So I figured if I was going to try it she would be my best shot. I have great instructions and guidance for her and her dietitian. Unfortunately I didn’t get seizure control with the diet. HOWEVER, I lost all that stupid side effect weight, am awake, alert and feel so much better. We talked it through and I will stay on the diet for all of its positive side effects. I am more than willing to give up carbs and feel back like my old self instead of tired, fat and lazy!

Comment by Cindy Fiser — April 29, 2020 @ 9:03 AM

I found the MAD diet to be the most user-friendly.

Happily, I had been 99% seizure-free before that.

But I feel the same way as you. Better, more energetic, and as a bonus, I’ve been losing weight!

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Comment by Phylis Feiner Johnson — April 29, 2020 @ 12:13 PM

Re: VNS, I very much doubt that I’d be considered a candidate for it, as medication mostly controls my seizures, whatever I think about the effects of them.

The MAD diet doesn’t seem very easy if you are vegetarian/vegan.

Comment by Phyllis Green — September 3, 2020 @ 4:41 PM

It seems you’re between a rock and a hard place. 😦

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Comment by Phylis Feiner Johnson — September 3, 2020 @ 5:58 PM

I have been on the MAD diet. It did not help my seizure control which is a bummer. HOWEVER, the side effects of the diet have made me feel so much better physically I’m going to stay on it for the positive side effects. I lost all that stupid side effect weight, am more alert, feel more sharp, less tired. All things that made life harder. My epileptologist is with a epilepsy dietary therapy clinic and is fine with that. I am going to transition to the LGIT diet which others have found helpful with seizure control. Some info on that diet would be helpful for others since it is part of the dietary therapy for seizure control group. Thanks for all the info.

Comment by Cindy Fiser — November 17, 2020 @ 9:26 AM

Personally, I love the MAD diet and find that not only is it user-friendly, I had the same results as you.

As for the LGIT diet, I know nothing about it, but here are some links:

https://www.epilepsy.com/learn/treating-seizures-and-epilepsy/dietary-therapies/low-glycemic-index-treatment

https://charliefoundation.org/low-glycemic-index-treatment/

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1528-1167.2008.01832.x

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Comment by Phylis Feiner Johnson — November 17, 2020 @ 9:38 AM

I read over all comments & my own too. Even since my last one, I have realized more so why we ALL need to keep a record & watch the pattern of seizures or seizure activity & always go BACK << to that last meal or last few meals as to WHAT may had been in a food or a drink that gave the seizure experience or seizure activity to happen. Not just foods & drink will do this as AED's like ZONEGRAN & most of the generic made AED's will cause more seizure activity that seizures themselves, BUT never think that could never happen especially as you start that new drugs & see the seizure activity increase more often as you go UP with MGS every week or 2 on that drug. Then while doing that & eating the 95% + of all pro-seizure foods I call them, it gets harder to decide if a drug or a food or drink is making your life hell. It's easier to quit a drug, that to stop eating a food or any drink you are always drinking. DIET & ENERGY drinks are the worst as is BEER with all the NITRATES & NITRITES in beer.I maybe have had 4 beers in my life & less than that of TAB after getting petit mals after drinking it, & other diet sodas & 0 energy drinks in my life. There needs to be a diet called '''the 95-5 diet'''. as less than 5% of the foods are SAFE to have, while more than 95% of the rest of the foods are RUSSIAN ROULETTE foods that in a short time or a long time will destroy brain chemistry & the CNS to where GABA can never be produced naturally & normally with normal brain activity & normal brain function. After over 60 years of having seizures, there's where I am at & I have that same food & drinks, where water & drink 80% or more of & milk maybe 20% or less of daily as I know Calcium is not always a friend to brain chemistry & HEART health as well, which is why more so I ( and most others may) need GABA, the inhibitory acting neurotransmitter that relaxes the CNS, instead of GLUTAMATE that's also made naturally which excites the CNS as an excititory acting neurotransmitter that will effect GLUCOSE LEVELS when then they become lower & GLUTAMATE becomes higher & then is when all the hell starts most of the time for most of us So WHO keeps a job or can even have a good job with a brain chemistry like that ? I like to know how Albert Einstein controlled his brain chemistry, IF he did. I know you can be smart having seizures / epilepsy, but NOT be rich, You come in the world naked, & go out of it, with a suit or a dress on. Why give away to others for those others to fight over what is left when they take 0 with them when they die as you take 0 at the time of your death ?

Comment by James D — June 30, 2021 @ 9:58 AM

Fabulous explanation James. Thanks!!!

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Comment by Phylis Feiner Johnson — June 30, 2021 @ 11:36 AM

Can those pills that put you into ketosis work? What are your thoughts on this?

Comment by jackie — July 17, 2021 @ 10:28 AM

The pills are a fraud. Only depend upon the nutrition and science of the diet and how it works.

LikeLike

Comment by Phylis Feiner Johnson — July 17, 2021 @ 11:07 AM

I’ve used the MAD diet but now changed it to the LGIT diet. Is that used as a “keto” type of diet also?

Comment by Cindy Fiser — September 17, 2021 @ 2:46 PM

The Low Glycemic Index Treatment (LGIT) is a diet that emphasizes complex carbohydrates over simple sugars, and is not intended to promote ketosis.

Developed in 2002 as an alternative to the Ketogenic Diet, the LGIT constricts both the total amount of daily carbs and the Glycemic Index, referring to the effect on blood glucose after eating.

As a general rule, the rate at which a particular food is digested and absorbed affects its glycemic index – so adding oil to a high carb meal reduces its glycemic index.

The LGIT allows for an increased intake of carbohydrates versus a more strict Ketogenic Diet.

Meals are based on portion sizes rather than measurement, allowing for a more flexible lifestyle.

https://charliefoundation.org/diet-plans/low-glycemic-index-treatment/

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Comment by Phylis Feiner Johnson — September 17, 2021 @ 5:52 PM

Epilepsy Talk