Epilepsy Talk
Calcium – Friend or Foe?
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After talking to a famous epileptologist, I learned that calcium is really a two-edged sword. Which surprised (and scared) me.
I’ve always read that calcium was imperative if you were taking anti-epilepsy drugs — especially Dilantin. Even if your doc “forgot” to tell you!
Xcopri provides long-term seizure control in patients with focal epilepsy
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Long-term use of Xcopri was safe and reduced seizures by more than 90% in adults with uncontrolled focal seizures, according to results of an open-label extension study published in Neurology.
Tags: breakthrough, long-term seizure control, XCOPRI
MSG: Dangerous or Deadly?
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MSG can be responsible for long term neurological damage.
It’s been linked to diabetes, stroke, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, stomach disorders, fatigue, depression, headaches and migraines, grand mal seizures, irregular or rapid heartbeat, nausea and vomiting, numbness in the fingertips, autism, ADHD, asthma-like symptoms, fibromyalgia type pain, disorientation and confusion, and degenerative disorders such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.
Brand-Name Epilepsy Drug Prices Jumped 277% Over 11-Year Period
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“Compared with 2008, costs for brand-name anti seizure meds (ASMs), rose from approximately $2,800 to $10,700 per year in 2018, while costs for generic brand ASMs dropped $800 to $460. As a result, many generic ASMs cost about 10 times less than their brand-name counterparts…”
Suicide and epilepsy…
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We are in a mental health crisis in this community. And not enough is being done to avert it.
According to a peer-reviewed journal article from Epilepsy and Behavior, statistics concluded that people with epilepsy are 22 times more likely to commit suicide than the general population.
Dilantin – What People Are Saying…
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When I was first diagnosed with epilepsy back in 1969, the availability of AEDs was limited.
Phenobarbital or Dilantin.
Pick your poison.
I chose Dilantin. It was not a pretty picture.
I was a walking zombie, constantly keeling over, and the final insult was when I went into a coma because of toxic blood levels. (No brain, no pain?)
But many have their own serious tales to tell. Here are some of their experiences. And some advice…
Stop the FDA from regulating supplements and nutrients
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The Dietary Supplement Labeling Act pretends to be consumer-oriented, but instead will give the FDA redundant power that it could easily misuse, restricting your access to nutritional supplements and raising the cost of buying them.
In short, nutritional supplements will be regulated like prescription drugs…
Tags: consumer interests, FDA, nutritional supplements, unnecessary legislation
The Mystery of Epilepsy and Celiac Disease
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The relationship between celiac disease and epilepsy has been documented in medical journals for decades. Yet neurologists rarely consider it as an underlying possibility in cases of idiopathic epilepsy.
It never ceases to amaze me what an impact celiac disease can have on one’s life and quality of life, but there is no routine testing for it. Yet, I‘ve been told (and have read) that very few people with epilepsy are told of the possibility of celiac disease!
Tags: brain, celiac disease, Epilepsy, Folic Acid, gluten, malabsorption, nervous system, nutritional deficiency
$56,000 a year for an unproven drug!
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Getting the FDA to retract a decision, is like getting the toothpaste back in the tube, after it’s been squeezed out…
Whether it’s “yes” or “no,” there is no “maybe so”.
A good example is the new all star Alzheimer’s drug aducanumab.
Whether it’s “yes” or “no,” there is no “maybe so”.
Tags: $56000 a year, aducanumab, Alzheimer’s, efficiency, FDA, not proven, patients, risk, side-effects
A ‘Pacemaker’ for the Brain…Reducing Seizures by as Much as 50%…and Depression up to 30%
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Some people know Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) as a treatment for epilepsy, reducing seizures by as much as 50 percent.
It’s designed for the considerable number of patients suffering from medically refractory epilepsy who are not candidates for for resective brain surgery.
This tiny pacemaker-like device, is implanted in the brain to deliver a small amount of electricity when it detects the onset of a seizure.
But, what most people DON’T know know is that Deep Brain Stimulation, can help depression by up to 30 per cent.
Tags: can help depression by up to 30%, DBS, Deep Brain Stimulation, emotions, individualized, nearly 1/3 of the more than 250 million people with depression, one size does not fit all, pacemaker-like device, reducing seizures bu as much as 50%, tiny
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