@heatherae
@ckc45
Good Morning!
It is more and more known that there is a strong connection between the gut and the brain. It is even said that the gut might be our first brain as there are more neurotransmissors in this organ than in the brain.
I, for example, have observed that many times after a seizure I need to go to the toilet after it, even if I did it before, showing this close connection between the gut and the brain. Taking gluten out of diet (since January 2022) has had a tremendous positive impact on my seizures. With a gluten free diet, my seizures in the year 2022 were reduced by 60% compared to my seizures in the year of 2021. So, I continue on a gluten free diet. Due to this results, my epileptologist at that time (start of 2023) recommended me a gastroenterologist and SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth) was diagnosed. According to the gastroenterologist, my SIBO was probably caused by an AED that I took for more than one year (2019-2020). Medication was prescribed to me for treating SIBO, helping but not solving it completely. What has helped me the most is an anti-inflammatory diet I have been following since November 2023. This year, I have observed that my seizures in the first semester were 45% lower if compared to the same period last year. As I was diagnosed having refractory temporal lobe epilepsy, AEDs were withdrawn in 2021 and substituted by medical cannabis.
@heatherae is very interesting what you shared here with us, saying that Celiac can cause not only diarrhea (and other gut problems), but also skin rashes. I have skin rashes that appear from time to time (after my SIBO dignosis, it has also been found out through exams that I am gluten intolerant). I had no idea that gut problems could also cause problems outside the gut such as skin rashes. I will discuss it with my gastroenterologist and ask him if this is connected to my SIBO. Thank you so much for sharing that with us!
One last comment. Today I received happy news from a father whose girl has epilepsy. Gluten has been taken out of her diet at the start of this year and she has been seizure free since February. The AEDs she takes do not fully control her seizures, but now together with a gluten-free diet, this girl is showing positive results on her seizures' control.
I share here with you all a video of Dr. David Perlmutter (American neurocientist and neurologist) on Epilepsy & Gluten Sensitivity: https://drperlmutter.com/epilepsy-gluten-sensitivity/
Wishing you all a happy Friday and weekend!
Chris (@santosha)