Epilepsy Monitoing Unit & Blood Sugar?

@hobbitinhopeland
Do you have diabetes? I would imagine if you told them you feel worse or that your seizures are worse after eating they would test your blood sugar but of course I don’t know. it just seems like a logical thing to do. If you don’t already have a blood sugar testing kit it would be a good idea to get one so you could test your own. I have never noticed that particular problem with my seizures so I’m afraid I’m not much help.
Jake

Hi @hobbitinhopeland
I just know that there are recent studies showing a correlation between some types of epilepsy and the gut, but little is still known yet about the reasons for it. Have a look on the internet!
Santosha

No diabetes. But I was recently taken to hospital in ambulance (unrelated to seizures) and they tested my sugar. It was 69, which seems low. Good idea about getting a home testing kit. Such things are over the counter now, I think. Haven't used one in, oh gosh, nearly 20 years I think.

That's interesting. I had ibs for many (awful) years. That's thankfully a thing of the past for reasons lifestyle and medical. Sometimes I get impatient for science to figure things out (I've had epilepsy for nearly 20 years), but then I think what life was like just 100 years ago for people with seizures and we certainly have it relatively better.

@hobbitinhopeland
Have you mentioned you feel worse – or have worse seizures – after meals to your Neorologist? If so what did s/he say?
Jake

No, I just recently noticed the pattern. But I put it on my list to ask about when I go to the EMU.

Secretion of insulin and other islet hormones are influenced by the hypothalamus and other brain areas. Also, insulin action in the hypothalamus influences both energy balance and glucose metabolism. I would question where the epileptic activity is happening in the brain- is it close to or involving the hypothalamus? It sounds like you are having reactive hypoglycaemia if levels are low following meals, as opposed to non reactive hypoglycaemia. I don’t know the answer to any of these questions, but I do know that epilepsy seems very closely tied to wacky hormonal stuff. It seems odd to me that it’s been around as long as brains but we still understand so very little.

Hi @hobhobbitinhopeland
As @jennsprung mentioned, there is still much to be researched and discovered. But certainly, we are better off today than people with epilepsy at the beginning of the last century! Yes, let's look at it as half-full glass instead of half-empty glass.
You said that you have epilepsy for nearly 20 years. Would you mind sharing what kind of epilepsy you have? I have ELT for around 40 years (I am 50 today), though I have been diagnosed with epilepsy just a few years ago when the disease has progressed and started to bring much discomfort.
Have a nice day!
Santosha