Anyone with epilepsy trying to lose weight? Need friends.

I just wanted to say that I'm incredibly sorry that you had to go through that, and good luck with your weight loss journey. :flowerforyou:

Hi .. I have been on MFP for nearly 2 years now and have devoloped a circle of virtual friends that are more like family than anything else. They keep me going, keep my moving, keep me company in the journey. I hope that I give them as much as I they give me. I will send you a friend request and if you would like to accept it, I will try to keep you company along the way as you regain your own health and happiness. If you don't accept it, that's fine.. no hard feelings. Regardless, my best wishes to you..

Hiya love. Sorry you've had such a hard time of it. I was diagnosed with temporal lobe epilepsy when I was 14. On and off different meds, fit free for a few years and since joining the gym it's started up again which is strange. I have been big since a child so epilepsy was just the icing on the cake. You definitely need to have supportive people around you so feel free to add me and I'll help however I can. I totally understand the social side of things with epilepsy. My memory is quite badly affected and I'll forget how to speak, how to read. Thank god for patient friends but it was very hard getting the confidence to speak up. I don't care any more my friends know I'm a nut nut. Good luck on your weight loss journey. Consistency is the key xxx

Hi Angie! I was diagnosed with temporal lobe epilepsy back in 2002!
Unfortunately, I have had seizures if I go to the gym and work out "too hard." I'll be on one of the elliptical machines or stairclimbers and I'll faint and fall on the floor! The people at the gym (half the time) won't realize it's a seizure and think I'm working out "too hard."
I love to work out, so this makes it very hard!
I'm hoping this will stop and I'll be able to get back into the swing of things.
I'm glad to see that you have been succeeding at losing weight, so keep up the good work!
You can add me as one of your friends if you'd like.

I'm in the same situation. Exercise induces seizures for me and one of the meds I'm on causes weight gain so it is really really difficult to stay healthy. Even with low impact workouts I still have problems. Amy advice?

Hi! It's so interesting I would find your post today. I went to the neurologist last week and will go for an EEG this week to see if my childhood epilepsy is back, or never really disappeared, rather. I had tonic clonics before I went to kindergarten, but they stopped. Now, a doctor is concerned with symptoms I've had my whole life that are getting worse that are symptoms of temporal lobe epilepsy. I'm really concerned with gaining all my weight back if I need to get back on medications. I'd love to support you and, if applicable, share epilepsy notes. Add me if you like!

I was diagnosed with epilepsy when I was 9, I am 37 now. I was also taking a med that had a weight gain side effect my entire life but never had an issue until recently due to a hormone imbalance. I changed my meds a few months ago to one that doesnt have that side effect.

As far as diet pills go, I have never been able to take them. I did try and every time I did, I had a seizure. To me, it's not worth it. Frustrating, yes but in the end it is much more worth the extra time and effort that goes into being healthy and staying healthy rather than a quick fix and having the weight more likely to come back.

Would also love to have some friends in the same boat as I am, feel free to add me if you like!

One of my best female friends is and luckily her episodes are very rare now. She just got on WW for her wedding (I set her up with my old roommate) and she goes on and off. The high stress of planning a wedding, a boss that's horribly abusive but pays more than anyone else, and having her fiancee being shipped to Afghanistan have made it hard to stay on track. I think when he leaves it'll probably be easier :P

I have had epilepsy since I was 9, and now I am 30. I am lucky that my meds control my seizures and have not had a grand mal in over 10 years. However, ever since I was put on tegretol as a child, my appetite was larger than it used to be, so as a kid from age 10 and up I was a little bit chunkier than most kids my age, and certainly bigger than my sisters. I am trying to lose 75lbs now, and of course am off tegretol, but I find it really hard sometimes dealing with epilepsy and weight loss. I think its hard for me to make sure I am eating right and not to go back to the cravings. Also, the meds also give me side effects that sometimes are hard to deal with, and make me not want to work out some days, however, I know I have to work through that and get to where I want to be. If anyone wants to friend me, be my guest..It is important that we all have the support we need to succeed.

Hello fellow epileptics!
I have been looking at and trying MFP for a while now but never committed to it, so it is nice to find you here.
I have had epilepsy since I was 13 (petite mals), it went away for a while then came back at the age of 30 when I started having grand mals also. I have been on so many drugs throughout my life. After my first grand mal, I was put on depakote and it made me gain weight, had so many debilitating side effects, and made my energy levels DROP. Topamax made me lose weight at first then gain it back. About 4 years ago I started ballroom dancing and I lost about 20 pounds. I felt fantastic. Then,very stressful life events got the best of me, I started having seizures again and gained even more weight. I recently have been put on Lamictal. Its the best one so far. Energy levels back, feel less numbed out and 'dumb' (didn't like having conversations, many language problems). So now, I've got my 'head in the game'. Yoga helps with balance and confidence. Now I need to do cardio to help me sleep better (which we all know is essential for us), nutritional habits and of course to look great! I would love to have some friends who know what this is like and the challenges that are unique to us epileptics and those challenges that everyone has when they try to change their lives.

I don't have epilepsy but I do have a brain injury and vision loss from a tumor resection. My brain injury support group leader told me weight gain is common with such people. Although I certainly don't blame my injury for my weight, my weight just exploded after it happened.