Keto and epilepsy

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mojo6812
mojo6812 Posts: 148 Member
edited November 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
I’ve been researching keto for myself and came across people with epilepsy saying it helps control seizures?
I would just like to know your thoughts on this .
my 20 year old daughter had epilepsy along with other complex special needs conditions and her seizures are daily , she’s also very slim and it’s hard to keep her weight up even though she eats well so I’m wondering if this diet would be good for me to try her on as well? Have those of you with a high metabolism gained a healthy weight or lost?

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  • baconslave
    baconslave Posts: 7,050 Member
    mojo6812 wrote: »
    I’ve been researching keto for myself and came across people with epilepsy saying it helps control seizures?
    I would just like to know your thoughts on this .
    my 20 year old daughter had epilepsy along with other complex special needs conditions and her seizures are daily , she’s also very slim and it’s hard to keep her weight up even though she eats well so I’m wondering if this diet would be good for me to try her on as well? Have those of you with a high metabolism gained a healthy weight or lost?

    Whether or not she gains or loses is entirely dependent on whether or not she eats at a calorie surplus or calorie deficit. And whether or not she's super satiated by fat or not. Ketosis in itself does not cause weightloss. It causes an increase in ketone production, and for some people a decrease in appetite. You'll just have to see how she does. Fat is easier to sneak in foods as it is low volume and calorie dense, as far as raising calories goes, because a little goes a long way in filling up the numbers (calories). But if high fat foods make her feel too full, it may be a problem getting her to gain weight. That part is a YMMV. But it is possible to maintain or gain weight on a ketogenic diet.

    Here are a couple of links to get the research ball rolling.
    https://www.epilepsysociety.org.uk/ketogenic-diet
    https://www.epilepsy.com/learn/treating-seizures-and-epilepsy/dietary-therapies/ketogenic-diet

    HTH


  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
    The medical ketogenic diets tend to differ from the keto diet that people use in everyday life. There tends to be fewer carbohydrates and protein, and more fat. I am not super if a typical nutritional ketogenic diet would be enough to help your daughter, but it could be.

    As stated earlier, calories are king with weight management. Some end up with a reduced appetite when they cut carbs which could be challenging. Extra butter, cheese or fat bomb treats could help with that.

    I too would discuss it with your doctor and start reading up on it.
    Good luck.
    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2898565/
  • Fuzzipeg
    Fuzzipeg Posts: 2,305 Member
    Here in the UK we are having an enquiry into the role a certain oil may have in situations where children have excessive seizures or ones of protracted duration putting their lives constantly "at risk". So far two boys (12 and 9) and one little girl (6), all of whom have had proven results from using this oil in Europe but returned home for the product to be deigned, all of whom had been admitted to critical care before they were granted special licences to use this oil in "extreme medical need". Importation by the parents will have them criminalised. There is research into at least one medical grade product. Having established a role in children's health there is a possibility it could be extended to others older in extreme need. Politically its a minefield separating the true medicinal uses from the so called recreational ones.

    One never stops being concerned for one's child's health be they 4 or 40! Then there are the G-children and the Gg-children. I hope you achieve the best results for your daughter. This might not be the best place to give my general report but depending on local restrictions and your daughters condition, it might be another form of help.
  • aokoye
    aokoye Posts: 3,495 Member
    The only person that I know who have actually been on a ketogenic diet has epilepsy. That said, given how restrictive it is (which is significantly more so than essentially anyone I've read about having tried it for weight related issues), they decided that it simply wasn't sustainable for them. Thankfully their doctors were able to find other options that worked to control their seizures (deep brain stimulation, so it wasn't a non-invastive step).

    From what I've heard from parents whose children have tried ketogenic diets for epilepsy, it can be absolutely miserable. That said, I'm sure I don't have to convince you of the lengths people will go to to try to control epilepsy and I have zero judgment towards them for it.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,055 Member
    I don't know anything about keto for epilepsy, but I've been hearing about cannabis for epilepsy for years. Is medical marijuana an option for your daughter? Might help with her appetite as well.

    https://www.epilepsy.com/learn/treating-seizures-and-epilepsy/other-treatment-approaches/medical-marijuana-and-epilepsy
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  • ruqayyahsmum
    ruqayyahsmum Posts: 1,513 Member
    Several of my friends have children on keto diets due to Thier epilepsy not responding to anti-epileptic medications
    Some are fed a special formula via peg tubes and others have to focus on fat in Thier diet and cutting out carbs
    Mayo and a spoon wouldn't be my first choice of snack

    Have a look for the website special kids in the UK . Org and you can speak to other parents of special needs kids, some of those kids are now adults
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