Dear Sandra,
I don't really know what the link is between male hormones and seizures, though
it is clear that many people have changes in their seizure activity when they go
through puberty. I also know that the thyroid and pituitary glands play an
integral part in the regulation of hormones, and that the pituitary gland has
also been implicated in some seizure disorders.

I'm not surprised that your doctor didn't think that it was important to
consider hormones for your son, but he is reaching an age where they may play a
bigger part -- for better or worse. I have learned that most medical doctors
look at a symptom and the corresponding medication, rather than seeing the
patient as a whole. Your son's epilepsy may be a combination of several
factors, and hormones may be a small part of the puzzle. You're wise to keep
researching and asking questions!

I have talked to some people who found a relationship between their thyroid
function and their seizures. Most of the people that have mentioned it had an
over-active thyroid, but I would suppose that poor thyroid function could be a
problem, too. I happen to have an unstable thyroid that goes low, and I notice
that at those times I'm more susceptible to seizures, though I wouldn't say that
my low thyroid causes the seizures.

In addition, the Women and Epilepsy Initiative, though it is aimed at females,
had some interesting information about hormones and epilepsy. (This initiative
comes from the Epilepsy Foundation of America.) I don't know why, if hormones
affect women, they wouldn't affect men, too. With all of the hormones that are
injected into our meats these days, it seems like there must be a relationship
for all sexes.

So, those are some comments, strictly from a lay-person's vantage point,
regarding hormones. I hope they're helpful to you.

I did have some other thoughts related to a 12 year old, that may be of interest
to you. I have found that fluorescent lights, video games, the computer and our
big screen TV can cause seizures for me. My husband wanted to set up his big
screen TV in a type of movie screen environment, but every time I watched TV in
that room, I felt badly. Since then, I've learned that I need to utilize
incandescent and/or natural light whenever I'm exposed to the computer screen,
fluorescent lights or the TV screen. I don't play video games with the kids at
all any more (although at 19, my baby doesn't play much, either). If your son
is constantly exposed to fluorescent lights at school, you may want to ask his
teachers if a lamp can be set up nearby to diffuse the affects of the overhead
lights, or maybe, there is another area in the classroom where he can do his
reading and paper work.

I hope these ideas are helpful to you, as well. I know how difficult it is to
try to sort through all of this -- I'm still sorting, too! On top of it all, we
have to become "doctors" ourselves, searching for answers and solutions that the
medical profession sometimes seems loathe to provide us. Hang in there! Your
son is blessed to have such a conscientious Mom!
Carrol


Sandra McLauchlan <slmclauchlan@...> wrote: Carrol:
Thank you for your welcome. It's nice to know someone thinks I have a
handle on things. Sometimes I feel like I have no handle on anything. I do
try, though. I try to serve nutritional food all the time and I encourage
the whole family to make healthy choices in the foods they chose to eat when
I'm not cooking. I do know that some junk does cross their lips, though.

It's encouraging to hear of people who have had success with NAET. Thanks
for that.

No, our neurologist has not looked at thyroid or hormones. I asked about
hormones and she indicated that they were only implicated in seizures for
girls. I'm not sure I completely believe her, but I guess I'll have to do
some more research myself before bringing it up again. She does acknowledge
that sometimes after puberty kids outgrow their seizures, though. What did
you have in mind? In what ways do you know of thyroid and hormones being
involved with boys? If you have any information on what I might look into,
please let me know.

Thanks.

Sandra

>From: Carrol Showalter <ColoradoCarrol@...>
>Date: Fri, 17 May 2002 10:58:04 -0700 (PDT)
>
> Hi Sandra,
>Welcome to the group!
>Being 12 is such a difficult age! Making the transition from child to
>teenager, with all of the peer expectations, must make your son feel very
>vulnerable when he has his seizures.
>My daugher doesn't have seizures, but she had great success with NAET for
>her allergies. (She's 19 now.) Her accupuncturist wants me to begin a
>program because she feels certain she can help with my seizures. I do feel
>the need to work with a medical neurologist along with any alternative
>approaches in order to document any progress, real or perceived, that I am
>making.
>I agree that it's important for your son to be self-motivated when it comes
>to any behavior modification approaches you implement. The bio- or
>neuro-feedback might be a great way to go when he is willing to initiate
>the mechanism without your prompting.
>At his age, diet could become a real challenge. His peers are going to
>want to "chow down" on junk food, which could be disastrous for him. It
>sounds like you have a good handle on things, though, so I'm sure you'll be
>attuned to nutritional needs that arise during this time of growth --
>physical and social -- in his life.
>Out of curiousity, has your doctor looked at thyroid or hormone panels
>recently? I just wonder if they might have an impact on his seizure
>activity.
>Again, welcome to the group, and best wishes. Keep us posted!
>Carrol


_________________________________________________________________
MSN Photos is the easiest way to share and print your photos:
http://photos.msn.com/support/worldwide.aspx


Yahoo! Groups SponsorADVERTISEMENT

To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
epilepsyalternatives-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com



Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service.



---------------------------------
Do You Yahoo!?
LAUNCH - Your Yahoo! Music Experience

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]