Originally Posted by Porkette

Hi Jules2,
Welcome to the forum! I've had absence a complex partial along with simple partial sz. for 36 yrs. I also had brain surgery twice to help reduce my sz. (seizures) My advice to you and your wife is for her to start taking vitamin B or vitamin B12 once a day, cut back on the carbs, protein, and starch foods and eat foods high in fat if she's able this is known as the ketogenic diet similar to the atkins diet. The diet builds up ketones in the body which stop sz. I've been on the diet for a few yrs. and it's done wonders for me since the surgery only reduced my sz. If epilepsy runs in the family it could be in the genes, but I have a feeling that it has to do with your wifes hormones changing so much since she's pregnant. I know each month I have 2-3 days where I have anywhere from 4-8 sz. in a day and it's all because the hormones are changing in my body. Tell your wife to start keeping a calendar of her sz. Have her write down what time she has any sz. along with a discription of the sz. by doing this her neuro or Epileptologist can see a pattern as to what days of the month, or what time of day/night she is more likely to have any sz. Have her take note also if a low pressure is going on regarding the weather because that will often trigger sz. for some people. Tell her to stay away from nutra sweet (apartame) it has been proven that nutra sweet causes more electrical activity in the brain which can trigger sz. for many people. I found that out the hard way drinking diet soda. Which in turn caused me to have many more sz. If your wife is able she should have a wada test done to see what area of her brain she is using for speech and memory. I found out that my speech was split on both sides of the brain and my neurosurgeon and Epileptolgist told me that they are finding that a lot in women. Have your wife take note also if certain colors trigger sz. for her or if hot water triggers a sz. those are some of the things that cause me to have sz. I've had many e.e.g's vegg, MRI, CT scan Spect scan, Pet scan and wada test and the test showed scar tissue on the right temporal lobe of my brain but when it came time for surgery the Dr. found brain damage on the frontal lobe and left hemisphere of my brain which never showed on any of the tests because the brain damage was in to deep. This could be what's going on with your wife. Its up to you and your wife but I would stay away from neurontin they are having legal issues with the drug and it has caused many people to have status sz. who never had a sz. in there life. I tried the drug and I ended up with absence status sz. Sorry for carrying on so long. I wish you and your wife the best of luck and May God Bless You and Your Family!

Sue