caffeine - when does it help?
 

Hello -- I've read that astrocytes are good candidates for both causing and spreading epilepsy: causing, by developing an over-active production of extracellular ATP with an attendant decrease in the ratio of ATP to adenosine; and spreading, via gap junctions which perhaps convey ATP synthase or signals that increase ATP production as well as astrogliosis, the over-production of astrocytes. Wrong-acting astrocytes and wrong levels of ATP might be part of autism too. To balance ATP and calm one might block the adenosine receptor A2a, keeping adenosine in extracellular play and reducing the signals that lead to the astrocytes' producing the synthase that generates ATP.

Caffeine blocks the A2a receptor. Moderate amounts of caffeine, then, might slowly restore proper astrocyte activity and proper ratios of ATP/adenosine. (I can imagine late-night caffeine or large amounts having extraneous effects -- disturbing sleep, creating general excitability around local epileptic sites, etc.)

I give my 8-yr-old daughter about 120mg caffeine daily, as a cup of green tea. Before I started doing so she had what looked like a couple of seizures; since starting the tea I haven't noticed any. Has anyone reading this experimented with caffeine, and if so, what amounts, taken when, seem to do what?

Hi Tim,

Welcome to the forum! In all the yrs. that I have had epilepsy (41 yrs.) I have had to cut back on the caffeine because it will cause more electrical activity in the brain firing up neurons and then trigger seizures. My Epileptologist had even told me to limit myself to 4 cups of caffeine a day that's including chocolate and soda. What you might want to give your daughter is vitamin B12 once a day. This works great calming the nerves down and it has decreased my sz. greatly. Also cut your daughter back on carbs and starch foods and have her stay away from anything with NutraSweet (aspartame) in it this has been proven to trigger sz. and also cause much more electrical activity in a person brain. Here's wishing you and your daughter only the best and May God Bless You Both!

Sue

There are many other actions in green tea, besides the caffeine.

For example, green tea contains something that blocks bradykinin receptors.

http://link.springer.com/article/10....0687884#page-1

Excess bradykinin may build up in people with a genetic mutation,
called hereditary angioedema. They lack the enzyme to metabolize and reduce bradykinin in the body.

Excess bradykinin appears to open the blood brain barrier and allow fluid into the brain (and perhaps other things the brain cannot handle). Blocking this action therefore may reduce cerebral edema.