Your Body’s Bodyguard

Many things can trigger seizures when you have epilepsy. One of many is sickness. It’s essential to keep your immune system strong. Sometimes it’s hard to tell whether changes in your immune system are coming from viruses, genetics, seizures, or even your anti-epileptic drugs (too many options)! During flu season it is especially important to take precautions against getting sick. Seizures AND the flu is double misery! Sometimes what helps us can also hurt us. This is the case with certain anti-epileptic drugs. Some AEDs can cause immunosuppression or cause hypersensitive reactions. Drugs such as carbamazepine, phenytoin, and valproate are known to directly affect the immune system (watch out)! The body’s antibody response is affected, potentially increasing infection risk. An uncontrolled immune response can damage organs and healthy tissue and cause DNA damage. Controlling inflammation is very important! Inflammation disrupts neurotransmitters, weakens the immune system and can cause even greater sickness such as heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. Chronic inflammation is dangerous! Your neurologist should be monitoring blood counts for any changes as well as checking liver and kidney function. Regular blood tests should be ordered to make sure drugs levels are therapeutic and not toxic. Although it may feel like we are helpless since we need AEDs to prevent seizures, there are other ways to help your body. Eating an anti-inflammatory diet (a diet high in whole foods – fruits, veggies, and healthy fats), managing stress, exercising regularly, getting quality sleep, and practicing positive self-thought are all ways to help yourself! Positive thoughts change your body’s hormonal, neural, and immune conditions that determine how your body functions day to day. Consider your self-thought as the operating system of your body. You can influence your inflammation patterns, immune signaling, hormones, digestion, and other physical things with positive thought. You start to believe what you say and hear. Make those things positive. Remember what your mom taught you, “If you don’t have something nice to say, don’t say anything at all.” Your mind is one of the most powerful biological tools you have. Use it for your health’s advantage. What have you got to lose?!