Treatment Options and Foods That Can Trigger Epilepsy
Epilepsy is a neurological condition that causes recurrent seizures. Seizures are sudden, uncontrolled electrical disturbances in the brain that can cause various symptoms, from brief periods of altered consciousness to convulsions and loss of consciousness. Epilepsy can develop at any age but is most commonly diagnosed in children and young adults. There is no cure for epilepsy, but nerve pain medication, anticonvulsant drugs, such as Epidolex (Cannabidiol), Aptiom (Eslicarbazepine acetate), Fycompa (Perampanel), Lyrica (Pregabalin), and Vimpat (lacosamide) can help treat partial-onset seizures. While there are many potential triggers for epilepsy, diet is often one of the most overlooked. Here are specific foods that can trigger seizures in patients with epilepsy: 1. Caffeinated teas and coffee Caffeine is a natural stimulant found in coffee, tea, and cocoa beans and has long been known to trigger seizures in patients with epilepsy. Caffeine is a stimulant that can interfere with medication, making it difficult to control seizures. Caffeine can also cause dehydration, which can lead to seizure activity. For these reasons, patients with epilepsy need to avoid tea and coffee that contain caffeine. 2. Chocolate Chocolate contains a compound called theobromine, which has similar effects to caffeine. Like caffeine, theobromine can interfere with seizure medication and trigger seizures in patients with epilepsy.