According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), epilepsy is a type of brain disorder that results in periodic seizures. These convulsions occur when the brains nerve cells emit erroneous signals. Although epilepsy is incurable, certain medication can help manage its symptoms. The side effects of some of these drugs can lead to weight loss. According to the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), epilepsy is not a mental illness. However the condition might in some cases lead to depression, which can also cause weight loss.
Weight Loss & Medication
Although weight gain seems to be a problem with some anti-seizure drugs for epilepsy, others appear to the opposite effect. According to the Epilepsy Foundation, a loss of appetite and subsequent weight loss are side effects of some antiepileptic medications including carbamezepine (Carbatrol, Equetro, Tegretol, Tegretol XR), felbamate (Felbatol) and divalproex sodium (Depakote, Depakote ER).
The Children's Epilepsy Program at the Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne, Australia says people, especially children, with epilepsy are prescribed antiepileptic medications with the hope of reducing the number, severity, and/or length of seizures.
Weight Loss & Mood
The Epilepsy Foundation says that, when a person with epilepsy loses weight, it could be due to a low mood which can sometimes result in a decreased appetite. According to the International Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry (IJNNP), some estimates rate the chances of an epileptic suffering from depression in his or her lifetime as high as 55 percent. The IJNNP suggests that depression in epilepsy might be connected temporally to seizures. The temporal lobes are highly linked with memory skills.
Some studies have suggested that adults with epilepsy are at greater risk of suicide than the general public. According to Psychiatry Online, researchers at Columbia University and the University of Reykjavik, Iceland, discovered a possible connection between depression, suicide, and epilepsy. The report, supported by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, proposed that the link between suicide and epilepsy most likely involves different brain mechanisms. The report was published online in 2005 in the Annals of Neurology (see References below).
Weight Loss Management
Consult your doctor If you are concerned about your weight loss. You can discuss whether your medication is affecting your weight or whether it is related to your current dosage. It may be that a generic version of your medication might not have loss of appetite as a side effect. You can also talk about whether depression might be contributing to your weight loss.
Member Comments