Reintroducing gluten and casein / Risk for epileptic seizures / More info from Dr. Reichelt

[Guest guest]

Dear Friends,

A few of you have asked more questions after yesterday's warning

about sudden reintroduction of gluten or casein to patients who have

a history of epileptic seizures.

Dr. Reichelt has commented on these questions as follows:

" We have not doen a proper study of the risk of epileptic fits on

reintroducing gluten/glaidin and casein.

However, one of our children who was on diet and had a

remarkable reduction in epileptic fits ( unexpected). (We

have seen this reduction in about 15 children in all).

A colleague stated that the GFCF diet was quackery and

proceeded to prove this by giving the child age 8 massive

doses of gluten and casein.

The same afternoon, the child went into a state we call status

epilepticus : Uninterrupted epileptic seizures for hours.

Even though all available drugs were used, it was impossible

to control these seizures before 5 hours had lapsed . The child

had by then severe brain damage from fits and hypoxia (I guess)

in combination.

This is why we think in cases were there has been epilepsy, food

items should be induced by small increments.

There is a relationship celiac disease to epilepsy and / or EEG

abnormalitites. WE also in celiacs find peptide increases.

1: Chapman RWG et al (1978) Increased prevalence of epilepsy

in coeliac disease. Brit Med J 22 july , 250-251.

2: Gobbi G et al (1992) Coeliac disease, epilepsy, and cerbral

calcifications . The Lancet 340: 439-443.

3:Reintroducing gluten as provocation in celiac children caused

long lasting EEG changes: K-D et al ( 1985) EEG-Befunde

in Zoeliaki-kranken Kindern in Abhægigkeit von der Ernæhrung.

Z Klin Med 40: 439-443

One such experience at least scares me enough to be cautious.

All the very best TINY

K. Reichelt

Pediatric Research Institute

N-0027 Oslo, Norway