Some parents have discovered that the SCD™ can indeed lead to improved seizure control. Though there are no controlled studies on this phenomenon just yet, the anecdotal experiences of families who've tried just about everything else and are now seeing success, have many of us wondering why SCD™ didn't come first.

How can the SCD™ help to control seizures when nothing else has worked? There is sound evidence of a strong link between the brain and the gut and reason to believe than an imbalance in the gut can have neurological consequences. Some experts call the digestive tract our "second brain" because it is so intrinsically linked to brain chemistry and function.

In her book, Breaking The Vicious Cycle, author and researcher Elaine Gottschall states: "During the seven years of doing consultations with people diagnosed as having Crohn's disease, colitis, and other forms of chronic diarrhea, I observed that improvement for many started with a disappearance of long-standing mental disorders including epilepsy, schizophrenia, mental confusion, poor memory and bizarre behavior."

In fact, Mrs. Gottschall's own daughter had suffered from a form of seizures in childhood that went hand in hand with a serious intestinal disease. The SCD™ healed her gut and saved her life, but the first symptoms to disappear were the seizures.

With imbalance in the gut, it may be nearly impossible for the brain to be functioning to it's highest potential, so even for children with congenital brain abnormalities, it makes sense to provide optimal digestive health, if hoping for the best possible neurological function. Interestingly, some of the children that have experienced improved control on SCD™ had had no apparent intestinal disease, so even without obvious digestive symptoms, this highly nutritious way of eating may be worth a try.

Simply put, the SCD™ is a very healthy diet, designed to heal and balance the digestive system, creating the optimal conditions for balanced brain chemistry. No other epilepsy treatment can say that.

PLEASE NOTE: If your child is currently taking anti-epileptic drugs, you should know that these medications may be complicating the seizure situation. Some AED's can actually aggravate or increase seizure activity, or interact with each other creating other complications. If you are anxious to wean your child from these drugs, please do so with professional supervision. Some of these medications are highly addictive and can cause withdrawal seizures if not weaned carefully. Withdrawal effects may be unavoidable, no matter how slowly the wean is accomplished (especially with benzodiazepine type drugs), and be something you and your child will simply have to "ride out". But, please discuss this with your child's physician. If your current doctor does not agree with your desire to wean your child from seizure medications, despite the fact that they are either not working or causing intolerable side-effects, seek a second opinion and find a physician who is willing to help you through this. There is no reason why you can't start the SCD™ while AED's are still in the picture, but you may not see the full effectiveness of the diet until meds are weaned. However, while the diet may provide superb good health and balanced brain chemistry, some children may still require the use of a medication. THIS DECISION SHOULD ONLY BE MADE BY YOU, THE CHILD'S PARENT, IN CONSULTATION WITH YOUR HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONAL.

MY DAUGHTER KATERA'S STORY:

Katera's first seizure came at the tender age of 17 days. Later we learned she was born with a partially absent Corpus Callosum, (the bridge between right and left brain hemispheres). Several different medications were tried over the next four years. None were successful, one was disastrous and caused a dangerous drug reaction and nearly fatal status seizure. A change in insurance brought us to a new neurologist and the Ketogenic diet. At age four, Katera was weaned from all AED's and started on the Keto diet, which gave us a full year virtually seizure free. It was amazing! The second year of Keto found us frustrated, with seizures creeping back. Her ability to tolerate the diet was changing and the specifics of her meal plans had to be adjusted frequently. By the time she had been on the Keto diet for two years and three months, I was burned out and beginning to think this was not going to be our long-term answer. We stopped the diet in January of 2003 and stayed with a modified "low-carb" plan.. never returning to a "typical" American diet. At that, she was no worse, but no better, for the next three months. Another former Keto parent told me about SCD™ and the fact that they were seeing better seizure control on this diet, and resolving some digestive issues. I immediately started Katera on the SCD™ (April '03). By week four, completely seizure free, I knew we were on to something. It has now been only 3 ? months and Katera has had a reduction in seizures. from two per month, down to only ONE (ten weeks into the diet) since starting SCD™. I hope to update in the near future with even better news. Still watching, waiting and enjoying eating the SCD™ way! It is a wonderful change from the Keto diet. By comparison, I often state that SCD™ is a "walk in the park"! In retrospect, I now think that our successful first year on the Keto diet may have been due to our avoidance of all grain-based carbs in Katera's meal plans. As time went by, her carb allowance had increased and we had started giving things like Cheerios and rice cakes. I still firmly believe that the Ketogenic diet is a miracle for many kids but, for us, I now feel that ketosis was not the main factor for us. it that it was probably due to being grain-free. Katera will turn 7 in September of 2003, and we're looking forward to planning a seizure-free SCD™ birthday party, with many more to come!

Patti Durovchic

Information published on Breaking the Vicious Cycle Web site is intended to support the book Breaking the vicious cycle by Elaine Gottschall and is for information purposes only. It is not the intention of this site to diagnose, prescribe, or replace medical care. Your doctor or nutrition expert should be consulted before undertaking a radical change of diet.
© 2005 Breaking the Vicious Cycle