Epilepsy in PAW, TEOTAWIKI, SHTF

[EricinVirginia]

Hi Airballrad,

Sorry to hear about your children. I'd recommend that you look at doing some of the Epilepsy Foundation events. It's awesome to mingle with other people touched by epilepsy, from children to older people. They always run out of shirts that fit me, and then my wife ends up wearing the epilepsy shirts... it's hillarious to see how she reacts to the different comments you get at a fund raiser. They range from "You look so good! When was the last time you had a seizure?" to "Oh, you poor poor thing." It's very uplifting to see how many kids actually grow out of it. For some parents, the question of "did I cause this in my child?" can be a huge burden... and if only for the purpose of meeting other people and freeing yourself from that question, can be huge. I had my first seizure as a 26 year old and I was surprised to learn that my parents were beating themselves up about it - did we drop him on his head when he was a baby?

As for the bracelet, I just don't see it happening. How many of you are going to risk your lives in PAW to get close enough to see a bracelet let alone know to check for such a thing. In the strung-out-narco who OD'd scenario, why would you even bother looking? In the ambush/entrapment scenario, why even bother? I think buddy system is about the only way to go and for me, where I can usually tell when I'm having issues, I'd try to go find a secure spot to ride the issues out. Since seizures can be pretty noisy, sound security would be a pretty big deal. I'd also note that when you come out of a seizure, it's not like waking up from a deep sleep. It's more like a computer rebooting. For me, it's a sequence of sensation and then thinking coupled against crushing fatigue and disorientation. It kind of goes like this...
1. Realization but inability to speak or move.
2. Why can't I see? Hey! I can smell!
3. Mild panic... this isn't ummmmmmmmm, normal? Yeah, that's the word.
4. I must've had a seizure. Oh shit, where am I? Growing panic.
5. Suddenly vision comes on during this, but there's no recognition of place or people.
6. Who are all these people hovering around me!? Massive panic and fight/flight kicks in... must get away. My comment about almost punching an EMT in an ambulance was not a joke. Props to all you 1st Responders - do they include stuff like this in training?
7. Things start to click and I remember that I have epilepsy and must've had a seizure.
8. Acceptance and dread - maybe I'm in an ambulance or a hospital. Maybe I'm alone. Maybe I'm in a mall surrounded by the peanut gallery. Maybe I evacuated my bowels or threw up... <check> nope. Phew.
9. Exhaustion and fatigue set in and I usually start to shiver or on occassion go into shock.

I'll be off - and hungry - for about 12 hours afterwards. Buddy system works well because I can take someone through this so that if it happens, they can chill out till it's run its course. If I'm alone, I just need to be aware of my limitations and probably prioritize security a bit higher than other survivors might.

For chronic asthma, I'm thinking that it might be good to hone your sharpshooting skills. That'd allow you to cover me from a distance and by moving in tandem, I'd be able to carry more weight and then rest and cover you while you came to my position. Kind of slinky our way through PAW till we found a good hole up spot. I also wonder, in PAW, the air most likely gets full of nasty crud, but it's not the same nasty crud we have now. You might be okay but I doubt you're going to be able to be out running around for distance with lots of encumbrance. I guess, I find myself thinking about - for my role at least - being one of getting as much done as I can before I have to live without meds. After that point, having some time and security to adjust to that life, and then assuming that I'm never going to be 100% - and what skills would it behoove me to learn for that time? While "cannon fodder" comes to mind, a bunch of other stuff does too. For asthma, any contribution you can make to security seems obvious. While anyone can shoot, it's takes discipline to shoot well and guns and tools need maintenance. Extending your range, without extending your breathing... I guess that's a key to me. Probably looking at extending your medication or even rationing it would help too. Not really an option for me.

[airballrad]

We did the Epilepsy Foundation Walk on the National Mall back in the Spring.

In our case, some unusual complications surrounding her birth are the most likely culprit. She was put on medication so early that it really is letting her live a normal life with no developmental delays we can see. If there comes a day the meds aren't needed, all the better.

I don't know that the MedicAlert stuff will do much good in the PAW, simply because our complicated EMS systems will have largely collapsed. But it works pretty well for now.

[thorian]

Hoss I think that for an Epileptic the best cource is to have a group, that way when you do seize you can have a pillow put under your head and gear moved so that you don't hurt it or yourself. 90% of the time for the people we run for seizures that have a history of seizures they dont want to go to the hospital because the hospital wont do anything for them because they cant.

[EricinVirginia]

Epilepsy DC Walks... medication switch has helped me lose some of the weight I'm packing in these pictures: 230 lbs versus a much better 185 lbs today.


By ericinmaryland at 2009-09-29


By ericinmaryland at 2009-09-29


By ericinmaryland at 2009-09-29


Being in a group definitely would be the ideal, but I travel a lot. What are the odds that I'll be home when SHTF? I haven't seen too many threads about whether you end up in PAW alone, in a small group, or in a big group. If zombies, big groups would seem to be a disadvantage. The smaller the group, the more mobility the more the advantage. Big groups seem to be only an advantage if you're facing a big threat.

I just noticed the apocalyptic clouds in most of these pictures.

[Shadowsbane]

I had seizures when I was a teenager. Most likely resulting into scar tissue on the base of my brain caused by a pretty nasty beating I recieved.



luckily (now not then) meds just made it worse, and shortly after highschool they went away.

Eating regular and keeping my blood sugar level balanced was a huge help also.

[EricinVirginia]

Thanks and glad to hear you recovered. You bring up a great point though which is that a lot of trauma-head injuries can lead to seizures later on. You see someone having a seizure, what do you do? The most common causes of seizures in order by Epilepsy Foundation:
- Seizure Disorder
- Going on/off of seizure medication
- Low blood sugar, like for diabetics
- Drug overdose
- Fever/dehydration

If it's PAW and you are inclined to help, ensure that they aren't hurting themselves or in eminent danger. Some examples:
- They are having a seizure in a puddle or edge of water. They could fall in the water and drown.
- They are having a seizure on ground riddled with broken glass and sharp objects.
- Something is obstructing their airways.
- They are standing up.

In these cases, you want to remove the danger or remove them from the danger; it might be difficult. It's unlikely that you could restrain someone having a seizure, but if they had a broken bone or nasty wound, you're pretty much looking at waiting till it's done.

When the seizure ends, the person will not be fully aware for some time. Even if they know you, they won't know that they know you till their brain is done coming back online. Keep things calm. Answer questions, but avoid bombarding them with questions.

[Tperkins]

My younger bro has epilepsy too, combined with developmental problems and many allergies (wheats, beans, dairy, corn). If it was in the PAW, it would be a handful.

I dont think I'd be able to convice my parents to stockpile his meds or food appropriate for him.

All i know, the biggest mistake I've seen people do is to not turn the epileptic on thier side (my brother almost drowned on his own spit during a grand mal), and they try to follow that stupid ass rule from somewhere about putting something in thier mouth so they dont bite thier tounge.

[EricinVirginia]

Hey TPerkins,

Epilepsy meds will sit tight for some time. The issue with treatable epilepsy is that altering meds or going off meds is when you're most likely to have seizures. That usually takes 3 weeks of stair stepping the meds down. Your brother's nuerologist should have a billion samples of different meds that he could pick up for free. My nuerologist will give me about as many bottles as I ask for just for asking and hinting about dire financial need. Assuming any of us with chronic medical issues survive the pre-PAW SHTF, at some point, we run out of meds. Surviving SHTF and crisis aftermath is not a good time to be coping with medication withdrawal. I keep 3 weeks in every FAK, car, and BOB plus I've got whatever amount left when SHTF.

As my nuerologist says, "Epilepsy medications are like a shield against seizures. Your biggest risk factors are going to be daily stress and lack of sleep." During pre-PAW SHTF, stress will be high and it will be hard to sleep. Even though it flies in the face of most prep principles, I've got sleep aid type meds in our BIL for this very reason.

This thread has been illuminating if only in that it reinforces my belief that I have however many days of epilepsy meds on hand to do everything humanly possible to build a foundation for getting through to the otherside of a crisis. By the time my meds run out, I need to be as close to 100% as possible for security, shelter, food, and water. Whether ready or not, the transition to zero meds will change me from how I am today to whatever epilepsy frame of being I am in without the meds with a 100% certainty that transition will be worse than when I'm completely off. I'll go from being a functioning member of society to a questionably functioning member of society. Sighs.

I hope your brother is okay. If only for insurance reasons (expense of the meds, consequences if you miss, and insurance exempting certain pre-conditions), it makes good sense to get a backup, air seal them away from light, and keep them cool. Another thing to look at is the role that diet and exercise can play. A lot of eplieptics gain weight on their medications; I gained about 30 lbs my first 6 months. But, if you can find a balance of diet and exercise, those can really help.
- Excercise helps you sleep better and lower stress.
- Diet can play a role in brain chemistry. Ketogenic diets have done wonders for some epileptics... but I've found that the Atkins-type diets (Atkins, South Beach, etc) by eliminating a lot of carbs and insulin-producing carbs, also help. Combining the two becomes very meaningful for me at least. Edited, and depending on the developmental issues, these diets can also work very well. Wild venison and fish might work as a PAW diet for him.

If your family looks at it, one of the things that strikes me is how different epilepsy is for everyone with it. I had a good friend that was having petit mal seizures and her doctor was treating her with anti-psychotics. I convinced them to go to my nuerologist and within 2 weeks on epilepsy meds and off the anti-psychotics she was basically 100% after years of not. Through the epilepsy foundation, I've met and heard about a lot of people where advice amounts to: 1) if what you're doing isn't working, don't try something else, try a different doctor.

[Tperkins]

Hey TPerkins,

Epilepsy meds will sit tight for some time. The issue with treatable epilepsy is that altering meds or going off meds is when you're most likely to have seizures. That usually takes 3 weeks of stair stepping the meds down. Your brother's nuerologist should have a billion samples of different meds that he could pick up for free. My nuerologist will give me about as many bottles as I ask for just for asking and hinting about dire financial need. Assuming any of us with chronic medical issues survive the pre-PAW SHTF, at some point, we run out of meds. Surviving SHTF and crisis aftermath is not a good time to be coping with medication withdrawal. I keep 3 weeks in every FAK, car, and BOB plus I've got whatever amount left when SHTF.

As my nuerologist says, "Epilepsy medications are like a shield against seizures. Your biggest risk factors are going to be daily stress and lack of sleep." During pre-PAW SHTF, stress will be high and it will be hard to sleep. Even though it flies in the face of most prep principles, I've got sleep aid type meds in our BIL for this very reason.

This thread has been illuminating if only in that it reinforces my belief that I have however many days of epilepsy meds on hand to do everything humanly possible to build a foundation for getting through to the otherside of a crisis. By the time my meds run out, I need to be as close to 100% as possible for security, shelter, food, and water. Whether ready or not, the transition to zero meds will change me from how I am today to whatever epilepsy frame of being I am in without the meds with a 100% certainty that transition will be worse than when I'm completely off. I'll go from being a functioning member of society to a questionably functioning member of society. Sighs.

I hope your brother is okay. If only for insurance reasons (expense of the meds, consequences if you miss, and insurance exempting certain pre-conditions), it makes good sense to get a backup, air seal them away from light, and keep them cool. Another thing to look at is the role that diet and exercise can play. A lot of eplieptics gain weight on their medications; I gained about 30 lbs my first 6 months. But, if you can find a balance of diet and exercise, those can really help.
- Excercise helps you sleep better and lower stress.
- Diet can play a role in brain chemistry. Ketogenic diets have done wonders for some epileptics... but I've found that the Atkins-type diets (Atkins, South Beach, etc) by eliminating a lot of carbs and insulin-producing carbs, also help. Combining the two becomes very meaningful for me at least. Edited, and depending on the developmental issues, these diets can also work very well. Wild venison and fish might work as a PAW diet for him.

If your family looks at it, one of the things that strikes me is how different epilepsy is for everyone with it. I had a good friend that was having petit mal seizures and her doctor was treating her with anti-psychotics. I convinced them to go to my nuerologist and within 2 weeks on epilepsy meds and off the anti-psychotics she was basically 100% after years of not. Through the epilepsy foundation, I've met and heard about a lot of people where advice amounts to: 1) if what you're doing isn't working, don't try something else, try a different doctor.

He tried the ketogenic, it pretty much totally eliminated his seizures. Problem was, he is allergic to bascially everything on that diet, and with a camera stomach probe, it was hard to find a section that was not ulcered and reddened. There are only like 2 or 3 epilepsy meds he is actually able to take also. At an allergist, when being tested for everything, he even had a reaction to the saline. But for meantime, everything's under control, mostly.

Buddy system has to be the way to go.

[Valarius]

I'm not going to list all the stuff, but I will comment on one thing I noticed in reviewing the FAK threads... not many of you put zip ties in your med kits. Given their utility for tying, linking, and holding anything against how cheap, lightweight, and space conscious they are... I would highly recommend these to all of you. I'd also recommend keeping some mechanism for light (glow sticks) and fire (to heat water) in your med kits. We also put temporary dental/cavity filling in our kits. Adventure Medical has these, but if you hunt for them separately you can buy them for like $2 each. This is our go to FAK for when we'll be out for more than a while or with little chance of being around medical personnel. We're going to be putting together smaller, lighter ones for quick incursions and for times when you want more portability. These kits are currently weighing about 4.5 lbs.

1. Awesome idea, I'll throw some in next time at the store.

2. Cigarette lighter. In the FAK.

3. Dentak. Can be found at Wal-Mart for three dollars or so. In the FAK.

[EricinVirginia]

Thanks Valarius. I grabbed the larger zip ties from a hardware store and duct tape them into bundles of 10. There are also multi-use velcro zip ties. Not having a light in your FAK says you're gambling on only having injuries in the daylight. Given that most medical stuff, you're wanting good light, it just made sense. I also think it's a safe bet that if you find someone in the PAW in need of medical attention, they probably also don't have their own light. Lastly, I'd hate to bug out and have a cavity pop during those first few days after a disaster. Could there be a worse time to have something like that happen? The AMK Dental Kits are worse than the Somalia pirates. Buy the Dentak stuff to do temporary cavity fillings and you're all good to go. Fire... well, in a pinch you can heat sterilize, but in reality, having a fire for warmth will be good for the doctor and the patient... same logic as not having a light.

Anyways, reading your comments made me realize I need to update my BOB FAK from the BIL FAK at the start of this thread. The only real change is a smaller MOLLE bag - the Max FR1 pouch - attached to the webing on the BOB's side. Less "OMG there's blood everywhere!" and more general purpose stuff that would be useful in a 3 to 5 day bug out. Still have 3 weeks worth of epilepsy meds though!

[EricinVirginia]

My family and I will be at the Epilepsy Foundation's DC 5k Walk on Saturday March 27, 2010... My wife and I will be wearing our ZS shirts and will be there at 830 am and then doing the walk if any of you would like to join in or come by and see all the healthcare bill protesters... I mean, support the EFA's work to find a definitive cure.

Unlike breast cancer, as an example, epilepsy usually doesn't kill because of drugs that allow someone to "live with it". I came down with epilepsy for unknown reasons when I was 26. I don't look it and I might not have any behaviors that suggest it, but it profoundly impacts my life, my view of life, and the lives of those around me. The EFA drives about the only research going on into seizure disorders and is the only group trying to find a cure, rather than an expensive medication regimen.

It has its most profound impact on children, for whom epilepsy is devastating and heart-breaking. The walk starts around 9 am and is situated on the Mall about 0.5 miles in front of the Capital Building. There are no gates. No pre-registration. No bouncers checking for ID. If you'd like to come down, let me know and I'll keep my eye open for you.

[KnightoftheRoc]

This is an excellent topic, and one I'm ashamed to admit I hadn't given thought to before. I have Acquired Epilepsy from an on the job head injury. I'm lucky- my seizures don't go past the aura stage, but the fatigue and nausea afterward don't feel like the "lite" version. I'm able to function pretty well during one, if forced to be. I've had them hit while driving, and been able to safely pull over and wait it out, for example. I can also relate to the crappiness of anti-seizure meds- I was maxed out on Dilantin, and HATED the way it made me feel- AND, it didn't entirely prevent the seizures, either.
I have been lucky enough to be a few years now off the meds, with seizures very few and far between, sometimes over a year apart. Just as I get to the stage of pretty much forgetting I'm epileptic, I get reminded, the hard way.
Several points made in this thread rang bells for me, and I'll be adopting them, such as the helmet. Being off the meds for a long time now, stocking up on them isn't really an answer, in my case. However, since I'm allergic to bee stings, a brand new set of Epi-pens just got added to my FAK's shopping list- I never remember the darn things till I need them.....you know how that story goes. A medic alert bracelet tho, I have to say this on- I think you are over estimating the lack of simple curiosity, if not mercy, that people have. Since somebody's bound to come check you out (if only to see what you have they want), why NOT a bracelet? Or, if you prefer, go the dog tag route- with silencers, of course, and being inside a shirt does cut reflectivity down, better than a bracelet, for sure. Given the weight of a single piece of "jewelry", vs. the fact it could save your life, I'd say wearing one would be well worth it.

[EricinVirginia]

Thanks for your post Roc. During SHTF, I think helmets are one of those things that people will shy away from until all of a sudden you're whacking your head on all the debris. I have a MICH helmet and wearing it while doing house chores, besides making my kids laugh, gives me lots of empathy for our troops. I fantasize about going off meds one of these days, but the auras continue weekly. While they don't impair function all that much anymore, when you account for lack of sleep, lack of good nutrition and water, and the stress that SHTF and PAW will bring... well, 'nuff said.

I'm sorry you're on the seizure train for an injury. That's got to suck. I haven't met a single person for whom dilantin helped. It's a crappy turn of the century (the last one) drug and beyond inducing vertigo in everyone I've met, all the other side effects of it are worse than having seizures.

[clockwork]

Very interesting thread. Learned some new stuff.
May I ask how long of a supply of meds you have stocked?

I have a med that I take everyday, and though I wouldn't die without it, things would get very bad.
I have the supply divided into several locations, in case one bag gets lost/destroyed/forgotten. Between my wallet, keychain faceshield pouch, car kit, "Squad" FAK, BOMB and BOB I have about 45 days. Which I can extend to about 60-70 days if need be. A good chunk of it is in my BOB, cause if I can only take one bag, or I'm having to hump and don't have time to strip supplies from the other bags, the BOB will be the one I of course take.

I would suggest the idea that you disperse the supply throughout your varies kits/bags as well. And even splitting up the supply in you BOB FAK into some in the bag itself, and some in the FAK.

Just a FYI, that little FAK bag you have is the Airway sub-load of the STOMP bag, Not a STOMP itself.
The layout is weird because its designed to hold itubation stuff. The middle is for a Post-Tube or similar. I have a King LTS-D in that spot.

Thanks for sharing your insight. As well as all the comments

[DarkAxel]

My older brother has severe seizures due to massive head trauma and brain surgery. He also has a condition call diabetes insipidus, which is an inability to control his urine output. Here's a list of his current meds.

Dilantin
Neurontin
Topamax
phenobarbital
My bro needs ALL of them to control his seizures. It's quite easy to keep at least an extra month's supply of the Dilantin and Topamax, but the Neurontin and Phenobarbital prove to be almost impossible. If anyone one knows of LEGAL way for me to stock back the phenobarb and Neurontin, please let me know.

My bro has three to five grand mal seizures a year, and an average of three times will go into staticus eplilepticus so severe that it takes IV Valium to bring him out of it, which is VERY risky because he has had a Right-frontal lobectomy and is more sensitive to benzodiazapines and opioids.

What are my realistic options, other than Ovationman's "You're Fucked" do I have if TSHTF?

[EricinVirginia]

My primary drug has a 2 week ramp up/down period. I feel that a minimum, if you're on persistent meds, you need to have whatever the adjustment period is in your BOB, GHB, etc.
- My BOB = 2 weeks.
- My wife's BOB = 2 weeks.
- Car GHB = 2 weeks.
- At home I have maybe 6 months' worth in the form of samples. Whenever I get worried about my job, I talk to my neuro and he'll give me a 1 time refill for like 3 months instead of the usual 1 month amount. Over time... I've got some to hold me over through insurance company changes, job changes, and TEOTWAWKI.

I put 2 weeks' worth in a vial. I teflon tape the vial's threads. Then I put the vial in a water/air/light sealed tube. I teflon tape the tube's threads and put a dessicant pack in with it. I mark the date. This way, it's waterproof, air and light proof. It'll float. It should stay dry and as much as possible, I keep these in cooler places. In PAW, I'd keep them buried just to try and keep them cool as they can get.

I don't think OvationMan was being literal... by the time SHTF or PAW rolls around, most people on the planet will be on meds of some kind or another right? Even the super fit and perfectly healthy probably end up on the front line of any fight or survival scenarios... and the survivors will be a motley crew.

[DarkAxel]

Thanks for the informative PM, EricinMaryland!. Great info on storage, BTW.

[LordXenu]

I have seen several Inmates at my unit have seizures and I can safely say it is no joke. One offender was standing up in the hallway by my desk when I ordered him to take a seat ( I knew the offender and that he was prone to have bad seizures) when his eyes rolled to the back of his head and I jumped in front of him and caught him to keep him from falling face first into solid concrete floor. That time he had seized 6 different time's and it was a challenge to keep control of his head so it didn't smack into the floor.

[EricinVirginia]

I have 2 personal seizure stories that are probably my favorite. Both are based on the fact that my memory comes back like a computer rebooting. It starts somewhere as you recover and you remember odd things... other things not for a while. Sometimes, I have moments of lucidity that stay with me forever.
- The Pudgy Police Officer. One day I was sitting in my backyard when I had a seizure. My wife called 911. For whatever reason, police responded instead of the usual para/ambulance guys. My only memory was a crystal lucid moment... I realized I was on the ground having a seizure. Hands were holding me. My brain connected "You had a seizure someone called 911" and then noticed a 5'8 or so chubby police officer standing about 10' in front of me in front of a wood pile. My brain thought, "He looks out of shape. I bet you could deck him, be over the wood pile and gone before anyone noticed!" The seizure continued and I'm very glad that didn't actually happen.
- You have a cat. Another seizure found me missing a date with my wife. She couldn't get me on the phone - we were meeting out - and so she went home. She found the house spotlessly clean. Metallica blarring at max volume. Chilli was burning on the oven. Candles were lit but all the lights were on. I was wearing snowboard pants and boots but no shirt. Who knows what I was thinking? But, as I came to, I didn't recognize her or her father who leaned and whispered, "Don't worry. We took care of your cat." I starred at him and then gasped, "I have a cat? I hate cats." Occassionally, it crosses my mind that at one point I must've had a cat and it feels true even though it's not.

[Makarov]

Hi, I stumbled over this thread via a link in Eric's sig, and thought I could throw an idea out there.

I work with multihandicapped children, one of which has a lot of epileptic activity(the whole specter). This kid has tried the Ketogenic diet, and although it was only limited in the success in that case, there's several who get seizure free.
In short the Ketogenic diet is somewhat like a very severe Atkins diet.

Dunno if it could work on a grownup, but I'm just thinking that this could be an option to try in a situation where the ability the get meds are limited.

[EricinVirginia]

Hi Makarov,

The ketogenic diet is very intense and to say it's a severe Atkins gives a bit of a wrong impression to those not already familiar with it. I'm surprised the topic hasn't bumped onto this thread yet, but I'm glad you brought it up. Please add anything from your observations.

Ketogenic - scientifically formulated diet of protein and fat that is basically managed by a dietician to also be in a certain caloric range. The brain uses ketones (protein and fat metabolite) for fuel, not sugar. As such, if you can eliminate insulin response and give your body a plethora of exactly what the brain needs for function... viola, enhanced brain function. This is very successful with mentally-disabled and epileptic children. The diet looks like babyfood. I've heard it's impossible for adults to do a ketogenic diet on their own... it's usually prescribed like meds and home-delivered from companies that specialize in making this stuff. It looks like astronaut food in vaccum-sealed pouches... like a stew almost.

Atkins - avoid carbs with a goal of staying less than 30 g during first few months and 60 g thereafter. Similar to ketogenic, but you can eat as much bacon as you want. After SHTF and PAW sets in, I would imagine that most of us will be eating an Atkins-type diet sooner or later - lots of meat and only sparse carbs. I've done the Atkins diet twice, primarily for weight loss. It works well and for me, it made a difference with epilepsy, but mostly in that losing weight = overall improved health = better able to handle stress. You feel a bit off and tired for about 10 days and then you start dropping weight like crazy. It plateaus off in 3 to 4 months where you then drop maybe 2 lbs a month. The single biggest advantage of this diet is that it forces you to not touch processed sugars. My personal feelings about this diet's effectiveness for anyone can be summed up as... "If you're not snacking on Doritos, you must be snacking on almonds. Substituting something unhealthy, will anything else, will reduce overall calories and you'll lose weight."

[Makarov]

Hi Makarov,

The ketogenic diet is very intense and to say it's a severe Atkins gives a bit of a wrong impression to those not already familiar with it.

While the ketogenic diet is intense in the beginning, it pans out over time into something like the Atkins, in the Wiki-link there's actually a part about "Modified Atkins".

Anyways, as I mentioned, it didn't really work for the kid that I got at work, so the parents dropped the diet after about a month. Now this kid's got epilepsy(as well as a lot of other stuff) due to braindamage caused by tumors, and they once measured approx 200 cases of epileptic activity in a day(24 hours). Not yer run of the mill epilepsy, so the diet might work better for others(I've heard 30-40% success rate mentioned)

[EricinVirginia]

I got a PM from someone coming across this thread. In replying, it makes sense that we re-introduce this thread for those just joining the show in progress.

This thread is relevant to everyone. If you have seizure disorders or know someone that does, and are prepping... Or, if you understand on a visceral level that seizure triggers will multiply during SHTF... Triggers for seizures are: 1) lack of sleep, 2) stress, 3) having a seizure disorder, 5) going on or off seizure meds, 6) some type of central nervous system damage (think of fever or actual injury), and 7) drug/med overdose. Please read these points and think about SHTF and the world you'll find yourself in PAW. If you have small children with you, be especially sensitive to this.

It boils down to this... you'll need to have enough meds to make it through SHTF and hopefully some carry over into early-PAW. You'll need to use that time obsessively to build a secure BOL. You'll want to look at being part of a team and focussing on skills or tasks that you can do well. Unlike everyone who will trying to, you will already have a keen appreciation for your surroundings. No one who has had a seizure wants to have a seizure next to a pile of broken glass, poisonous spiders, or water as examples. I believe that this higher situational awareness to surroundings and people is why you have stories of famous epileptics from ancient and classical times. You'll want to prioritize a helmet of some kind. Why get all prepped up for a bug out and then have a seizure. A normal PASG or MICH helmet will keep your head intact before, during, and after a seizure.

Take care. You're not fucked, but you do need to look at skills and talents you can bring to bear asap during a bug out or if SHTF.