Catamenial Seizures And Progesterone Therapy

[burtlancast]

I later came across studies about dairy and seizures, so we removed all dairy, and no more light daily headache, haven't seen a migraine in months, and like I said earlier, 4 1/2 months seizure free!

Hi Chelle,

It's really great that the situation improved so much.

Regarding the quote above, i couldn't help but relating it to my own migraines triggered by cow milk.

I have pointed in this forum some years ago the difference between cow milk containing a mutated casein (Casein called "A1") and the one with non mutated casein ( casein called "A2").

About half of existing world cow milk contains A1 casein. This protein causes general inflammation in the body, and has been epidemiological associated with many degenerative diseases like diabetes, heart disease, schizophrenia, intestinal inflammation, to name a few.

The good news is there are firms commercializing exclusive A2 cow milk.
It's already established in Australia and some parts of USA.

Even better news is that only cow milk contains this mutated A1 casein; sheep, goat, camel, buffalo, etc milk contain only the good A2 casein.

I've always been able to drink goat milk by the gallons and felt extraordinary, with no headaches whatsoever.

So, if your daughter feels the need to drink milk, maybe you could experiment with goat milk.

I add that Ray doesn't give the A2-A1 controversy much credence.

 

[chelle86]

Hi Chelle,

It's really great that the situation improved so much.

Regarding the quote above, i couldn't help but relating it to my own migraines triggered by cow milk.

I have pointed in this forum some years ago the difference between cow milk containing a mutated casein (Casein called "A1") and the one with non mutated casein ( casein called "A2").

About half of existing world cow milk contains A1 casein. This protein causes general inflammation in the body, and has been epidemiological associated with many degenerative diseases like diabetes, heart disease, schizophrenia, intestinal inflammation, to name a few.

The good news is there are firms commercializing exclusive A2 cow milk.
It's already established in Australia and some parts of USA.

Even better news is that only cow milk contains this mutated A1 casein; sheep, goat, camel, buffalo, etc milk contain only the good A2 casein.

I've always been able to drink goat milk by the gallons and felt extraordinary, with no headaches whatsoever.

So, if your daughter feels the need to drink milk, maybe you could experiment with goat milk.

I add that Ray doesn't give the A2-A1 controversy much credence.

Hey there! Long time :)

Thanks for the imput on the casein differences! I am aware of the A1, A2 - so much to the point that we actually tried raising our own A2 dairy cows (not a fan of that idea in hindsight!). Isn't it crazy what the wrong protein can do in wreaking havoc in the body?

We are living out of the country, and so some of my choices are limited to the cultural things around me and their lack of understanding what I'm even talking about!!!! We do have access to goats milk, but are at this point afraid to try it and 'upset the apple cart', if you know what I mean! (not to mention, she's been a 'guinea pig' for so many things that the taste isn't convincing her to try anything new at this point!)

We have been sticking to coconut milk for just about everything, and have come up with some awesome 'breadless' bread recipes and dairy free alternatives, so not all is lost!

Healing her gut has been crucial, so we have added a good amount of probiotic foods like bone broth, beet kvass, and some kombucha (again, none of her favorites!).

After a long enough stretch seizure free, we'll probably go back down the goats milk route for the benefits alone, and maybe a little more help in the kitchen cooking something that doesn't have the hint of coconut in it!

So much is trial and error for your own individual situation, isn't it? But there are some things for me that are a constant simply based on the body's design.

I sure appreciate you re-connecting with me and for your insight -- there's so much out there that we need to help each other out to stay on top of the 'true' information!

 

[chelle86]

Hi Chelle,

It's really great that the situation improved so much.

Regarding the quote above, i couldn't help but relating it to my own migraines triggered by cow milk.

I have pointed in this forum some years ago the difference between cow milk containing a mutated casein (Casein called "A1") and the one with non mutated casein ( casein called "A2").

About half of existing world cow milk contains A1 casein. This protein causes general inflammation in the body, and has been epidemiological associated with many degenerative diseases like diabetes, heart disease, schizophrenia, intestinal inflammation, to name a few.

The good news is there are firms commercializing exclusive A2 cow milk.
It's already established in Australia and some parts of USA.

Even better news is that only cow milk contains this mutated A1 casein; sheep, goat, camel, buffalo, etc milk contain only the good A2 casein.

I've always been able to drink goat milk by the gallons and felt extraordinary, with no headaches whatsoever.

So, if your daughter feels the need to drink milk, maybe you could experiment with goat milk.

I add that Ray doesn't give the A2-A1 controversy much credence.

p.s.

Hey there! Long time :)

Thanks for the imput on the casein differences! I am aware of the A1, A2 - so much to the point that we actually tried raising our own A2 dairy cows (not a fan of that idea in hindsight!). Isn't it crazy what the wrong protein can do in wreaking havoc in the body?

We are living out of the country, and so some of my choices are limited to the cultural things around me and their lack of understanding what I'm even talking about!!!! We do have access to goats milk, but are at this point afraid to try it and 'upset the apple cart', if you know what I mean! (not to mention, she's been a 'guinea pig' for so many things that the taste isn't convincing her to try anything new at this point!)

We have been sticking to coconut milk for just about everything, and have come up with some awesome 'breadless' bread recipes and dairy free alternatives, so not all is lost!

Healing her gut has been crucial, so we have added a good amount of probiotic foods like bone broth, beet kvass, and some kombucha (again, none of her favorites!).

After a long enough stretch seizure free, we'll probably go back down the goats milk route for the benefits alone, and maybe a little more help in the kitchen cooking something that doesn't have the hint of coconut in it!

So much is trial and error for your own individual situation, isn't it? But there are some things for me that are a constant simply based on the body's design.

I sure appreciate you re-connecting with me and for your insight -- there's so much out there that we need to help each other out to stay on top of the 'true' information!

p.s.... not to mention organic grass fed, raw A2 milk is best (which with the world's love of roundup and gmo grains, is really hard to stay on top of!)

 

[charlie]

I look forward to continuing on with you all on this wonderful forum and keeping up to date with things and hopefully can be an encouragement and help to others as well. It's good to be back!

What a fantastic update, thank you @chelle86! So happy to hear of your daughters improvements!!

 

[chelle86]

What a fantastic update, thank you @chelle86! So happy to hear of your daughters improvements!!

Thanks Charlie! Good to hear from you -

 

[Blossom]

Thanks for the beautiful update @chelle86!

 

[chelle86]

Thanks for the beautiful update @chelle86!

Hey you!!! Glad to be back -

 

[Rafe]

Just read the whole thread. Beautiful report. Thank you all.

 

[chelle86]

Hey everyone! I will open by saying this is going to be a long one, but for me, so worth it (so I apologize for my long-winded update in advance!)

I've been so busy still researching and now actually writing about our experience in healing seizure activity, mostly in part because of the work of Ray Peat and all of the input that I have gleaned from you all over the years, that I haven't had a chance to get back on with an update ..... so here I am! It is my heart to keep updating those who have poured out their hearts and minds to me in my effort to get my daughter recovered from her seizure activity and the web of other health issues that this particular journey has entailed, because we wouldn't be where we are today without the whole picture and all of you!

Back in September of last year, I had the pleasure of reporting my daughter's success of a 5 month stretch without any seizure activity, which as many of you know, was truly a miracle! Since then, we have uncovered more information in our 'at home clinical trial' that is my daughter's seizure recovery. After the setback in Sept., we realized that part of that setback may very well have been in part to us changing her progesterone dosage in an effort to see where she was at in her healing journey. During this whole process of her regaining her health and recovering from her seizures, migraines, thyroid imbalance, heavy metal toxicity, etc....., it has been a series of single decisions that I and my husband have prayerfully made on her behalf. Sometimes that pressure really gets to me! I feel more responsible for 'failures' that cause her to suffer, even when most of the time those negative reactions are the very things that give us insight and more information to move forward to make more informed decisions.

There was always a question in our mind that too much natural progesterone, or not cycling it correctly, was going to cause her more harm than good. We now are realizing, however, that the very opposite seems to be true and effective in her case.

We have continued to maintain her grain free/dairy free diet while continuing on with Ray's protocol for a pro-thyroid diet. She is doing amazing in that respect, and finally, after all of these years at age 21, owning her own recovery. It sure has been a welcomed break to not have to fight to convince her of what her body was saying and what she needs! The thing that we have discovered to be something that we could very well consider her 'final stage' of recovery, has been in recognizing her body's need for higher daily doses (without cycling) of natural progesterone than we ever thought would be necessary, and not exactly what the 'main stream' would consider promoting. It was a little bit scary making that decision, partially for the extreme nature of it, and partially for the cost factor if I'm being honest! What we have uncovered, however, is nothing short of miraculous!

Each time she had been symptomatic over the last 6 months or so, we would gradually increase her daily natural progesterone dose. Unlike before, we would not drop it back down to the dose that she was at prior to that particular seizure symptom day. She would recover quickly, and return to her normal self the next day (with a little recovery time, of course), but each subsequent 'seizure day' would cause us to think that maybe she still wasn't getting enough progesterone to 'squash' her estrogen dominance and inflammation that would still raise its ugly head with her cycle. So, with that in mind, each subsequent seizure event would warrant addressing the daily dosage of progesterone. Her seizure activity became fewer and far between, and much less severe, and her recovery time and recovery method was dramatically different - for the better!

As of this date, she is taking 400mg 2 x day, and it is night and day from what we've been seeing over the past 5 years of healing with diet and progesterone therapy! She has energy like we have never seen before (I'm having trouble keeping up!), she isn't missing a beat with her college courses, and she is running her own baking business and partnering with a coffee shop in town - working outside of the home 2-4 days a week, 10 hours a day, and coming home with a smile, getting up the next morning and working out and raring to go!!!! The progesterone has reached a threshold for her that is minimizing, if not removing, all of the symptoms we had come to know as 'normal' for her! Her cycle is normalized, and she is not suffering from her usual menstrual symptoms that would put her out of commission for the week!

We continue to monitor everything, and are still very 'anal' about her diet and the other supplementary protocols, but for the first time in 7 years, are more than hopeful - downright thrilled - at the results. The most amazing part about all of this is that I've had some amazing opportunities to work with other seizure sufferers to encourage them and share with them all of the amazing things we've experienced - mostly in part because of the work of Ray Peat that opened our eyes to things most people know nothing about in regards to seizure disorders!

I will continue to stay connected with everyone here, and keep you posted so that others may be encouraged and benefit from our journey. I am always available to share anything I've learned and talk to anyone who may be suffering as we had been, to give thanks and hope for a seizure free future for others! Thank you so much for always letting me share here, and for walking with us, teaching us sooooo much - I pray that I will be able to be as effective in the healing journey of others in the future.

 

[tara]

So glad to hear your daughter is having a much better time of it, with your persistent, courageous and thoughtful support.