Vitamin B6 Is An Anticonvulsant

[haidut]

The study used the activated form of B6 (pyridoxal-5-phosphate, P5P) and the human equivalent dosage was 500mg-600mg. The mechanism of action was the reduction of brain levels of glutamate via activation of glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH).

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3317040/

 

[aguilaroja]

The Dolina group cited by haidut in the ADHD study also described PLP/B6 influence on epilepsy:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22647618
Med Hypotheses. 2012 Aug;79(2):157-64. doi: 10.1016/j.mehy.2012.04.022.
Epilepsy as a pyridoxine-dependent condition: quantified urinary biomarkers for status evaluation and monitoring antiepileptic treatment.
Dolina S1, Margalit D, Malitsky S, Pressman E, Rabinkov A.
The study testifies an assumption on epilepsy as an inborn error of pyridoxine metabolism and suggests non-invasive quantitative biomarkers for clarified evaluation of clinical status and monitoring an individual treatment by antiepileptic drugs. Urinary parameters of pyridoxal-phosphate (PLP)-dependent tryptophan degradation and the level of 4-pyridoxic acid, the end product of pyridoxine metabolism, were measured by HPLC method with simultaneous ultraviolet and fluorimetric detection in children with different forms of epilepsy and matched healthy controls. The concentrations of compounds formed or metabolized in the course of tryptophan degradation (kynurenines, indoxyl-sulfate) along with correlations between them turned out to be quantitative biomarkers useful for both clarifying patient's clinical state and monitoring antiepileptic treatment. In particular, the value of the ratio of 4-pyridoxic acid to kynurenine appears to be an index of an experienced seizure attack, while the ratio of 3-hydroxyanthranilic acid to 3-hydroxykynurenine reflects activity of kynureninase, the enzyme of critical sensitivity to PLP supply. Growing progressively worse, epilepsy is accompanied by aggravation of PLP-dependent disturbances of tryptophan metabolism and expanding inhibition of kynureninase. The affected pyridoxine metabolism is discussed as an inborn genetic trait in epilepsy in general, rather than a specific sign of pyridoxine-dependent epilepsy solely.

 

[tara]

If it's considered safe, does that make it a candidate for migraine prophylaxis too? It seems there are some similarities between epileptic seizures and migraines.

 

[Giraffe]

post 59859 It seems there are some similarities between epileptic seizures and migraines.

What similarities do you see?

 

[tara]

post 105306

post 59859 It seems there are some similarities between epileptic seizures and migraines.

What similarities do you see?

Hi Giraffe, I've been trying to remember what I know about this, and I'm afraid it's a bit vague.

Can't say I understand either of them well, but I have the impression that as well as the obvious - they both happen in the head - they both crucially involve excessive excitation of neurons. In migraines, they talk about Cortical Spreading Depression, which as far as I recall is a wave of polarisation and then depolarisation over the whole cortex (or maybe it was just half in one-sided migraines?) I read about Glutamate and Aspartate restriction being sometimes helpful for both (http://dogtorj.com/the-g-a-r-d-made-simple/). I also read somewhere that there was a hypothesis about both migraines and epilepsy performing a potential survival function by allowing the brain to 'burn' off/use up potentially excitotoxic levels - ie brain cells seize to prevent dying.
Whatever the underlying mechanisms, they also both seem to involve hyper-sensitivity to conditions that others are tolerant of - eg disruptions in blood sugar, sleep, salt and water control, etc.

Peat as said migraine usually occur in a background of chronically high estrogen, histamine and serotonin. I don't know if the same applies to epilepsy. [EDIT TO ADD:] I think he has said that high estrogen at least often contributes to epilepsy.

Peat mentions migraine in this article about epilepsy: http://raypeat.com/articles/articles/ep ... rone.shtml

 

[mujuro]

Might this explain why I -- as someone with bipolar -- can take 100mg daily (pyridoxine) for weeks and experience no negative side effects? Anything that lowers or blocks glutamate for me is extremely therapeutic in stabilizing my mood and bringing my emotions down to room temperature, so to speak. The most helpful of these is ketamine. Even at low doses, such that I don't feel any noticeable "high", it is very effective for stopping volatile mixed episodes in their tracks.

 

[haidut]

post 106044 Might this explain why I -- as someone with bipolar -- can take 100mg daily (pyridoxine) for weeks and experience no negative side effects? Anything that lowers or blocks glutamate for me is extremely therapeutic in stabilizing my mood and bringing my emotions down to room temperature, so to speak. The most helpful of these is ketamine. Even at low doses, such that I don't feel any noticeable "high", it is very effective for stopping volatile mixed episodes in their tracks.

It's quite possible, or you could have a systemic deficiency in vitamin B6. Btw, biotin also lowers glutamate by converting it into glutamine. Search the forum for "biotin ammonia".