Exante and Epilepsy

csl003

Full Member
I recently met up with an old friend who started on the Cambridge Diet 8 weeks ago and has now lost 2.5stone! So obviously I went home and googled CD.
Unfortunately I have epilepsy and according to their guidelines, you can only begin their diet plan on stage 4 which is 1200 calories. I then happened to come across Exante and found that they are the same. However, no drs notes are required.
I've been 'dieting' for 10 years now and minus in 2007 when I cut out fat due to gallstones, I have had very little success with getting thin. What I have noticed though is that I only really properly lose weight on 1000 calories max.
Although I would LOVE to do Total Solutions on Exante, I don't really want to risk having a fit, so I've opted against that (gutted though!) However, I can't see how the 200 calorie difference between the 1000 calorie and 1200 calorie diets can affect my epilepsy medication?
Just wondering if there is anyone out there who is using Exante and has epilepsy, and if they could tell me 1) the type of exante plan they're on and 2) how they've getting on.
 
Please don't be worried about doing exante I have had uncontrolled epilepsy for 17 years I have been on exante since April and my fits are a lot less than they were my consultant is delighted! As is my gp so please don't worry I'm fine xx
 
Oh and I'm on the total solution x
 
If you google the ketosis diet it actually states that a ketosis diet can be used to treat epilepsy in children!
 
The ketosis diet is what confused me! I emailed Cambridge diet people to ask why it was considered different and the person who replied with:
"A ketogenic diet would need to be managed in a medical environment. This would generally be a diet that will induce a strong ketosis based on about 10-20g of carbohydrate, a very low level. Our diet provides more than twice that, and the ketosis experienced on a VLCD with Cambridge is very mild"
But my argument is that if Ketosis improves epilepsy, then surely any ketosis is better than none?! I don't know lol.
Glad to hear your fits have improved though! Have you lost a lot of weight? xx
 
Yup :) 2 stone in 2 months in all I've lost 7 stone but it took over a year to lose the first 4 1/2 with weight watchers lol
 
I agree so much so that when I get to goal I'll still be sticking to low carb!
 
I tried Atkins not that long ago for epilepsyness lol, and lasted half a day as I love my carbs. However, I think if I were do to Exante, the shakes would make me think that Im consuming loads of carbs. Just really apprehensive about starting it. Did you speak to your dr before you started? I'd love it if I could kill two birds with one stone by using Exante!
 
I didn't speak to them before starting I confessed after 4 weeks lol they were fine especially since it's making my fits better :) what meds are you on? I'm on tegratol x
 
I'm on lamotrogine. To be honest I think it's all do with them protecting themselves from being sued!
I had gallstones (picture of health me :p) in 2007, and as a result cut out fat from my diet as the pain wasn't worth it, and I was consuming between 600-800 calories a day and was fine! In anything, I felt healthier.
I'll have to wait til next pay day before beginning exante (bought myself a car this month lol), but I reckon I'll give it a go.
I think that they should look further into ketosis and epilepsy. The research seemed to have stopped at children...
Anyway, I'm off to bed now. lol.
 
Well I would def give it a go! You got nothing to lose except the weight :)
 
3 hun and between 3/4 litres water a day its well worth it! I have been totally fit free for a week now! Usually I'm not fit free longer than 2 days lol
 
Well done that's amazing! Here's hoping you don't have any anytime soon!!
 
Fingers crossed! Who would have thought that after 15 years of almost constant fits that something as simple as losing weight would fix it!
 
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