Epilepsy is a disorder of the brain which is characterised by brain seizures. A seizure is basically a sudden change in the functioning of the brain which leads to alterations in the behaviour. But the good news about it is that 80% of people were able to control their seizures through correct medication.

Lamotrigine is a very popular epilepsy medication which is used to treat some types of seizures. In a lot of cases, lamotrigine is used by doctors as the only epilepsy medication, but can also get paired with some other medication to help in managing the condition. This medication basically works by slowing down the electrical signals which manage and prevent any possible seizures. 

While most of the doctors prescribe lamotrigine to help in treating epilepsy, some also use it to control bipolar disorders. So if you are someone who is taking lamotrigine, then you must definitely have a lot of questions related to it, especially about the Foods to avoid when taking lamotrigine. So to help you out with this, we got you covered through this article.

As you scroll down, you will find out complete details about the foods that you should avoid eating when you are taking lamotrigine. So just keep reading below to check out all the info.

Details Of The Food To Avoid When Taking Lamotrigine

There are some foods which a person can definitely avoid when taking lamotrigine if they want to improve their nerve health, and so they are as follows-

Sugar- Having sugar in large quantities increases the risk of developing high sugar levels. It is stated that people should consume much less, almost 10% of calories from the sugars. And for an average person, this simply means consuming 4 to 5 tsp of sugar everyday. But there are a lot of people who consume sugar 3 to 4 times more than this, which just like refined sugar, increases the risk of high sugar levels, which leads to diabetic neuropathy. And so you should take care with these foods to avoid when taking lamotrigine or to take them in very moderate quantity-

1. Pastries

2. Energy Drinks

3. Sugary Drinks

4. Fruit Juice

5. Sugar

6. Honey

7. Candy

8. Cookies

9. Syrup

10. Ice Cream

11. Desserts

So all you need to do is make sure that you check the label of nutrition whenever you are purchasing a product. Also, as the options mentioned above are very common, there might also be sugar hidden in some foods that you do not know about, such as soup, sauces, dressings and yoghourts.

Refined Grains- These grains have a very high index of glycemic, which means that they can spike the levels of sugar in the body. While having them once in a week is not a big issue, consuming them daily in large quantities can majorly increase the risk of chronic high sugar levels which leads to diabetes. Anf the main problem with high levels of sugar is that they cause damage in nerves, which is called diabetic neuropathy. So while there is no such strong evidence to support the fact refined grains and epilepsy are linked together, there are also some studies which state the benefits of following an approach of low-carb intake. And for this specific reason, there are certain foods to avoid when taking lamotrigine to prevent any possible damage to the nerves due to high levels of blood sugar, as follows-

2. Bagels

3. Chips

4. Baked Goods

5. White Bread

6. White Pasta

7. White Rice

Sodium- Foods which are high in sodium increase the pressure in the blood vessels, which possibly leads to increase in blood pressure, which as a result lead to problems related to nerves. So you need to keep in mind that the body definitely needs sodium and so a low intake of sodium increases the risk of seizures, and high intake of it leads to nerve problems. Thus, make sure that you do not eat more than 2300 mg of sodium on a per day basis, and simply consult a doctor to check how much your doctor needs everyday. And so to prevent the over consumption of sodium, make sure following are the foods to avoid when taking lamotrigine-

2. Canned or dehydrated soups

3. Fast food

4. Cold cuts

5. Canned foods

6. Condiments

7. Chips

Saturated Fats- Another in the list of foods to avoid when taking lamotrigine are the ones that contain saturated fats. A lot of evidence suggests that a diet containing high saturated fats can rapidly increase the risk of nerve damage. One of the main sources of these fats are found in animal products, like sour cream, high fat meat cuts, cheese and butter. It can also be found in some vegetable sources such as palm kernels and coconut oil. Thus, even if your doctor asks you to follow a keto diet to help reduce the risk of developing seizures, make sure to keep the content of saturated fats low.

Other than foods to avoid when taking lamotrigine, there are also some foods that a person should eat, and so these include-

Omega 3 Fatty Acids- Unsaturated fatty acids, mainly omega 3 fatty acids can majorly help you to improve the nerve health. You must know that most of the fats come from the unsaturated fatty acids in your diet, rather than the saturated ones. SO, if you want to increase the intake of omega 3 fatty acids, then include these foods-

1. Oysters Walnuts

2. Fish Oil

3. Chia Seeds

4. Fatty Fish (mackerel, sardines and salmon)

5. Flax seeds

High Antioxidant Foods- These can help to reduce the damage which is caused by the free radicals, that are basically unstable molecules which cause the DNA and nerve damage. Foods that are high in antioxidants include vegetables and fruits, so just make sure that you get at least 4 to 5 servings of vegetables and fruits every day. And to make sure that you get all the required nutrients, you should eat at least 3 different colours of vegetables daily. As the more variety of vegetables you have in your diet, the more nutrients you will get to help your body function properly.