Mobile phones and epilepsy
The research into the safety of using mobile phones, in people with epilepsy, does not give any definite results. There is no suggestion that mobile phones are a trigger of seizures, only that it may be possible. General safety information leaflets (released by the UK government) are available at mobile phone outlets. They can also be obtained directly from the Department of Health’s website.
This safety information is based on the report from the Independent Expert Group on Mobile Phones and Health (IEGMP). The report was led by Sir William Stewart (scientist) and commissioned by the UK government. It states that the balance of evidence does not suggest mobile phones are a general risk to health.
A recent study Mobile Phone Emissions and Human Brain Excitability by F Ferreri, and others, suggests that mobile phones affect the brain. Ferreri concluded that this effect is not necessarily bad and more research is needed.
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I have had epilepsy for 27 years but it is very well treated by Lamictal, and I am very aware of how my brain behaves. I rarely have fits, maybe 1 every 2 to 5 years. Unfortunately I had one 2 days ago under very unusual circumstances (for me) that I have never experienced before. I often get warning signs, particularly if I'm tired and have forgotten to take my tablets, so I know when to slow my mind down a bit, take some tablets, etc. and this was one of those times. I was out on the town with friends and realised something was wrong. I headed back to my car to get my tablets and something to eat to push them down, then just sat in my car until I got over it and the tablets took their effect. Nothing unfamiliar for me and it was all going as it always had for all of my adult life, that is, until I picked up my mobile phone. I hardly ever use my phone, too scared of the alleged affects they have on the brain, as if I haven't got enough problems with my brain as it is, but I wanted to let my friends know I was OK and would be back shortly. (I usually use an ear piece on the end of a cord). As soon as I put the phone near my head I had a fit!!! Now I'm searching the Internet for info about epilepsy & mobiles, which is how I found your website. Anyone got any news on this? Maybe some research needs to be done on this.
I have experienced a fit or conditions close to a fit (extreme mental tiredness / mental haziness) when I have been on a cell phone for a certain length of time. Please read my response to the British Medical Journal (written in 2002) on this issue. Also my comment to this forum
Hi,
Interesting to read this. I am very similar as I dont have many seizures at all however, four have definately been just as my mobile phone has rung and I have put it to my ear. All have been in a morning (which is when my seizures tend to happen) and usually I have been stressed....but I still relate these 4 to the mobile just because the fit happened at the very moment that the phone became involved ! (However, I do believe that if my other triggers, ie. early morning and stress, werent involved then the phone would not have been able to trigger a seizure in me).
I now carry a mobile just for emergencies and try not to use it - especially in the morning !
I dont understand how some people seem to say that Mobiles definately cause no problems.....Some people have seizures triggered by camera flashes, by TV refresh rates, by too much alcohol...etc etc.....therefore what is to say that a small percentage dont have a sensitivity to mobile phones ?
Tracey
In Sept 2007 my son, aged 10 had his 1st seizure that lasted about 2 minutes and was extremely intense. He has not had one since and is not on any meds. We thought great its been over a year and no seizure. 3 weeks ago I gave him my old cell phone (his first) and since then he has had two seizures both in the last two days. They are all at bedtime. So if he did use the phone it was hour before, so I am wondering, if cells phones do trigger his seizures (albeit) when other factors a present, (fatigue), can the seizure occur a few hours after use? and is it different for an 11 year old as apposed to an adult?
Also do meds have greater side effects on children then adults? Should I wait to see if the seizures become more common before putting him on meds, (after all 1 - 2 / year may not be as bad as the effect of the meds).
We are seeing a neurologist tomorrow but wanted some personal advice from those living in the same situation. As a parent I fell helpless and confused and scared.
THX
JM
Hi John
I have had epilepsy since I was 15 and rarely have fits any more. The first medication I was put on was called "Rivotril" and it made me tired all the time, to the point where I would skip it so I wouldn't be tired for some event coming up, but this sometimes resulted in a worse situation. Later, once that stopped working for me and I started having fits again, I was switched to "Lamictal". It was new and expensive back in 1995 or so and I'm still on it. I absolutely hate medications, I am anti-medication unless absolutely necessary and have no respect for doctors who just hand out meds when they're not really necessary, such as antibiotics for colds. I even work in the medical industry providing services to GPs so I am surrounded by this stuff all the time. I am seriously into homeopathy and healthy eating and lifestyle and my 2-and-a-half year old child is not vaccinated nor ever had any medications. So, as you can imagine, I have tried everything I can to avoid medication but there is really nothing else available that I have been able to find. However, I have to say that as far as I'm aware, the Lamictal that I take causes me no side-effects whatsoever. Of course this is only my experience so I cannot say there will be no side-effects for anyone else.
If your son continues to have the odd fit once or twice a year, this may not seem enough to worry about, but if he has a fit in a dangerous situation, such as when standing on something he could fall off, or when riding a bike, you may regret your decision. What's more, as he approaches driving age, you may find he will not be able to hold a driver's licence until a certain time frame has passed since his last fit. In my country you cannot hold a driver's licence until 2 years has passed since your last fit. I had to wait until I was 18, and for a young man, when all my friends were driving, that was hell!
Personally I hate mobile (cell) phones but if you really want your son to have one, give him one of those little cables that you can plug into the phone at one end, and there is an ear piece on the other end, much like an MP3 player but with only 1 ear piece. There are other options but just try to keep the phone itself away from his head. My experience tells me that a phone next to the head can trigger a fit but I think other factors such as tiredness, stress etc. may need to been involved, but without the phone, the fit may not actually occur.
Just some things to think about from someone who has been through this.
This is interesting. My daughter is 12 next month. She was diagnosed with grad-mal (generalized) and partial (petite) seizures- she was 7.5 years old. In the begining she was on medication to control the seizures- for nine months before weaning off. She had some seizures the following years up until now. In the month her seizures are back- two grand-mals, and several absent seizures. Her EEG is worse this year then the previous two years which showed improvements- at those times. She has also had an increase in subclinical seizures and absent seizures. She is back on medication today.
Its interesting because she got a cell phone towards mid-September. It sounds like at the very least, it may be worth looking at doing a trial without the cell phone. It would be interesting to do some studies on this topic. Sounds worth pursuing. Does anyone else out there have experience with kids and cell phones with epilepsy?
Thanks
Renee
Hi! I am glad someone is talking about this. I just recently started having seizures and convulsions in 2001. I am 49 now and have not had any head injuries. I do have a lump on the left side of my forehead where my eeg(s) show frontal lobe brain abnormalities. The neurologist have not been able to bring my seizures under control.
Recently I started having a feeling of "static electricity" in my head and ears. I have been saying that something is wrong but its hard to explain to doctors. This morning I got up and felt relatively okay. No static feelings. I went to pick up my cell phone which was already on and a surge went through my hands and body up to my head. I also sometimes have to hold my cell phone away from my ear because it affects me somehow. You may ask why I don't use an earpiece. The answer is, I once used an earpiece and was shocked by it. It felt like it went rigt into my head. This is a very scary time for me and like the young lady I am considering giving up cell pphones altoghethre for my health.
If anyone wants to use me to experiment, I will be a willing participant. I desparately need answers.
For cell phones and other electronics with seizures:
Hello there,
I am responding to what you mentioned about "static electricity" and cell phones. I am 28 and started having seizures in 1998. I haven't had a grand mal seizure in over a year and a half, but I have petit mal seizures.
I am sensitive to cell phones, computers, and TV's. A black and white cell phone with no pictures and no backlight works best for me. The darker the screen the better. It's all trial and error to see what works for you. On the computer, if it starts to bother me, I put on polorized sunglasses-specifically glasses with a blue polorized lens which I had made. Also looking away from the computer every few minutes helps. I don't watch TV, but I don't really care to.
When I sleep, I turn off my cell phone. When my cell phone is near me, I put it face down. I can feel it less that way. I can feel the affects of my computer when it is on 'sleep.' Therefore, when I am not using the computer, I turn it off and close it (as I have a laptop) and I put it in a room away from me. Certain websites bother me more than others-because of flashing images and contrast of color. And I need to use my computer in an area where there is good light. Otherwise, I don't feel as well.
Hope this helps!
I can say that I'm pretty sure I'm among those who are sensitive to cell phones too. Computers, I don't think so though...
I had my first grand mal seizure the day before my 14th birthday in the shower. I had an EEG test done, and it was only after my second seizure about a year later that I was diagnosed with epilepsy and put on valproate (so glad I don't take it anymore! I was on it for three months and then stopped). It must be noted that I had this second seizure because my blood sugar levels were very low... it was 3 pm in the afternoon and I had not eaten anything all day.
Another year later, I stayed up until 5 am for a New Year's party, and had a seizure around noon after I woke up and was watching a movie with my friends. I was put on Tegretol XR and 200 mg once a day worked fine for me... but I began to suspect 2 years ago that it was causing me to slowly gain weight over the years, and just last year I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism. I'm only 20. The Synthroid product monograph claims that Tegretol can cause hypothyroidism, so there you have it.
Anyways, it was around 2.5 years ago that I got a cell phone, and 2 years ago that I decided to try going without Tegretol, against the advice of my doctor. I had a seizure in two weeks, and I speak to my boyfriend on my cell phone every night on the phone. So I tried again... this time I went a month without the medication, again using the cell phone for an hour every night and had another seizure, this time in the morning, while I was in my bed (my suite mate told me what had happened). 6 months later, I find an herbal remedy, and try that, still using my cell phone, and had a 20 minute seizure where I had many convulsions and stopped, but never regained consciousness in between.
I know what my main triggers are... too much stress, not eating on time, not getting enough sleep or foods with iron... but I found it odd that my seizures just suddenly got worse. I thought about what could have provoked them... and then it dawned on me, and I couldn't believe I had never thought of it before - my cell phone. Then I did some research and it all connected together... I'm tempted to try going without medication again, this time just using my cell phone very minimally, and getting a headset or something instead, but I'm still worried about how it might turn out... I hate taking medications.
My son age 9 diagnosed with irretractable epilepsy he had brain surgery less than one week ago. This was to remove a tumor on the right temporal lobe. My son was discharged after only 3 days in the hospital. He has not had a seizure since the surgery ( one week ago ) pre-surgery he was having 1 a day for the past two weeks. He is 100% normal and there are no noticeable changes in any of his personality or mobility skills in any way. He will be returning to school full -time 8 days post surgery. He has virtually no swelling on his face or at the area where the surgery was performed.
In this process I had absolutely no one to talk to who had had this surgery. What a gift that would have been,just to ask mom questions. The surgery and the surgeon who preformed it have been a gift from god. Only one week post surgery the quality of my sons life has changed. He has a 80% of being seizure free.
If anyone has any questions I can answer please email me
I believe you are extremely irresponsible not to vaccinate your child. From an epidemiological perspective you are endangering the lives of all the children in your area, and theoretically the whole country. The rates of take-up have dropped below 87% which means that we may be on the verge of an epidemic of child death related to the illnesses that vaccines are supposed to protect against! I also do not take unnecessary medication nor do i give my children antibiotics when they are not needed. I am also a trained health professional. For you to give out information like this on a public health website just spreads the idea that vaccines are a dangerous thing to be avoided as opposed to one of the greatest health advances of the last hundred years. Your unjustified paranoia is putting lives in danger. I have also met lots of medical representatives trying to sell drugs for pharmaceutical companies. I agree that nobody should take medicine without understanding the risks and effects. I know that it is a multi - billion pound business and that peoples lives are ruined by poor medication. Do not put vaccines in to this basket. The mmr has been proven to be safe in double blind, peer reviewed tests. The other childhood vaccines (polio, tetanus, etc) prevent deadly diseases. We should be grateful. Please be careful what you are saying, especially when you say that you have some sort of medical connection. Speaking to GPs does not make you a doctor.
Hi
There was a case of a child in Wales who suffered her first epileptic fit when a phone mast was erected opposite her school
She was transferred to a special school and the fits subsided until unbelievably another mast was erected opposite that school and her fits massively increased to over 30 a day.
She was withdrawn and her doctor testified that the radiation emitted by the phone mast (and the same is emitted from a mobile) could have caused her epilepsy.
She has to be home schooled now.
WiFi and digital cordless phones in the home constantly emit the same sort of radiation as a phone masts and therefore could also cause fits.
I'm thinking the man has had some concerns about giving vaccines to his children or not. My daughter who started having chronic clonic grand mal seizures immediately after her first vaccines, has made me fear the possibility that was the cause. And there wasn't a doctor to say it wasn't. you should becareful. L.W.
I read all your comments with interest - my 17yr son died last year suddenly and unexpectedly (see SUDEP). He had been diagnosed with Epilepsy at 14. Initailly his tonic clonic seizures were infrequent and we delayed putting him on meds, however at 15 it was evident we needed to do so as TC seizures increased and myoclonic/partials began. He started off on Epilim but within three months Rivotril was added... I cannot be sure but I have to say that it would have been about this time that he got a mobile phone... also like with a lot of teens the computer was our biggest battle ground. Now for us the issue is past history... however for other readers one option I haven't seen mentioned regarding the mobile phone is that of using the 'speaker' - if holding to the ear, and using an earpiece present a problem how about using the 'speaker ' button now availble on most phones. Just a thought!
Hi there,
Just very briefly, it's worth noting that weather or not mobile phones have an effect on seizures or not - it is not advisable to use those hands free kits (the earpiece kind) as some mobile phones commonly this as an extension of their transmitting antennae to improve reception, and to place this into the ear while using a phone (assuming that mobile phones do have an effect on seizures in some individuals) would make those individuals more succeptible.
The same would apply for anyone concerned about any other health risk of a mobile phone - the only real solution is to minimise the time spent on them thus minimizing exposure to RF radiation.
A few thoughts on this matter.
Mobile phones use radio waves of a particular frequency, very powerful as they need to transmit far enough to reach the nearest mast, however I currently have had no immediate adverse effect to my knowledge.
In the hospital I work at we are all assigned VOIP (Voice Over I/P) phones - which are short range radio phones that work on the same frequency as wireless computer networks.
With very short time spent on these VOIP phones, I find myself feeling very unwell.
It is true that power output of VOIP phones as with mobile phones varies with signal strength, however generally, power output of a VOIP phone is much less than that of a mobile phone.
In conclusion, as different people with photosensitive epilepsy are sensitive to differennt frequencies of light stimulus. It may be that different people are sensitive to particular frequencies of RF radiation, regardless of power output.
I would love to speak to you personally... My daughter has been diagnosed since 1 year old.
I am struggling with the surgery.... and want to the right thing..
Tough decision
1) Interesting to read peoples comments. My first epileptic fit occured while playing a video game (River Raid) in 1984. I was 14 then, and subsequently stopped playing video games - since at that time I knew that flickering lights did'nt agree with me. That was one trigger. Then when I started working, as an equity trader my work involved a lot of high intensity computer screen time (which over a long duration) used to stress / tire me out completely. Epileptics whose trigger is light (varying intensities) should see the 3-D AVATAR and tell me if they experienced close to fit conditions (something which I did after watching the film)
2) Subsequently years later when I started using cell phones it became apparent that there is a direct correlation b/w cell phone usage and epilepsy (viz-a-viz) myself. I had two fits while being on the phone. My understanding is that that cell phones emit a tiny amount of electrical radiation which definetely effects/interacts with the our electrical wiring/discharges (brain) and hence the resultant fit. I have spoken/written about this on various forums (including the British Medical Journal - see BMR / Zain Hamidi 2002), but the standard response has been "NOT ENOUGH EMPERICAL DATA". After speaking to people from the cellphone industry (informally), it was made clear to me that this line of investigation will never be pursed as the it would adversely the USD 100 - 150 Billion cellphone industry. I have even suggested to use me as a guniea pig and do EEG's before and after high intensity cell phone usage.