Dietary Management Of Catalepsy

By: on July 31st, 2017 in

Dietary management of Catalepsy:

Catalepsy is one mental disorder/rather says a neurological disorder. In medical term catalepsy defines a disease condition of diminished responsiveness usually characterized by trancelike state and constantly maintained immobility. In this case the affected individual may remain in one position for minutes, days, or even longer period of time! In addition catalepsy may accompany any of several different mental illnesses as well! Some of its examples are –epilepsy, hysteria, and cerebellar disorders; sometimes with hypnosis.

Some of its common symptoms include:

  • rigid body,
  • limbs are became rigid,
  • sometimes there is no response or recognition,
  • Another common that, there is loss of voluntary muscle control.

Dietary approaches:

  • Primary treatment should have proper drug treatment with physician’s correct diagnosis.
  • Refusal to eat is one important condition and parenteral nutrition can be supported during this stage! along with strict observation of fluid and electrolyte intake of the person.
  • Considering diet the drug nutrient interaction must be in consideration. Sometimes neurological drugs are having side effects of nutritional significance, like some time folic acid have interaction with anticonvulsive drugs. Food intake can delay the drug reactions. Again low serum albumin due to a state of malnutrition can result in a higher drug concentration in the blood and thus toxicity.
  • The focus of nutritional management is a diet, which is appropriate for maintaining ideal body weight for geriatric adult or adult and also to maintain proper child growth, if children are the victims.
  • In this condition ketogenic diet can be recommended ideally.
  • In general some foods to avoid for getting beneficial effects, these are as follows: Cakes or cookies, pastries, carbonated beverages, sherbet and sweet juices, puddings and pies, jams, jellies, marmalade and honey, condensed milk etc.
  • Below are some foods to be given according to requirements: Meat/cheese, chicken(30gm),egg(1),fish(50gm),cottage cheese (50gm),pulse (30gm).

Vegetables (100gm): beans, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, cucumber, eggplant mushroom, mustard greens, radish, spinach, tomatoes, turnip.

Cereals: bread (25gm),wheat (20gm),crackers (20gm),rice (cooked 50gm),Noodles (50gms cooked)

Fats: Butter (5gm),cooking fat (5gm),nuts-almonds, walnuts (5gm)

Fruits :Apple (40gm),apricots(60gm),banana(30gm),gooseberries(50gm),cherries(40gm),grapes (40gm),orange (100gm),mango (35gm),melon(100gm),papaya(60gm),peach (60gm),pulms(40gm).

Milk: Butter milk(120gm),skimmed milk (120gm).

  • Take ample amount of fluid daily.
  • A complete check up and consultation with dietician is very much required to be healthy!
  • Eat frequently but avoid a large meal at a time!
  • In following ketogenic diet means 75 % of the recommended energy intake for weight and height is given. Protein is given about 1g/kg for growth. This leaves a minimal amount of carbohydrate to make up the calories.
  • A ketogenic diet is designed to produce ketone bodies as a result of incomplete oxidation f fat although the exact mechanism is not known! The ketone bodies produced by incomplete oxidation of fat (acetone, acetoacetic acid and beta hydroxybutric acid) are thought to have an anticonvulsant action and hence are beneficial!!
  • The ketogenic diet is initiated after an initial period of fasting for 24-72 hours, till ketosis is established!