Seizure Alert - Full Moon

[Tallgreydogmom]

I'm not sure if anyone has mentioned this. There is FULL MOON Sunday November 17. Some of the seizure kids are already feeling the effects of it.

 

I have my supplies lined up, extra frozen vegetable bags are ready, extra heavy towels ready, honey bottle and some munchies for when they are done. I may give them an extra phenobarbital if they look cross-eyed at me. Our former vet said to push a phenobarbital pill up the rear end if I did not have any valium sticks

Edited November 15, 2013 by Tallgreydogmom

[MaryJane]

From some of the facebook epi lists, both dogs and people already having issues.

[Fruitycake]

? Since the full moon merely means that the moon is on the opposite side of the earth from the sun, which causes increased tidal pulls - do people also expect this when there are new moons (sun and moon on the same side, likewise increased tidal pulls)?

 

From NOAA National Ocean Service Education site http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/education/kits/tides/tides06_variations.html

The moon is a major influence on the Earth’s tides, but the sun also generates considerable tidal forces. Solar tides are about half as large as lunar tides and are expressed as a variation of lunar tidal patterns, not as a separate set of tides. When the sun, moon, and Earth are in alignment (at the time of the new or full moon), the solar tide has an additive effect on the lunar tide, creating extra-high high tides, and very low, low tides—both commonly called spring tides. One week later, when the sun and moon are at right angles to each other, the solar tide partially cancels out the lunar tide and produces moderate tides known as neap tides. During each lunar month, two sets of spring tides and two sets of neap tides occur (Sumich, J.L., 1996).

Sumich, J.L. 1996. An Introduction to the Biology of Marine Life, sixth edition. Dubuque, IA: Wm. C. Brown. pp. 30-35.

[MaryJane]

There are actually 4 phases and dogs (people too) which can coincide with seizure activity. When there is a full moon (opposing), new moon (in same position), and at the two 90 degree angles from another. Some dogs (people) are sensitive to all, some to only 1 -- and some to none at all, it depends. There are also eclipses which can cause even more stress. There was a solar on Nov 3rd and a lunar eclipse last month. So this is an active time.

[Batmom]

http://www.skepdic.com/fullmoon.html

http://www.livescience.com/13323-supermoon-lunacy-full-moon-myths.html

Edited November 16, 2013 by Batmom

[MaryJane]

http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/moon.html

 

http://www.nbcnews.com/health/full-moon-can-mess-your-sleep-new-study-finds-6C10743979

 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2374220/The-best-time-heart-attack-When-moon-new-studies-show.html

 

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10363673

 

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16407788

 

edited to add ...

 

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1817481

 

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20028313

Edited November 17, 2013 by MaryJane

[Batmom]

From your first link above:

 

"Correlation does not mean causation."

 

and

 

"Although most experiments fail to show a relationship between the phase of the moon and abnormal behavior, the belief in the "lunar effect" is still strong among many people. Unfortunately, the occasional newspaper story that describes strange behaviors during a full moon only reinforces this myth."

[MaryJane]

From your first link above:

 

"Correlation does not mean causation."

 

and

 

"Although most experiments fail to show a relationship between the phase of the moon and abnormal behavior, the belief in the "lunar effect" is still strong among many people. Unfortunately, the occasional newspaper story that describes strange behaviors during a full moon only reinforces this myth."

 

 

The first statement was just that -- a statement indicating that just because things happen at the same time, does not mean they are related but, it also does mean that they are unrelated. Research is based on showing correlation so, this statement seems like it is trying to discount that some correlation has occurred.

 

The second statement says "MOST EXPERIMENTS" ..... implies that there are "SOME".

 

I used to manage a hospital lab in the evening and while most full moons went by without incident, there were the nights that the "weird" things would happen --- like the night someone walked into the ER with a 6 foot spear going through his throat(he survived). Some of these studies looked at activity in the ER and most people working in the ER would tell you that it's not necessarily more busy - sometimes it's eerily quiet, just the night that the strangeness is going to happen. The studies are not looking at the types of activity, only how much. So, research does not always prove one way or the other.

 

I hope that you saw the study on the sleep deprivation and how some researchers are now thinking this could have have something to do with increased seizure activity.

[Guest DeniseL]

Thyme had two seizures this morning, weird.

[tbhounds]

Working at an animal hospital I would have to say we absolutely see an increase in seizure activity at this time-conscience, maybe. I also have a friend that works in a human ER-she tries to make these days her day off!

[Wonder]

Thunder had 4 seizures last Wed. I've never noticed a pattern based on the moon before.