Seizure
disorder herbs, supplements, vitamins, diet and food, natural ways to prevent or
treat, by
Ray Sahelian, M.D.
February 19 2016
A seizure is the response to an abnormal electrical discharge in the brain.
Anything that irritates the brain can produce it. Two thirds of people who
experience a seizure never have another. One third go on to have recurring seizures (a
condition called epilepsy).
Precisely what happens during a seizure depends
on what part of the brain is affected by the abnormal electrical discharge. The
discharge
may involve a tiny area of the brain and lead only to the person noticing an odd smell or
taste, or it may involve large areas and lead to a convulsion--jerking and spasms of
muscles throughout the body. The person may also have brief attacks of altered
consciousness; lose consciousness, muscle control, or bladder control; and become
confused.
Cause of
seizure disorders
High fever due to infections. Most of the time, these types of febrile
seizure are temporary. Brain infections from a number of viruses and bacteria
are a cause of seizure. Antibiotic or antiviral therapy can treat the infection
and hence prevent the seizure from reoccurring.
Seizure can occur due to heatstroke.
Exposure to toxic drugs and substances such as excess alcohol, amphetamines, and cocaine
can certainly lead to seizures. Even certain substances not thought of to be a
causative agent may be responsible, for instance
camphor.
Withdrawal after heavy use of alcohol, sleep aids, tranquilizers.
Adverse reaction to prescription drugs.
Metabolic disturbances such as high levels of sugar or sodium in the blood, low levels of
sugar, calcium, magnesium, or sodium in the blood, kidney or
liver failure.
Insufficient oxygen to the brain from
strokes or carbon monoxide poisoning.
Destruction of brain tissue form head injury or brain tumor.
In rare cases, excessively high doses of certain nutrients and
herbs may cause a
seizure or make it more likely to occur.
Side effects of certain natural supplements such as ginkgo biloba herb.
A severe brain injury puts people at high risk for more than a
decade after they are first hurt.
Childhood vaccines may trigger early onset of a severe form of infant epilepsy,
Dravet syndrome, but researchers say the disorder is ultimately caused by
defective genes and lifesaving vaccines should not be withheld from these
children. The disorder generally begins with seizures around six months of age.
High levels of stress.
Natural therapy for seizures
The ketogenic
diet may be helpful in reducing the frequency of seizures.
Improvement of sleep patterns
can help reduce the frequency of seizures.
Improvement in diet. A high-fat, low
carbohydrate diet can drastically cut seizures in children with severe epilepsy and could
reduce the need for medication.
Vitamin E may be useful afterwards.
Mol Neurobiol. 2014. Post-Seizure α-Tocopherol Treatment Decreases
Neuroinflammation and Neuronal Degeneration Induced by Status Epilepticus in Rat
Hippocampus. Vitamin E (as α-tocopherol, α-T) was shown to have beneficial
effects in epilepsy, mainly ascribed to its antioxidant properties. Besides
radical-induced neurotoxicity, neuroinflammation is also involved in the
pathophysiology of epilepsy, since neuroglial activation and cytokine production
exacerbate seizure-induced neurotoxicity and contribute to epileptogenesis. We
previously showed that α-T oral supplementation before inducing status
epilepticus, markedly reduces astrocytic and microglial activation, neuronal
cell death and oxidative stress in the hippocampus, as observed 4 days after
seizure.
Fish oils may be helpful,
according to Dr. Christopher DeGiorgio, of the University of California, Los
Angeles. Omega-3 fatty acids in fish oil can
cross from the bloodstream into the central nervous system, where they reduce
the excitability of brain cells that trigger seizures.
Melatonin has been found to be helpful in children
taking valproate (see study below).
Taurine amino
acid hyperpolarizes neurons and inhibits their firing.
Passionflower herb
should be considered.
Add calcium mineral and
vitamin D since patients on medications often lose bone mass.
Bacopa has been used in
India for epilepsy however research on this herb regarding seizures is very
limited.
Carnosine has been looked into, see study below, but no human studies are
available.
Scutellariae radix water extract has anticonvulsant activity against tonic seizures in
mice. Its role in humans is not clear.
Yoga is helpful. Any
type of stress reduction could be of benefit.
Fish oils and seizure
prevention
Fish oils help reduce the risk of cardiac
arrhythmias by helping stabilize neuronal excitability in heart tissue. I wonder
if fish oils or eating fish could have the same benefits in brain tissue,
helping reduce neuronal excitability and thus reducing the occurrence of
seizures. I would be interested in getting feedback from neurologists or other
experts would have studied this topic.
Diet enriched with omega-3 fatty acids alleviates
convulsion symptoms in seizure patients.
Epilepsia. 2002.
We examined whether a dietary supplement containing omega-3 polyunsaturated
fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs) can alleviate and/or reduce the frequency of epileptic
seizures in patients with central nervous system (CNS) diseases treated with
anticonvulsive drugs. A special spread containing 65% n-3 PUFAs was added to the
daily diet. The patients consumed 5 g of this spread at every breakfast for 6
months. Five patients completed the study. In all of them, a marked
reduction in both frequency and strength of the epileptic seizures was recorded. Incorporation of the dietary supplement containing n-3 PUFAs may be
beneficial in suppression of some cases of epileptic seizures.
Q. I sometimes work as a locum pharmacist in and around Dublin and have
experienced a case of this type. Largely driven by the research in the UK,
Omega-3s are becoming very popular for all paediatric neurological complaints.
One parent who came to our pharmacy described how his daughter’s liquid omega3
supplement is now covered (i.e. no payment required by the patient) by Ireland’s
General Medical Services (GMS) based on the outcome of a brief trial which he
initiated himself.
(GMS is the Irish equivalent of the British NHS; but with more limited access -
available to over 70s and those on below-average incomes), but with no charges
to patients. OTC products are generally not covered, but Regional Health Service
Executive offices have discretionary systems for special or hardship cases,)
This man’s daughter’s (aged about 7) seizures had been refractory to therapy –
resulting in several seizures per week. After several months on Omega 3s,
seizures became much less frequent (down to one every few months). The brands
she had been receiving are Eskimo and EyeQ.
Carnosine and seizures
Carnosine, a precursor of histidine, ameliorates pentylenetetrazole-induced
kindled seizures in rat.
Neurosci Lett. 2006.
The objective of this study was to examine the effects of carnosine on the development of pentylenetetrazol (PTZ) kindling seizures and
protection against the PTZ kindled seizures in rats. Injection of carnosine
(200, 500 mg/kg, i.p.) significantly decreased seizure stage, and prolonged the
latencies for myoclonic jerks, in a dose- and time-dependent manner. In the
seizure development process, 500 mg/kg carnosine also significantly delayed the
onset of PTZ kindled seizures. In addition, carnosine significantly reversed
decreased histamine levels induced by PTZ kindled seizure in the hippocampus.
These results indicate that carnosine can protect against PTZ-induced seizures
in both the development of kindling and the challenge process in rats. The
results suggest that carnosine might be an endogenous anticonvulsant factor in
the brain and can be used as a new antiepileptic drug in future.
Case study report
Eur J Clin Nutr. 2016. Resolution of non-psychogenic epileptic-like seizures
utilizing a vasodilatory and anti-inflammatory dietary intervention. A young
female subject with ineffective pharmacological regulation of chronic
vasoconstrictive-induced epilectic-like seizures was effectively treated with a
dietary regimen targeted to promote vasodilatation and attenuate vascular
inflammation. The intervention consisted of complete cessation of caffeinated
beverages, supplementation with L-arginine to promote vasodilatation,
consumption of foods rich in phytoestrogens, minimization of foods enriched with
saturated fatty acids, supplementation with vitamin D concomitant with increased
ingestion of dairy milk and supplementation with aged garlic extract
Supplements that may have an
adverse effect on seizure
Reduce or eliminate any kind of supplements that have a stimulant effect such as
tyrosine amino acid,
ephedra, caffeine,
guarana, citrus aurantium,
ginkgo biloba herb, sexual herbs such
as horny goat weed and tongkat ali, and teas that have caffeine.
Medications that can cause new onset seizures
Antidepressants lead to a higher risk
for first-time seizures in people being treated for depression:
Tricyclics
SSRIs, or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors.
SNRIs, or serotonin–norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors
Other antidepressants, including bupropion, mirtazapine, reboxetine, and
trazodone
Anti seizure medication warning
The US Food and Drug Administration is requiring that the
label of all anti seizure medications include a warning about the increased risk
of suicidal thoughts and behaviors.
Widely used anticonvulsant drugs, including Neurontin and Trileptal, increase the risk of suicide, attempted suicide and violent death in patients taking them for the first time. Compared with Johnson & Johnson's generic epilepsy drug topiramate or Topamax, Dr. Elisabetta Patorno of Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston, found an increased risk for suicide in new users of Pfizer's Neurontin (sold generically as gabapentin), GlaxoSmithKline's Lamictal or lamotrigine, Novartis' Trileptal or oxcarbazepine and Cephalon's Gabitril or tiagabine. The study appears in the Journal of the American Medical Association, 2010.
Pregnancy
taking Depakote (valproate) during pregnancy lowers the baby's IQ and lead to
deformities in up to one in ten cases. NEJM/New England Journal of Medicine,
June 9, 2010.
Type of seizure
Absence seizure can appear to others that
the person is daydreaming, something we all do when we are bored or distracted.
However, during the absence seizure the person cannot be woken up since they are
temporarily unconscious.
Complex partial seizure
Focal
Grand mall
Myoclonic
Partial
Petit mal - some people misspell this as petite mal seizure
Tonic clonic
Seizure symptom
Symptoms depend on the type, ranging from a hardly
noticed few second mental distraction to a total full blown epileptic seizure
involving all extremities and muscle groups leading to loss of consciousness. A
diabetic seizure can occur due to a sudden drop in blood sugar from insulin
overdose.
Seizure Research studies
Generally medication should not be started following a single seizure except in
specific circumstances or in cases where the risk of recurrence is high.
After a seizure, early intervention with
anticonvulsant drugs appears to have little effect on the long-term prognosis of
epilepsy. When to begin treatment with antiepileptic drugs in patients with few
or infrequent seizures is a difficult decision. Doctors and patients must weigh
the risk of seizure recurrence against the risk of medication side effects.
Researchers evaluated the outcomes of patients who had single seizures and early
epilepsy whose doctors were uncertain whether to proceed with treatment. The
researchers randomly assigned 722 patients to start treatment immediately and
721 to defer treatment until the doctors and patient agreed that seixure
treatment was necessary. In the deferred-treatment group, 332 started treatment
during the course of the trial.
Patients who deferred treatment had a shorter time until the first or second
recurrent seizure. However, the two groups did not differ in time to a fifth
seizure. By the two-year follow-up, 32 percent of those in the
immediate-treatment group had a recurrent seizure versus 39 percent of those in
the deferred-treatment group. There was no greater improvement in quality of
life among those assigned to immediate treatment versus deferred treatment.
Immediate treatment was associated with more adverse events that were believed
to be treatment related. After three years, 74 percent of the
immediate-treatment group and 71 percent of the deferred-treatment group were
seizure-free. At 5 years, 76 percent and 77 percent were seizure free.
Screening of plants used in Danish folk medicine to treat
epilepsy and convulsions.
J Ethnopharmacol. 2005;
Department of Medicinal Chemistry, The Danish University of Pharmaceutical
Sciences, 2 Universitetsparken, 2100 Copenhagen O, Denmark.
Aqueous and ethanolic extracts of 42 plants used in Danish folk medicine for the
treatment of epilepsy and convulsions, or for inducing sedation, were tested for
affinity to the GABA(A)-benzodiazepine receptor in the flumazenil-binding assay.
Ethanolic extracts of leaves of Primula elatior and Primula veris and aerial
parts of Tanacetum parthenium exhibited good, dose-dependent affinity.
Vaccination with the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine appears to increase a child's risk of having a seizure from a high fever -- a usually harmless event. However, the increased risk appears to be small and short-lived, Danish researchers report. Moreover, like other febrile seizures, those arising after vaccination were not associated with an increased risk of developing epilepsy.
Herbal Medicines and Epilepsy: The Potential for Benefit and Adverse Effects.
Spinella M. Epilepsy Behav. 2001.
Herbal sedatives (kava, valerian, chamomile, passionflower) may
potentiate the effects of antiepileptic medications, increasing their sedative
and cognitive effects. Despite some anti seizure effects in animal models, they
should not be used in place of standard seizure medications because efficacy has
not been established. Anecdotal, uncontrolled observations suggest that herbal
stimulants containing ephedrine (ephedra or ma huang) and caffeine (cocoa,
coffee, tea, mate, guarana, cola or kola) can exacerbate seizures in people with
epilepsy, especially when taken in combination. Ginkgo and ginseng may also
exacerbate seizures although the evidence for this is similarly anecdotal and
uncertain. St. John's wort has the potential to alter medication
pharmacokinetics and the seizure threshold. The essential oils of many plants
contain epileptogenic compounds. There is mixed evidence for evening primrose
and borage lowering the seizure threshold. Education of both health care
providers and patients is the best way to avoid unintentional and unnecessary
adverse reactions to herbal medicines.
Add-on melatonin improves quality of life in epileptic children on valproate
monotherapy: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.
Lady Hardinge Medical College and Associated Hospitals, New Delhi, India.
Epilepsy Behav. 2004.
This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study in epileptic children
aged 3-12 years evaluated the effects of add-on melatonin administration on the
quality of life of these children on sodium valproate (VPA) monotherapy using a
parental questionnaire. Quality of Life in Childhood Epilepsy is a questionnaire
designed to assess a variety of age-relevant domains such as physical function,
emotional well-being, cognitive function, social function, behavior, and general
health. Of the 31 patients, 16 randomly received add-on melatonin (MEL), whereas
15 received add-on placebo (P). The questionnaire had good internal consistency
reliability, because for most of the multi-item scales Cronbach's [Formula: see
text] reliability exceeded 0.5 (range: 0.59-0.94). To our knowledge, this is the
first study assessing quality of life in epileptic children with add-on
melatonin administration in the form of a randomized, double-blind,
placebo-controlled trial. The study suggests a potential use of melatonin as an
adjunct to antiepileptic therapy due to its diverse spectrum of action as an
antioxidant, neuroprotector, and free radical scavenger, thus offering the
advantage of reducing oxidant stress and subsequent damage. The beneficial
effects of melatonin on sleep, its wide safety window, and its ability to cross
the blood-brain barrier have the potential to improve quality of life in
pediatric epilepsy.
The results of a
small study confirm previous findings that treatment with the anti-seizure drug
valproate tends to increase body weight. The results also show that patients
treated with the drug appear to have an increased risk of developing
nonalcoholic fatty liver disease
Sphaeranthus indicus herb has been studied in rodents.
Seizure natural treatment, prevention, supplements
and herbal remedy emails
Q. I have epilepsy and last year in I started taking Ginkgo Biloba (120mg One a day), as I believed it would improve my poor circulation and
there was nothing stated on the packaging to suggest I shouldn't take it. One
month later I had a seizure. My usual recovery time is a maximum of 2 days ,
however I had to take two weeks off work due to residual effects, predominately
severe disorintation. The unexpected long duration of my initial recovery was
very destressing and I have only recently felt 100% again. I researched the
supplement after the incident, as this was the only change to my lifestyle and
was horrified that the risk of seizures although not 100% founded at present was
stated in several sources. Nothing was mentioned on the packaging of the
supplement and although I have sent and received various letters from the
company who is responsible, nothing could come of my misfortune due to the lack
of legislation relating to herbal supplements. The conclusion taken not only by
myself but also by my Neurologist was the supplement had triggered my seizure,
with my consent a medial case report has been compiled. The purpose of my email
is simply to pass the message on, and hope somewhere along the line suitable
changes to packaging and awareness are made.
Q. I have been taking 500mg a day of L-Tyrosine
in combination with 500 mg of Para Thyrolate, and vitamin B (as
prescribed by a nutritionist.) Also, I have high blood pressure and have been
taking hydrocholorathiazide for the past two years. On Friday December 22 I had
a Grand Mal Seizure followed by a second one 5 hours later. I have never had a
seizure before in my life and I am 36 years old. The day of the seizure I had
been feeling like I was coming down with a cold or flu and barely ate anything
all day. I have been reading up on the side effects of L-Tyrosine and realized
that I have been experiencing side-effects for quite some time; heart
palpitations
and what appeared to be mini panic attacks. Has L- Tyrosine ever been documented
to cause seizures? At the hospital they ran lots of tests and could not seem to
find anything wrong with me so the seizure remains unexplained.
A. Although we have not come across any published studies regarding
the role of l tyrosine on seizure inducement, we can not rule out the
possibility, that, in some people, it is possible that high doses of l tyrosine
could reduce the threshold for a seizure to occur. This is just speculation
since we have not seen actual research blaming l tyrosine supplement use and
seizure occurrence.
Q. My husband was placed on Keppra for a mild seizure problem after a stroke, he is 75 years old. The cure was worse than the disease. Keppra gave him agitation, dizziness, no balance, runny nose and a whole list of other side effects. He is so much better after stopping the Keppra. I told his doctor I refuse to give it to him.
I have had 3 mild seizures over 15 years and am aware what riggers
them. Have you a formula for mild epilepsy. i take vit E. passionflower
Selenium.
I currently do not have an herbal or nutritional formula for
seizure treatment.
I had seen that someone asked on the site about natural suppliments
for epilepsy. Someone bought a bottle of Dr christophers anti-spasmodic formula
for my epileptic daughter. It may work like a charm, but it's so easy to throw
an epileptics chemistry off and impact seizure activity (we would know after 8
diff medications and finally keto diet) so I have not given the above formula a
try. I was curious if since that question has come up if you had come across any
information on natural suppliments such as this one. Any information you may
have is appreciated. Ingredients: Dr christophers anti-spasmodic formula
consists of the following: Skullcap herb, Lobelia herb, Cayenne, Valerian Root,
Skunk Cabbage, Myrrh Gum and Black cohosh.
I have not seen any studies with this formula so I do not
know if it is of benefit or whether it has side effects.
Thirteen years ago I had acute pancreatitis from Depakote. I've had seizures since I was three years old; I am now 56. I quit all my prescriptions about three months after recovering from acute pancreatitis and turned to natural ways to control my nocturnal tonic-clonic with tongue biting. I'm taking L-Taurine, Vitamin C, and magnesium, three times a day and it has caused my epilepsy to be less severe.
Q. Are there natural therapies for seizures
starting around menopause?
A. I have not studied this topic of menopause related seizures at
this time.
I have been immensely impressed with your
expertise for a very long time. What do you think about small amounts of taurine
and lipoid acid for stabilizing brain agitation. I have had seizures for a few
months which needed hospatilisation 4 times. I have used R Lipoic acid product
for all sort of things its amazing. Now that I am seizure prone is it
appropriate? I am having to use diazepam to stave off the seizures and obviously
increase my healthy living. The main cause of my seizures in the first place was
alcohol abuse and extreme stress.
A. I have not seen studies regarding the influence of alpha lipoic
acid on seizures, but at this point I would prefer not using it until I come
across more information. As to taurine, perhaps it could be of help.