If you or a loved one has epilepsy, you might look at treatments beyond the usual drugs. In the United States, choosing other ways to treat epilepsy is not that common anymore. Yet, there are always new alternative methods appearing. It is good to know the pluses and minuses of different treatments to make smart health choices.
Big names in medicine check traditional epilepsy treatments closely. They tell us what works, the side effects, and the dangers. However, not all new or different treatments get this same tight check. So, we might not know as much about how safe and helpful they are. Even so, some of these less common treatments could help, even if we don’t have as much proof.
Disclaimer: Never leave or change your epilepsy medications without talking to your neurologist. Whenever you try alternative forms of treatment remember to discuss the same with your neurologist.
Understanding Complementary and Alternative Treatments
In healthcare, people are more interested in alternative and complementary treatments. These happen apart from the usual medicine. They can be used with, or instead of, standard treatments for health conditions like epilepsy. Knowing about these different therapies and integrative medicine can help you make better health choices.
Defining Complementary and Alternative Approaches
Complementary treatments work with standard medicine. Alternative treatments replace standard medicine. Often, using a mix of both can be the best.
Types of Complementary and Alternative Therapies
There are many types of these therapies for epilepsy and more. They include natural products and mind-body practices. Researchers study these therapies to find out how well they work and if they’re safe.
Integrative Medicine: Combining Traditional and Non-Traditional Treatments
Integrative medicine combines traditional and alternative care. It offers a complete treatment that looks at physical and mental health. In the U.S., more doctors are using alternative therapies alongside standard care.
The Need for alternative treatments for epilepsy
Prevalence and Impact of Epilepsy
Epilepsy affects over 70 million worldwide. No matter your age, gender, race, or where you live, you could have it. The causes can be from your family, health issues, infections, and other reasons. Some causes are still not known.
Limitations of Conventional Antiepileptic Drugs
Today, many with epilepsy use common drugs to keep their seizures under control. But these drugs can cause problems. They might mix badly with other drugs, not work for some people, and bring strong side effects. Because of this, many are looking into natural ways to help.
Potential Benefits of Natural and Alternative Therapies
People are looking at natural ways to fight epilepsy for a few good reasons. First, they hope to find ways that work better with fewer bad effects. Second, they believe these ways will fit better with taking care of the whole body. For example, using herbs, changing your diet, and doing specific exercises could help in unique ways. They might change how epilepsy works inside you, cut down on stress, and make you feel better.
| Therapy | Potential Benefits | Limitations |
|---|---|---|
| Ketogenic Diet | Helps prevent seizures in children whose epilepsy isn’t well-controlled with medicine | Not well-studied in adults, can be difficult to maintain long-term |
| Music Therapy | May decrease frequency of seizures in some patients | Inconsistent effects, more research needed |
| Melatonin | May reduce seizure risk in children, but results are conflicting | Lack of conclusive evidence on efficacy |
| Cannabidiol (CBD) | FDA-approved synthetic CBD oil (Epidiolex) for treating rare, severe forms of epilepsy | Only one FDA-approved CBD product, legality and access vary across states |
Mechanisms of Action of Natural Therapies for Epilepsy
It’s key to understand how natural therapies work against epilepsy. They target key pathways. These include changing how neurotransmitters and receptors work. They also reduce oxidative stress and neuroinflammation. Plus, they aim to fix mitochondrial dysfunction.
Modulating Neurotransmitters and Receptors
The wrong activity by some brain cells can lead to seizures. This happens when certain brain cells stop working right. They try to fix this by affecting GABA and glutamate, two key neurotransmitters. This helps keep a healthy balance in the brain.
Reducing Oxidative Stress and Neuroinflammation
Epilepsy is linked to oxidative stress and heightened brain inflammation. These can happen due to too many seizures. Natural treatments that fight these conditions might help with epilepsy.
Targeting Mitochondrial Dysfunction
Bad mitochondria might also be part of why someone has epilepsy. Some natural therapies try to fix this by improving how mitochondria work. This could help protect the brain and slow down epilepsy.
Herbal and Natural Remedies for Epilepsy
Many people with epilepsy look for natural remedies. They use them along with or instead of medicine. Herbal and natural remedies for epilepsy are getting more popular, especially where standard medicines are hard to get. Though we still need more proof, some natural things can help with epilepsy.
Flavonoids and Their Antiepileptic Properties
Flavonoids are natural chemicals that come from plants. They are showing promise in managing epilepsy. These chemicals can work against seizures. They help by changing how our brain messengers, and stress and inflammation are involved in epilepsy.
Alkaloids as Potential Anticonvulsants
Then, there are alkaloids. They have been shown to have anticonvulsant effects. Alkaloids are made of nitrogen and found in plants. They can help stop seizures by affecting how our brain’s systems and ion channels work. We are still learning about how effective alkaloid-heavy plant extracts might be.
Other Plant-Based Compounds with Antiepileptic Effects
Besides flavonoids and alkaloids, several other plant-based compounds could be helpful. Terpenoids, coumarins, and glycosides are some examples. These substances have shown antiepileptic effects in studies on animals, offering more natural options that need exploring.
Mind-Body Therapies and Lifestyle Interventions
Complementary and alternative therapies for epilepsy go beyond natural products. They also include mind-body practices. Techniques like meditation and relaxation exercises can help. They’ve shown good results in managing seizures and boosting well-being for people with epilepsy.
Meditation and Relaxation Techniques
Stress-reduction methods like yoga and meditation can help control seizures. They do this by improving how we handle stress and by helping us relax. In a study, 38% of those using the ketogenic diet saw their seizures drop by over 50% due to meditation and other mind-body therapies.
Dietary Approaches: The Ketogenic Diet
The ketogenic diet is a high-fat, low-carb diet that’s being looked at for epilepsy. It has shown to stop seizures completely in about 16% of patients. In 32% of cases, there was a more than 90% reduction in seizures. By the 12-month mark, about 40-50% of those on the diet saw over a 50% reduction in seizures.
A study at Johns Hopkins Hospital saw significant results with the diet. After 3 months, 3% were seizure-free. Over 90% of patients saw a drop of more than 90% in seizures, and 26% had a 50-90% drop. At the 12-month point, 7% were seizure-free, 20% saw over a 90% drop, and 23% had a 50-90% drop in seizures.
In another study, the diet group had a 75% decrease in seizures at the 3-month mark. This was compared to only 6% in the control group. Additionally, 38% in the diet group saw over a 50% reduction in seizures.
Exercise and Physical Activity
Regular exercise is also beneficial for managing epilepsy. Moderate-intensity activities like walking can improve seizure control and life quality. They also help with stress, heart health, and relaxation. Exercise can support the effects of other therapies and lifestyle changes for epilepsy.
Conclusion
The research into how natural compounds help with epilepsy is very promising. Flavonoids, alkaloids, and terpenoids might lead to new epilepsy treatment. These natural elements can change how our brain’s chemicals work. They can also lower stress in the brain and fight against swelling. What’s more, they fix problems in our cell’s powerhouses.
About 25% of children with epilepsy see no improvement with standard drugs. The search for new drugs continues. Natural treatments, like the ones discussed, are becoming more popular. They offer hope for future treatment advances.
The chance to use natural remedies for epilepsy is very exciting. More research could find better ways to help. This could make life better for people with epilepsy.
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Source Links
- https://www.epilepsy.com/treatment/alternative-therapies
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8690245/
- https://www.webmd.com/epilepsy/epilepsy-alternative-therapies
- https://epilepsyfoundation.org.au/managing-epilepsy/health-and-wellbeing/complementary-therapies/
- https://cureepilepsy.org/for-patients/understanding/treatments/alternative-therapies-for-epilepsy/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7969896/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8146518/
- https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/317922
- https://www.epilepsy.com/treatment/alternative-therapies/herbal-therapies
- https://www.healthline.com/health/natural-treatments-epilepsy
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3200033/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6094950/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2082960/
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