Treating Epilepsy Naturally : A Guide to Alternative and Adjunct Therapies

by Patricia A. Murphy

Hard-to-find information on epilepsy, presented by an author living successfully with the condition Drugs commonly used to treat epilepsy have some extremely harmful side effects. Treating Epilepsy Naturally is an empathetic, practical, empowering look at treatment options, lifestyle choices, and ways of living well. Written by an author who has been successfully living with it herself for most of her adult life, this comprehensive guide offers alternative treatments to replace and to complement traditional therapies and sound advice to find the right health practitioner for you.

Genres: Health, Nonfiction

288 pages, Paperback

First published September 26, 2001

Reviews

[Naori · Rating 2 out of 5]

So the reason I’m giving this book two stars isn’t because it doesn’t have useful information and legitimately couldn’t help someone with epilepsy use non-pharmaceutical methods of helping to treat their epilepsy. I think it does offer a lot of guidance in terms of herbology, supplements, nutrition, etc. It also is disarming in its approach as it is told from the first person perspective of the author, rather than a more removed clinical narration. It’s publication date being 2002 makes it somewhat dated - i.e. the ketogenic diet has found to be most effective in children with epilepsy and can actually have adverse effects on adults in terms of weight and cholesterol.

There are some areas of neurology that have naturally advanced past the books’ publication date, but what I found disturbing, and why I gave it a low rating, was its treatment of epilepsy and gender. When it comes to epilepsy it is very different for men and women, especially because women have to deal with seizures surrounding their menses and then a slew of issues relating to pregnancy. The book did ok talking about the difficulty of increased seizures surrounding menstruation (called catamenial seizures), but the discussion of pregnancy was way off. At one point the author suggested that one of the deciding factors when a woman with epilepsy is considering getting pregnant is whether she will pass it onto her child. I’ve known many mothers with epilepsy and multiple women looking to start families and that is definitely not at the top of the list. The biggest concerns are how do I find medications safe to take while pregnant, can I go off my seizure medications to become pregnant, what happens if I start having an increase in seizures while pregnant, how could pregnancy seizures effect the fetus, etc. Those are very big concerns and anti-convulsants are one of the most dangerous things to be taking if you are pregnant. I felt that by glossing over these really prominent issues, and important facts, the book could actually be causing more harm than good. Being concerned about hereditary epilepsy on a personal level, say for the author, is fine, but medically it’s important to represent all of the presiding issues in case someone lacks that information. Part of my critique in some ways is just that - the book moves back and forth between being a personal journey and then chapters of hardcore medical information with only the forward written by an M.D. It sort of presents itself as fact but could be really just one person’s reality.

I would say a good case for this is when the author talks about epilepsy in the workplace. The author says, and I’m paraphrasing, that for women with active epilepsy, employment can be an emotional, physical and legal challenge. Ok yes, absolutely, I can attest to this. No matter where you work, having a seizure/seizures on the job is pretty awful, and incredibly alienating, etc. And disclosing something personal about your health out of necessity also doesn’t feel so good. Not to mention how difficult it is to prove discrimination based on epilepsy or find an employer that isn’t uncomfortable with it. However, when it comes to men having seizures on the job the author literally says: it’s all about attitude. Um....?? To be frank, when you’re flopping around and drooling on the floor in front of everyone, it really doesn’t matter what identity you align with. It’s gosh darn embarrassing. ***Disclaimer: people have all different types of seizures and many of them are not the flopping and drooling ones**** But not only is that sentiment problematic & gender biased on so many levels, it doesn’t even make sense. Somehow a man could just jump up from a seizure, brush himself off, shake someone’s hand and walk back to his desk? It’s not only a fictional concept but it really undermines any of the medical authority the author attempts to wield in the earlier chapters.

My final reason for this low rating (and probably what seems like an overly passionate review to some) is something that, just like all of the information on pregnancy that was skipped, I can’t get by. We don’t live in a binary world. If you’re going to talk about gender then you have to talk about ALL genders. As a queer woman previously the partner of a transgendered man I can’t ignore how limited that conversation was, especially medically. The medical community is often where we find a lot of homophobia and, 2002 or not, you can’t talk about anything neurological or hormonal without including all genders. Finding proper and cohesive treatment for an epileptic who is non cisgendered is incredibly challenging. That’s true even if you’re not epileptic.

Welp, hope I didn’t get on my soap box too much. However, one thing I will give this book five stars for is not saying you should put something in someone’s mouth during a seizure to prevent them from swallowing their tongue. First of all, huge choking hazard. Second of all, if you’re reading this review right now please stop for a moment and try swallowing your tongue. If you can’t do it, neither can I, seizing or not. :)

[J Honeycutt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm skeptical about books like this because of all the anti-science/anti-common sense/anti-vaxx nonsense out there, so I went into it thinking that it probably wouldn't tell me anything new or anything I consider worth sharing with my daughter's neurologist. But so much of what the author wrote makes sense -- doctors treat the seizures themselves; they don't always look deeper to see what actually causes the seizures.

My daughter's seizures came out of nowhere shortly before her fourth birthday. She was immediately put on an anti-convulsant, but the seizures just got worse. She's now on three anti-convulsants with her epilepsy about 75% controlled. But the side effects of the medication -- not to mention the trauma of actually getting her to take the medication -- have been significant, and I'm so intrigued by the information in this book that I'm going to discuss a few things with her neurologist.

The link between epilepsy and food allergies is fascinating, and I'm not sure why more research hasn't been done on this topic. I'm planning on having my daughter tested for food allergies to see if we can shed any light on her epilepsy. Maybe we won't discover anything, but it's an avenue I wasn't even aware of before reading this book.

The link between celiac disease and epilepsy also interests me because my father has celiac disease. There's some evidence that it is hereditary, so does that have anything to do with my daughter developing epilepsy? Migraines are also linked to epilepsy; my husband and his mother have migraines. Could this be related to my daughter's epilepsy? Could vitamin deficiency have lowered her seizure threshold? There are so many things to consider that I wasn't aware of before I read this book.

The brain is so complex and there's still so much we don't know, but I do know that the anti-convulsants haven't successfully treated my daughter's epilepsy so far. I get why doctors prescribe the medication and move on to the next patient, but I'm going to do everything I can to figure out how to help my daughter. This book was a great starting point on that journey. I would highly recommend anyone with epilepsy or anyone caring for someone with epilepsy to read it. It's easy to read, and the author's writing style is engaging. Go into it with eyes wide open and realize the book is from 2001, but don't let that stop you from possibly learning something you didn't know that could help you or your loved one.

[Wendi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Highly recommend for anyone with epilepsy

Being one of those frustrated patients who is not getting the answers I need about my seizures, I found this book very helpful. It has given me many ideas to try and I am very thankful for that. I will say that this book needs to be updated. There are some terms used that could be offensive to others. Also, I would love to see if the author has discovered anything new that could be helpful.

[Ladypoet33 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This helped me identify what type of epilepsy I have had since age 12. I finally know I have catamenial epilepsy and seizures are triggered by hormonal changes. A lot of information on natural ways to prevent seizures.

[Eveian Salmon · Rating 4 out of 5]

There’s lots to learn when someone has been diagnosed with this condition. Just reading the Foreword in this book is a great start to patients taking control and responsibility for learning about Epilepsy

The book encourages you not to be angry with Doctors who do not know everything there is to know about treating this difficult chronic condition. Research is always ongoing.

The book is written from the perspective of you’re not alone if you have this condition. It also explains in detail the many different types of seizures with a holistic whole person approach.

Another point to note in this book is that those with Epilepsy appear to be more artistic and imaginative based on the fact that many famous people in history had Epilepsy.

This book covers topics such as
Nutrition and how low blood sugar and constipation can trigger seizures. Sugars needs to be balanced. Not too much or too little. It discusses why you should not eat processed foods but eat organic where possible. Vitamins are strongly recommended because anticonvulsant medication can deplete the body of vitamins and minerals. This is explained in a lot of detail.

The book also explains how exercise is highly beneficial in relaxing the mind and body and therefore reducing seizures. Body therapies such as massage, acupuncture and reflexology can also help to relax the whole body.

“Knowledge Leads to Healing”
This is a very powerful statement which will empower anyone with epilepsy or an interest in epilepsy, gain the knowledge to take control of the condition.

The knowledge includes how to manage:
-Feelings
-Thinking
-Behavior
and How the Brain works

You’ll notice that the Epilepsy Foundation is named as a good source of advice

Read this book as a foundation to learning about Epilepsy. It’s is a great book with wide range of solutions (not just relying of prescribed medication from your Doctor) for treatment.

Epilepsy Awareness Ambassador

[Rafael Alberti · Rating 5 out of 5]

To be honest, I wasn't expecting much.
Every time I talk with physicians and even people from the alternative medicine world (acupuncturists, ayurvedic healers, nutritionists, etc) they tend to talk about epilepsy as something that has so many roots and something so personal, that makes me feel isolated.
This book resonated with me because it made me feel part of a community that struggles with—mostly—the same things as I do every day.
Not only that, the humane tone the author writes, gives you confidence, and even a bit of hope that another way of seeing my condition is possible.

It not only covers the areas of alternative medicine, it also considers how prone we are to certain mental conditions, sexual issues, and vitamin deficiencies.

I really want to find other books that talk about epilepsy, considering the human body as a whole.

One of my favourite books

[Gary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Liked - Unique approach never discussed by doctors. Understanding of why people don't want to take medicine. Tons of interesting alternative solutions to try.
Disliked - Feels like taking 12 herbal supplement pills is no different than taking 1 prescription drug

[Kris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Treating Epilepsy Naturally was the second book I read completely, after my son was diagnosed with a seizure disorder at age 17. I can imagine that most parents go through shock when realizing their child has seizures, and we all need a reference to explain what is going on. This book does that, and it is thorough in it's explanations.

Patricia Murphy goes through all of the explanations of the types of epilepsy, why seizures occur, and the typical information that surrounds epilepsy and the medical community. Then, she goes beyond the typical information, and provides detailed factual info about alternative treatments such as treating food allergies or sensitivities, nutritional therapy, biofeedback, music therapy, etc. I've read other reviews of this book on other websites, and they discuss the implication that this author rejects classic medical epileptic treatment. I did NOT get that impression. I felt like the author gave fair treatment of the medical community who supports epileptics, but through the book is pointing out the other options out there.

Watching my son take his anti-convulsants, and seeing the resultant side-effects of lack of sleep and incredibly bad brain fog, and reading all over the internet that these are common side-effects of anti-convulsants, I will most probably be seeking out alternative therapies. Depending upon our visit with a neurologist (which has taken MONTHS to happen), and how cooperative they are, we may try both the meds and a modified Atkins diet to help with the seizures. It's just nice to read a book that discusses what the options are. So far, whatever the author has talked about I have found to be true in relation to the medical community and epilepsy. I will refer back to this book a lot in the next few months...

[Erica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good book on alternative therapies to epilepsy, which are reassuringly not all that different from standard medical knowledge and treatments--most can supplement AEDs, or hopefully, take the place of them.

Major findings:
Stress (and tied with it, guilt) is a major cause of seizures--usually the main trigger. People with a childhood history of abuse or long-term humiliation are more likely to have epilepsy, and when these memories are brought back up in adulthood, the seizure threshold plummets. This is perhaps because a seizure is in some ways an "irrational control mechanism," a form of releasing emotions that can't be released otherwise.

Lack of sleep is also a major cause of seizures. Hormone changes, especially related to estrogen, lower the seizure threshold.

Epileptics should cut out MSG and aspartame. (These are also major triggers for migraines.)

Sugar, flour, and milk products aren't good for epileptics, nor is caffeine or chocolate. These things tend to be craved right at the time that you might be most likely to have a seizure. (Ugh! The craziness of the human body strikes again!) Many links here between migraines and seizures.

The temporal lobe controls memories, sexual feelings, hearing, smells, and tastes. The hippocampus is involved in learning and memory storage. So, with damage in these parts of the brain, bright lights and loud noises perturb someone prone to seizures.

Epileptics tend to have deficiencies in the B-vitamins, folic acid, calcium and magnesium. (All the things most needed in pregnancy!) Significant reduction in seizures seen in people who took 500 mg of taurine three times a day.

Scary links being found between epilepsy and lupus.

Craniosacral therapy is usually beneficial for epileptics.

[Peppermint · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent content.
I had a string of bad Neurologists who did pretty awful (substandard) job (too busy to give enough care) whilst I was struggling with tonic clonic hellish months since 2009.
I don't trust "Epileptologists" who think they know everything about seizures, busy classifying the types whilst they forget about the suffering pple go through.
More book like this should come out to replace useless Neuro simply busy making good money out of our misery.

[Jessie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the first book I read on epilepsy and after reading a few others, this one was my favorite. It explained epilepsy well but I liked the research and details about alternative approaches for dealing with it. All of the other books barely even mentioned alternative ways. I did think it could have been formatted a little more simply because you had to plow through it to get to the details.

[Joanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book when my son Cameron's only diagnosis was ideopathic epilepsy, and it gave me hope. It is an uplifting book filled with optimism about ways to make life better. We never put any of it into place since Cameron's diagnoses changed so dramatically soon after I read it. I should reread and see if any advice would now apply!

[Athena · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so informative on drug therapy for epilepsy, chemically and naturally, and is a great guide for what meds do and don't mix. Then what diet is needed to go along with treatments as well as signs, symptoms, reactions from natural therapy, why its better, and seizure types. its a good read!

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so informative and shed light on many therapies I've heard bits and pieces about. Helped to connect the pieces for me.