Herbs for Seizures
Introduction
Epilepsy is incredibly common! In fact, it is considered to be the most common neurological disorder worldwide. Unfortunately, nearly 30 percent of patients continue to experience seizures, despite being diligent with their antiepileptic medications. Thankfully, clinical research on herbs has been steady growing and there are some new options to consider.
Paeonia officinalis
This is a herb with many uses, in particular in women’s health. It was a bit surprising to discover it can be adjunct to antiepileptic medications. A small study of 30 participants (children) with epilepsy were given an extract of Paeonia twice per day for 4 weeks, in addition to their medications. After 1 month nearly 40 percent of the group reported having a greater than 75 percent reduction in seizures.
Reishi
The Reishi mushroom, or Ganoderma lucidum, is a very important medicinal mushroom that has been used in neurological conditions, cancer, immune support and many other contexts. In the case of epilepsy, it has been used as an adjunct to medication for 8 weeks. A small study of 18 participants demonstrated significant important in seizure frequency after providing 1 gram of Reishi spore powder three times per day for 8 weeks. The side effected reported were nausea and stomach discomfort.
Vinpocetine
Vinpocetine is a compound that is synthesized from vincamine, which is found within the Vinca minor plant. It has historically been used in stroke recovery and is reported to have antioxidant capacity. A double-blind randomized controlled trial provided participants with high-dose of vinpocetine, in addition to their regular medications. The dose of vinpocetine was gradually increased in the first 4 weeks and participants were observed for an additional 8 weeks. While only 13 percent of participants in the placebo group reported significant improvement in seizure frequencies, 96 percent of participants in the vinpocetine group reported improvements (at least 50 percent seizure frequency reduction). The side effects included headaches and double vision.
Conclusion
There are other herbs that have been demonstrated to help reduce seizure frequency, however, the research on them is still in the preclinical phase.
Stay tuned for Part 2 of this article focusing on the research on nutrients in epilepsy.
References
Bereczki D, Feketa I. Vinpocetine for acute ischaemic stroke. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2008; 1: CD000480
Garza-Morales S, Briceno-Gonzalez E, Ceja-Moreno H. Extended-release vinpocetine: a possible adjuvant treatment for focal onset epileptic seizures. Bol Med Hosp Infant Mex. 2019; 76(5): 215-224
Pourfard MZ, Mirmoosavi SJ, Toosi MB, et a. Efficacy and tolerability of hydroalcoholic extract of Paeonia officinalis in children with intractable epilepsy: an open-label pilot study. Epilepsy Res. 2021; 176
Wang GH, Li X, Cao WH, Li J, Wang LH. A retrospective study of Ganoderma Lucidum Spore Powder for patient with epilepsy. Medicine (Baltimore). 2018; 97(23): e10941