Epilepsy Blog Relay—Alternative Treatment Options

This post is part of the Epilepsy Blog Relay™ which will run from November 1^st through November 30^th.

You could say I have evolved in my beliefs about alternative medicine and epilepsy. I used to be dead set against it. I thought it was too dangerous. Since it was unregulated, you didn’t know what effect the chemicals would have on your body and how they would interact with your other medications.

Epilepsy Blog Relay—Thoughts on CBD (Medical Marijuana)

This post is part of the Epilepsy Blogger Relay™ which will run from November 1^st through November 30^th.

I am a difficult epilepsy patient. My seizures are not under control. I am thankful that I do not have tonic clonic (grand mal) seizures, and that usually they are short and not too bothersome. However, once in a while, I do get complex partial seizures and lose consciousness. These are the ones that irritate me the most.

Thanksgiving Thoughts

I hope you all had a very Happy Thanksgiving!  I had a quiet but special weekend with family, with the traditional trimmings, but instead of turkey, we had ham.  Asparagus, mashed sweet potatoes, carrots, and broccoli. 

Dravet Syndrome

Dravet Syndrome (http://www.epilepsy.com/learn/types-epilepsy-syndromes/dravet-syndrome,

http://www.dravetfoundation.org/dravet-syndrome/what-is-dravet-syndrome) is one of the most difficult-to-control forms of epilepsy.  Also known as Severe Myoclonic Epilepsy of Infancy (SMEI), it is characterized by developmental delays, frequent

Seizures and Syndromes

Epilepsy is very complicated because it comprises a spectrum of seizures and syndromes. Someone who has two or more unprovoked seizures (e.g., not related to alcohol, drugs, flashing lights) within 24 hours is considered to have epilepsy. There are two broad classifications of seizures:  generalized and partial.  Within these main groups, there are at least 10 types.

An Update on Epidiolex—Medical Marijuana

GW Pharmaceuticals is in Phase 3 of testing Epidiolex, their form of cannabis (medical marijuana) especially for children with a rare form of epilepsy called Dravet syndrome.  This is the kind of epilepsy that Charlotte Figi, of “Charlotte’s Web” fame had. 

In the British study, results are positive.  There was a reduction of 39% of convulsive seizures with the treatment versus 15% with the placebo.

GW will soon request a meeting with the Food and Drug Administration to seek approval as an officially recognized drug to treat Dravet syndrome.  Currently, no treatments are approved by the FDA.

Resources 

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-gw-pharma-cannabis-idUSKCN0WG16Z

http://www.epilepsy.com/learn/types-epilepsy-syndromes/dravet-syndrome

http://time.com/3264691/medical-marijauna-epilepsy-research-charlottes-web-study/

http://soosepilepsycorner.blogspot.com/2014/09/medical-marijuana-and-reminder-about.html

Medical Marijuana and Reminder about Mayo Clinic Webinar

A hot topic in epilepsy research these days is in medical marijuana.  There have been anecdotal reports that marijuana has helped certain patients with severe forms of epilepsy, in particular, a childhood epilepsy called Dravet Syndrome. 

Support for medical marijuana research has been erratic because