Complementary Treatment

In our culture, treatment of medical conditions is based on carefully recorded results in fairly large groups of people. If a treatment is effective for many people under controlled circumstances, it can be expected to work for others. Folk medicines, herbs, megavitamin therapy and other non-traditional practices are usually not subjected to this kind of evaluation, so there is no scientific proof that they are likely to work or to be worth the money and personal commitment required. Nevertheless, some people say they feel better, or have fewer seizures, when they use these remedies. If the treating physician has no objection, and these therapies do not contain harmful substances or involve any dangerous practices, are affordable and if regular medication is continued, there is no reason to discontinue them if they seem beneficial.

Sometimes, a physician may prescribe a non-traditional supplemental therapy when a patient has developed a seizure-related metabolic disorder. Stopping standard medication or a prescribed diet in favor of an unproved remedy, however, presents definite risks and is not advisable.

Holistic medicine is a treatment philosophy whereby the health and well-being of the whole person is considered. In this way it does not differ from the standard treatment of epilepsy, which at its best also considers the well-being of the entire individual. Living a healthy, active life is good medicine for epilepsy -- but always in addition to prescribed antiepileptic medication, not instead of it. If a person has a true diagnosis of epilepsy, there is no substitute for currently approved antiepileptic therapy, except in cases where the medicines cannot be tolerated or another medical therapy, such as the ketogenic diet, has been prescribed.