How to Control Idiopathic Epilepsy Naturally

How to Control Idiopathic Epilepsy Naturally

by Dogtor J.

The following is another work in progress. I will be updating this section as my studies continue.

I have been successfully treating pets with epilepsy using diet changes alone for nearly 5 years now. The results have been as astounding. At first, I knew very little about how and why the response could be so dramatic when a patient was placed on this restricted diet. But over the past 5 years, I have come to understand many of the pathomechanisms of food intolerance as well as other secondary factors that lead to this "syndrome" we call idiopathic epilepsy. I have also been pursuing research into supplements and other auxiliary therapies as well as helpful diagnostic testing in an attempt to insure and speed recovery.

Here is my approach:

1) Immediately institute The G.A.R.D. (The glutamate-aspartate restricted diet: http://www.dogtorj.net/id16.html ) This is the key. We want to rapidly reduce the amount of the two non-essential, neurologically active amino acids, glutamate and aspartate while eliminating the foods that can do harm to the intestinal tract. The above link goes into detail.

a) Avoid all gluten (wheat, barley, rye, and all forms of wheat including bulgar, durham, graham, spelt, spelta, kawmut, or triticale). On the other hand, the healthy, gluten-grain-substitute carbohydrate sources are tapioca, sorghum, millet, oats (although many are contaminated with gluten being harvested along side of gluten grains), rice (varieties), potatoes, sweet potatoes, yams, buckwheat, quinoa, peas (although they can cross-react with soy), amaranth, and flax.

b) Avoid all casein (cow milk products, including milk, cheese, and even some non-dairy creamers)

c) Avoid all soy (Read labels. Its everywhere)

d) Avoid corn

e) Avoid all MSG (60% of prepared foods have it, including soups)

f) Avoid all aspartame (Nutrasweet).

g) Severely limit (or avoid altogether) the consumption of the bean and lentil family (navy, black, lima, garbanzo, soy)

h) limit or curtail the consumption of nuts and seeds (especially peanuts, almonds, cashews, pistachios)

For the dog, I recommend the IVD/Royal Canin potato-based diets. These are sold through veterinarians or select PetsMarts with vet offices in store. Here is the Royal Canin Website. Look for the Limited Ingredient Diets(http://www.royalcanin.us/vetdietcanineprod.asp). However, do not be confused by the fact that the vast majority of their other diets are filled with the "big 4". For a more complete listing of foods that do no contain these potentially harmful ingredients, please read DogtorJ's Food Handout found here: http://dogtorj.tripod.com/id5.html. Remember, for epilepsy the most effective diets have been the potato-based foods above.

For people who are interested in pursuing this course, it is "simple"...but certainly not easy. But results can be swift and dramatic. You can get an idea of how I have accomplished this by reading my paper What in the World Do I Eat found here: http://dogtorj.tripod.com/id4.html. You can also read more about the benefits of this diet in The G.A.R.D. and Pain Management sections of this site.

For motivation, you can find a thread of testimonials here: http://lab-retriever.net/board/showthread.php?t=47643 . Although this is a breed forum for Labradors retrievers, the testimonies listed include both veterinary and human success stories.

Once recovery is well-established, an individual may find that they are able to resume eating more beans and nuts as long as they are clearly not allergic to them. The avoidance of the "big 4" (especially gluten, casein, soy) should continue indefinitely. Above all, be strict and consistent!

2) Begin vitamin and mineral supplementation. Remember that the "big 4" have been potentially causing the malabsorption of calcium, iron, iodine, B complex, C, and trace minerals such as zinc, copper, magnesium, manganese, and more. This supplementation should be done under the advice of a knowledgeable person and follow recommended dosages. Particular care should be taken in the use of the fat soluble vitamins A,D,E, and K which can be toxic in high doses. I recommend that at least the following be considered for supplementation-

a) A multi-vitamin with Zinc

b) B complex*

c) Vitamin C

d) Vitamin D3, either by itself or along with an omega three supplement that contain D3. This is the nutrient of the century, although we should have known this for years. "Vitamin" D3 is actually a hormone and is a neurohormone, crucial to the health and well being of the central nervous system. I encourage all to read about the importance of this vital nutrient ands the new recommended doses for both humans and pets. I now recommend a total of 1000 IU D3 per pound of food fed per day to dogs and cats, especially those with epilepsy. If giving omega threes, especially those fortified with D, or if you are using cod liver oil, then figure in the amount of D3 that these contain in your daily total of 1000 IU per lb of food fed.

e) Omega three fatty acids (Fish oil, specifically)

(* Deficiency in B6/pyridoxine, for example, has been associated with severe epilepsy and high levels of glutamate in the cerebrospinal fluid. http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/abstract/94/3/318 )

(**Again, VERY important!!! Read up on the new information concerning vitamin D3. Deficiencies in this vital hormone have now been linked to numerous medical conditions, especially those of the central nervous system. The doses of vitamin D required to produce toxicity are much higher than once thought and it has now been established that previous recommended doses have been way too low. In the dog, 500- 1000 IU/lb of food fed daily is a reasonable dose. For info in humans, read this article from Mercola.com- http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/11/01/Vitamin-D-is-a-Key-Player-in-Your-Overall-Health.aspx )

Avoid chewable veterinary vitamins as they are usually loaded with offensive proteins (wheat, dairy, soy, corn) in order to make them palatable. Read all labels on vitamins and supplements in an attempt to avoid these same proteins in human products.

For a great book, check out Treating Epilepsy Naturally by Patricia Murphy. It can be found on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0658013793/qid=1124813097/sr=8-1/ref=pd_bbs_1/103-5749131-8757400?n=507846&s=books&v=glance It contains a great section on vitamins and minerals.

3) Have blood tests done, particularly to evaluate thyroid and liver function. Hypothyroidism can lower the seizure threshold and the diagnosis of this common and oftentimes insidious condition can be crucial in the control of seizures. As the liver is integral in the control of blood glutamate levels, it is easy to understand how liver disease could worsen seizures.

a) Thyroid tests- For veterinary patients, I recommend the reader visit this site and have the thyroid tests done by Dr. Dodds and her lab ( http://www.canine-epilepsy-guardian-angels.com/DrDoddsInstructions.htm ).

b) Liver function- There are routine tests included in standard blood panels that help to evaluate liver function. However, there are specialized tests (e.g. bile acids tests) that can be done to better determine liver function/mass, especially in the case of chronic conditions such as chronic active hepatitis and liver shunts.

c) Test for Lyme Disease. Does your area have Lyme Disease? Lyme can cause refractory seizures. Treatment can be accomplished with doxycycline orally. Do not use any of the fluoroquinlone drugs (e.g. Batyril, Zenequin, Cipro) as they are fluoride- based antibiotics and can worsen seizures in dogs and people.

4) Consider alternative/auxiliary therapies- Once the underlying causes of disease are better understood (e.g. food intolerance, seasonal changes, decreasing daylight/serotonin levels, etc), then we can more easily visualize other therapies that will aid in the recovery.

a) Light therapy- to improve serotonin levels. Read my paper An "Epilephany"- Viruses, Serotonin, and Light Boxes to Help Treat Epilepsy to help you see the rationale behind this approach. It can be found here: http://dogtorj.tripod.com/id2.html .

b) Melatonin ( http://www.canine-epilepsy-guardian-angels.com/Melatonin_info.htm )

c) Tryptophan and 5- HTP supplements- Please write to me at dogtorj@bellsouth.net about the use of these for epilepsy.

d) Taurine ( http://www.canine-epilepsy-guardian-angels.com/taurine.htm )

e) Chelation therapy- to reduce heavy metal loads on the body/brain.

f) Other metal-removing agents (e.g. Zeolite - Natural Cellular Defense, http://www.waiora.com/products/item26000-NCD.php . See Email below**.

g) Air filters to reduce inhalant allergies and environmental pollution

5) Auxiliary testing- Again, once the underlying causes and secondary issues (such as serotonin deficiencies, food and inhalant allergies and their effect on the deteriorating blood brain barrier, and more) are better understood, then we will know better what to test for to insure and speed our recovery.

a) Food allergy testing- For veterinary patients, I recommend VARL (Veterinary Allergy Reference Labs) Here is their Website their ( http://www.varlallergy.com/aboutus.html ) . Your veterinarian can submit this test for you. For humans, I recommend The Sage Systems blood test ( http://www.foodallergytest.com/sageTest3.html )as they test for numerous antibodies against a wide array of foods and additives.

b) Serotonin levels- I would love to see more MDs run this test on their epileptic patients. As far as I know at this writing, this test is not available to veterinarians. I am convinced that we will find that many epileptics are very low in this essential hormone, neurotransmitter, and mood/seizure moderator.

c) Hair analysis-http://www.drlwilson.com/Articles/epilepsy.htm

I hope this helps. Please contact me at dogtorj@bellsouth.net if you have any questions about what you have read or have any suggestions that would improve this paper or the Website.

John