The C.A.M. Report
Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Fair, Balanced, and to the Point

Archive for the 'Epilepsy/Seizures' Category

Evening primrose oil and the risk of seizures

Tuesday, July 9th, 2013

primrose-bannerThere’s a concern (here, here, and here) voiced by some reputable websites that taking evening primrose oil might make seizures more likely in some people.

Here’s what we know. (more…)

Safety of energy drinks

Wednesday, August 22nd, 2012

Energy drinks are consumed by 30% to 50% of adolescents and young adults. The manufacturers claim they are safe.

Researchers at the University of Miami, in Florida reviewed the evidence and came to a different conclusion. (more…)

Bath salts becoming illegal

Tuesday, May 29th, 2012

This has nothing to do with taking a bath.

Researchers at the University of Florida College of Medicine, in Gainesville, tell us, “The abuse of psychoactive “bath salts” (PABS) has become commonplace, and patients with PABS overdoses are presenting to emergency departments with increasing frequency. (more…)

Effect of proton pump inhibitors on magnesium

Tuesday, October 11th, 2011

FDA advises that prescription proton pump inhibitor drugs may cause low magnesium blood levels (hypomagnesemia) if taken, in most cases, longer than one year.

Proton pump inhibitors reduce the amount of acid in the stomach and treat conditions such as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), peptic ulcers, and inflammation of the esophagus. (more…)

Consumer Alert: Rising Sun Health

Thursday, October 14th, 2010

The FDA is taking action to prevent Rising Sun Health and The Center for Complimentary and Alternative Health of Livingston, Montana, from manufacturing and selling unapproved new drugs and adulterated or misbranded dietary supplements in violation of the law.

Rising Sun manufactured and distributed a variety of unapproved new drugs under names such as Black Salve, Cancema, and Can-Support. (more…)

The professor’s view of CAM and epilepsy

Monday, September 27th, 2010

Dr. Steven Schachter (photo) is Professor of Neurology at Harvard Medical School.

He voices his view and challenges for CAM for the treatment of epilepsy in a recent issue of Current Opinion in Neurology. (more…)

Treating infantile spasms with the ketogenic diet

Tuesday, March 9th, 2010

Infantile spasm (West Syndrome) is a specific type of seizure in infants and early childhood. The ketogenic diet is a high fat, adequate protein, low carbohydrate diet.

Researchers from the John M. Freeman Pediatric Epilepsy Center at Johns Hopkins Medical Institutes in Baltimore, Maryland — the leader in this form of treatment in infants — report their experience over 12 years. (more…)

EEG biofeedback in treating epilepsy

Sunday, October 4th, 2009

epilepsyResearchers at Baylor College of Medicine, in Houston, Texas reviewed the evidence on neurofeedback and epilepsy. (more…)

Psychological methods to treat epilepsy

Wednesday, May 6th, 2009

Cochrane review evaluates the evidence for treating epilepsy by using psychological methods to reduce seizure frequency and improve quality of life.

Here’s what was found with respect to seizure frequency. (more…)

More tainted weight loss products

Tuesday, January 27th, 2009

Here’s an updated list of 69 contaminated products identified by the FDA.

What’s a consumer to think? (more…)

Consumer Alert: More tainted weight loss products

Tuesday, December 23rd, 2008

 Some of the weight loss products listed below claim to be “natural” or to contain only “herbal” ingredients.

The FDA found they actually contain potentially harmful ingredients not listed on the product labels or in promotional advertisements. (more…)

Lack of support for acupuncture in epilepsy

Monday, October 13th, 2008

 That’s the conclusion by reviewers from the University of Hong Kong, Queen Mary Hospital in China in this Cochrane review. (more…)

Arsenic toxicity from Ayurvedic

Sunday, June 29th, 2008

Lead, mercury, and (oh yeah) arsenic intoxication have been associated with Ayurvedic herbal medicines.

Here’s an account of one patent’s experience. (more…)

The flow and ebb of tobacco over 7 centuries

Thursday, June 19th, 2008

Today, it’s widely agreed that tobacco is highly addictive and linked to a long list of diseases.

It wasn’t always so. Come with me down memory lane.

(more…)

First annual Yoga Week

Wednesday, May 21st, 2008

On May 19th, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) premiered its first annual Yoga Week.

Others have held yoga weeks in the past. What’s different is the involvement of the NIH. (more…)

Ketogenic diet improves drug-resistant epilepsy

Tuesday, May 6th, 2008

Researchers from the Institute of Child Health in London tested the ketogenic diet in a randomized controlled trial. (more…)

The need for vitamin D in people with epilepsy

Friday, March 28th, 2008

During the First North American Regional Epilepsy Congress, researchers from the University of Texas reported that men with epilepsy who take enzyme-inducing antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) have lower levels of vitamin D and calcium, plus higher parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels.

The AEDs involved included the following.

(more…)

ACT and yoga for drug-refractory epilepsy

Tuesday, March 18th, 2008

In patients with epilepsy that does not respond to drug therapy, researchers from the University of Uppsala in Sweden reported, “Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and yoga decrease seizure index and increase quality of life.” (more…)

Acupuncture for children

Monday, January 14th, 2008

Researchers from Los Angeles reviewed the literature and found acupuncture holds promise but,… surprise … more research is needed.

Here’s what we know today. (more…)

The risk of vitamin D deficiency in people with epilepsy

Friday, December 7th, 2007

Research presented during the American Epilepsy Society 61st Annual Meeting shows that almost half of all people with epilepsy are vitamin D deficient. (more…)