Epilepsy Talk
Medical Marijuana — It’s Here to Stay…
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Let’s face it. The time has come.
Even the FDA has opened its eyes with new clinical trials.
Although the AMA chooses to keep their heads in the sand. For now.
It used to be popular to debate the merits and dangers of medical marijuana.
For example, it could lead to addiction. Like cocaine. (Oh please!)
But now, there’s clinically proven scientific proof, with more to come…
“After 4,000 years of humans taking cannabis for epilepsy, we have scientific evidence it works.” — Orrin Devinsky MD, Harvard University, on results from his team’s late-stage clinical trial of cannabidiol to treat Dravet syndrome.
And that’s just the tip of the iceberg…
The Great Debate — Medical Marijuana
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Even though the cannabis plant has a long history of medicinal use, with evidence dating back to 2,737 BCE, it’s still a subject of hot controversy.
It appears to be a standing battle between politics and science.
The legality requires proof of medical marijuana’s effectiveness.
Reports of success are anecdotal.
Yet there are no funds for clinical trials and it remains on a back burner for further NIH funding and research.
(Wow. What a surprise!)
Head Injury and Seizures
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How many of you have had a car accident…an abrupt fall…a physical assault?
If you are one of those people and you have suffered a head injury, the probability of seizure activity increases dramatically…
Seizures may develop immediately after an injury to the brain or may develop in delayed fashion, showing up months or years after the initial trauma.
Generally speaking, the risk of post traumatic seizures is related to the severity of the injury — the greater the injury, the higher the risk of developing seizures.
Even mild to moderate injuries can result in seizures.
Tags: accident, generalized seizures, grand-mal, head injury, medications, post traumatic seizures, risk, seizure activity, tonic-clonic
The Trouble with AEDs…
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At the very best, finding the right anti-epilepsy drug is a crap shoot. There’s always the hope that this one will do it.
Or maybe adjunct therapy will work. Or, sigh, the side-effects derail you and you’re on to the next.
Is asking for seizure control too much?
The good news is that many newer AEDs are better tolerated than the older, standard AEDs. Although they, too, come with side-effects.
Newer AEDs often cause less sedation and require less monitoring than older drugs.
Tags: AEDS, anti-epilepsy drugs, benefits, dangers, seizures, side effects, uses
Brain Surgery Alternatives
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“It’s not brain surgery.” And it doesn’t have to be.
There are a host of epilepsy procedures that are minimally invasive.
For example…
Tags: biofeedback, Brain Surgery Alternatives, Cell Transplantation, counseling, Deep Brain Stimulation, gamma knife surgery, Gene Therapy, Homeopathy, Hormone Imbalances, laser surgery, Naturopathy, The Vagus Nerve Stimulation, Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, trigeminal nerve stimulation
A New Life — From Epilepsy to Brain Surgery
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Leanne Chilton, triumphant author of “Seizure-Free: From Epilepsy to Brain Surgery, I Survived and You Can, Too!” is a proud survivor and has a wealth of wisdom to share.
“We can’t control the future,” she says. “But we can make every attempt to improve the quality of our lives.”
Epilepsy & Migraines — Kissing Cousins
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A strong relationship between migraines and epilepsy has long been suspected.
But now it is fact, according to extensive research cited by Steven Karceski, MD in Practical Neurology Magazine.
The International Headache Society (IHS) criteria divides headache disorders into two main groups, with similarities to groups of epilepsies:
Traumatic Brain Injury and Epilepsy
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In a fraction of a second, head trauma can dramatically change a person’s life.
Head trauma caused by falls, physical abuse, violence, vehicle crashes and sporting accidents, not to mention modern warfare.
However, it’s important to realize that not all head injuries, even severe ones, result in seizures. And seizures frequently occur in people who haven’t experienced head trauma.
But close associations do exist between head trauma and seizures — as much as twelve times as opposed to someone without a head trauma.
Tags: cooling grid, head trauma, new research, prevent or reduce seizures, seizures, TBI, traumatic brain injury, varied problems
Scientists Find a Possible Link Between Gut Health and Depression
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New research has identified a possible link between gut health and brain function.
Building on this work, the study reveals that clinical depression could also be affected by the amounts of certain bacteria in the gut.
For all of us with depression, this could be a real breakthrough.
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