Managing absence seizures naturally

Back in 2015 my daughter had just started a new school, she was just five years old and her teacher had noticed that sometimes when she spoke to her she didn’t respond. Even when she raised her voice there was no response.

Our daughter had recently taken a hearing test so we knew her hearing was good and like many parents I googled the symptoms. After a quick search, it came up with Absence Seizures, also known as petit mal seizures.

These are a type of epileptic seizure that can cause a brief loss of awareness or consciousness. We booked an appointment with the GP and they referred us to a consultant at the hospital. The appointment was short. He asked her to blow a piece of paper and this triggered an absence. He then gave us a quick overview of Epilepsy and absence seizures, wrote a prescription for an anti-seizure medication and he told us to start it while we waited for further tests.

As I had published Wellbeing Magazine since 2006, I wasn’t about to take an anti seizure medication, Ethosuximide, without due diligence. The medication came with a very long list of side effects. 

The common side effects of AEDs include:

• drowsiness.
• a lack of energy.
• agitation.
• headaches.
• uncontrollable shaking (tremor)
• hair loss or unwanted hair growth.
• swollen gums.
• rashes

Dig a bit deeper and anti-seizure medications are associated with an increased risk of depression and suicidal thoughts. Why would I want to put my child through this without trying other things first?

I read forums and medical articles and it became clear that once on this medication you can’t stop taking it easily. They just change the medication to try and find a more suitable one. I worried that the medication didn’t always stop the seizures and it doesn’t cure the condition. I had read that many children ended up on a cycle of doctor and hospital appointments, consuming a cocktail of medication. All of which had impacted their childhood, growth and learning.

However after more research (much further down the Google page rankings) I uncovered more natural ways to manage the seizures. It also seemed that being diagnosed early and before the age of 10, she was likely to grow out of it by puberty. Although absence seizures are a form of epilespy, these are classed as a childhood condition. The absences can end as abruptly as they started.

I have many friends that are natural health practitioners so my husband and I investigated alternative treatments.

Our next consultants appointment

A few weeks later we were due another appointment with the consultant. I had a list of questions about hyperventilation, Buteyko Method, Vagus Nerve, Ketogenic diet, impact of trauma (her Grandfather was in a hospice and had just passed away). I wanted an opportunity to explore other options.

I wasn’t prepared for was the humiliation and disapproval of the consultant. He called me a bad parent, threatened me with social services and tried to shock us into taking the medication by talking about Sudden Death Syndrome. All of these conversations took place in front of my already scared 5 year old. I left in tears and was angry that there was no support or advice. He wasn’t even interested in discussing or listening to my questions.

We spoke to our amazing GP and the headmaster of her school. I wrote a letter to the consultant to state that we wouldn’t be needing his services and that our GP, school, family and friends would support us.

Our journey without anti-seizure medication

At times it was scary and we continued to research and find ways to limit the seizures. The school put a health care plan into place and we had regularly meetings with the teachers and school nurse. Her friends were amazing as they waited patiently for her to come out of seizures, which typically lasted from 5-20 seconds.

She tool part in gymnastics and swimming which I personally watched over to keep per safe. In drama and music they put systems in place so that if she had an absence during a performance she could carry on without fear of looking lost.

We held her hand or walked behind her when we went out. We kept her safe in traffic and I made sure didn’t get lost in the shops.

We knew if she was tired, dehydrated and needed the toilet she would have more seizures. We were good at spotting the early signs. Being anxious caused her to mouth breath and hyperventilate so we taught her breathing techniques, coping mechanisms and used rescue remedy.

It was extra work for us but she was living a very normal and active childhood. We went skiing, took her indoor climbing, she played netball, hockey, danced and was in the gymnastics and swimming squad. She even went horse riding.

We definitely noticed that her growth spurts had an impact and as she approached puberty she experienced many more seizures, sometimes 50 a day. She was now old enough to understand how to deal with them and we worried less.

During lockdown she moved schools and they were also very supportive. The school allowed extra time for her SAT tests and 11+ exams.

Re accessing whether she should take medication

Over those years we didn’t see a doctor for her condition, however when she was just 11 we went to see our new GP. I happened to mention to him about the seizures. I was concerned about her starting secondary school the following year. We wondered whether we should consider medication as she was going to need more independence.

His observation was that she was fit and healthy, doing well at school and suggested that starting medication at her age wasn’t the best cause of action.

He confirmed that she could grow out of the condition at any time. If she went on medication now it could take at least 6 months to get the dosage right and then she wouldn’t be tested again until she was 18.

I would be condemning her to 7 years of medication, that may be unnecessary.

That conversation was in the October, by December I saw her last seizure. We were sitting at the dining table chatting, there was a brief absence, possibly 3-5 seconds. It was so brief I almost missed it.

In the February I checked with her teachers and friends. They also confirmed that they hadn’t seen any for a long time.

They stopped at around the time her first period started. Hormones, growth, a childhood condition!

Her future

She’s now 12, at her new school and I no longer have to watch her like a hawk so she is enjoying her independence. She doesn’t even remember what it was like to have absences. It’s now been over 14 months.

There is no lasting trauma or ongoing health issues. Perhaps we are just lucky or may be the medical profession are just too quick to medicate. I like to believe that giving her body the space and time to grow and adapt to hormonal changes was the right way.

I am grateful to all the therapists, my GPs, teachers and friends that stood by us and disappointed that the Epilepsy Consultant could’t see past writing a prescription.

I have taken over a year to write this article but I felt it was important to give hope to other families. Families like us who do not want to embark on a journey of medication and hospital appointments.

I am happy to share my experiences with any one else needing support as I found the Epilepsy Societies and charities were not that helpful in supporting anyone who hadn’t tried medication. 

Here is a list of things we tried for treating absence seizures naturally.

None of the treatments will cure the condition, but these did help manage the number of seizures.

• Lifestyle changes: Avoiding triggers such as lack of sleep or stress, getting enough sleep and exercise, and maintaining a healthy diet can help reduce the frequency and severity of absence seizures.
• Homeopathy: Homeopathy addresses both the physical symptoms of the disease and the underlying factors triggering it.
• Biofeedback: This technique uses monitoring equipment to measure and provide feedback on various physiological responses, such as heart rate and muscle tension. Through training and practice, individuals can learn to control these responses, which may help reduce the frequency and intensity of seizures.
• Ketogenic diet: This is a high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet that has been shown to be effective in reducing seizures in some individuals, including those with absence seizures.
• Buteyko Breathing: The Buteyko Method uses nasal breathing, breath control and breath-holding exercises to treat a wide range of health conditions and was helpful for seizures triggered by hyperventilation.
• Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT): CBT can help individuals with absence seizures manage stress and anxiety, which can trigger seizures.
• Kinesiology taping (KT) is used in musculoskeletal practice for preventive and rehabilitative purposes. It is claimed that KT improves blood flow in the microcirculation by creating skin convolutions and that this reduces swelling and facilitates healing. We didn’t have much success as she didn’t like the feeling of the tape but there is evidence that this can work in some cases.

Other options to try

We didn’t try the following but can see the benefits of both.

• Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS): This involves implanting a device that stimulates the vagus nerve, which runs from the brain to the abdomen. The stimulation can help reduce the frequency and intensity of seizures.
• Some people use cannabis products to help treat convulsions. Preliminary scientific evidenceTrusted Source suggests that it may help reduce seizures for some people with certain types of epilepsy.

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