Supplement Information

A few suggested supplements:

Many medications, including phenobarbitol and primidone, commonly used for seizure control, can damage the liver. One option is to use milk thistle, (also known as Silymarin), to help protect the liver from damage. This is a widely researched and widely used herb. As one source says: "No toxic effects of silymarin have been reported, although it is possible that because of its purported effect on the liver and kidneys, the compound may effect the absorption of other medications."
And, it can produce a looser stool as a result of increased bile flow and secretion.

Vit. E has been shown to be one possible thing that can help control
seizures.
From the book "Alternative Health Medicine Encycolopedia"
by James E Marti: "Preliminary evidence suggests that
Vitamin E may be helpful in preventing epileptic
seizures." There was a study done of children with
epilepsy at the University of Toronto. The children
took 400 IU of vit. E daily for 3 months in addition
to their regular medication. This reduced the frequency
of seizures by more than 60 percent in ten of the twelve
children. "When children taking a placebo were switched
to vit. E, seizure frequency was reduced by 70 to 100
percent. A 1989 report in "Epilepsia" said that researchers
noted there were no adverse side effects." But, as the
book points out, this was only one study.
There have been studies using up to 3,200 IU of Vit. E daily
(in humans) for up to 2 years and no unfavorable side effects
were noted. The researchers measured general health, nutrient
status, liver and kidney function, metabolism, blood cell
status, blood nutrient and antioxidant status, thyroid hormones,
and urinary function.
Vit. E functions primarily as an antioxidant in protecting against
damage to the cell membranes. Without Vit. E, the cells of the
body would be quite susceptible to damage, nerve cells in
particular. Symptoms of Vit. E deficiency in adult humans include
nerve damage, muscle weakness, poor coordination, involuntary
movement of the eyes, and breaking of red blood cells,
leading to anemia(hemolytic anemia).
Vit. E actually incorporates into the lipid (fatty) portion of cell
membranes and carrier molecules, where it acts to stabilize and
protect these structures from compounds such as lead, mercury,
and other heavy metals, toxic compounds such as benzene, carbon
tetrachloride, and cleaning solvents, drugs, radiation, and the
body's free-radical metabolites.
Vit. E interacts extensively with other antioxidant nutrients,
especially Vit. C and selenium. Vit. E also improves the use
of Vit. A, may be necessary in the conversion of Vit. B12 to
its most active form, and protects essential fatty acids from
becoming damamged.
It does lots of other things, like help protect the heart, etc.
(and in Chinese medicine, energy blockages relating to the
heart can cause seizures....), but I think that the above
is probably the most relevant....
Dr. Clemmons' veterinary neurology web site recommends Vit. E
as one of the supplements for dogs with seizures.
Here is what the web site has to say about Vit. E, including dosage:
>
Vitamin E:

Vitamin E is an important nutrient which has been shown to have a
number of physiologic and pharmacologic effects. It
in a potent antioxidant and reduces fat oxidation and increases the
production of HDL cholesterol. At higher doses, it
also reduces cyclooxygenase and lipooxygenase activities,
decreasing production of prostaglandins and leukotreines. As
such, it is a potent anti-inflammatory drug. It will reduce
platelet function and prolong the bleeding time slightly in healthy
individuals. There is no known side-effects to vitamin E at levels
less than 4000-6000 IU per day (except in cats, where
levels >100 IU/day can create hepatolipidosis). I recommend that
vitamin E be given to all dogs. For dogs under 2
years of age, give 400 IU of vitamin E daily. For dogs over 2 years
of age, give 800 IU of vitamin E daily.
>
Of course, check with your vet if you think you might want to
try this, and have them work with you on dosage, etc. as well.
Kurvenal takes 2,000 IU of Vit. E daily, and has had no problem
with that...but that is a higher dose than you'd usually want to
use. (Kurvenal has degenerative myelapothy, and that's the reason
for the high dose.)

DMG:
From the following web site:
http://www.autism.com/ari/dmg2.html

In some cases, drug-resistant seizures have been
stopped by DMG. (See New England Journal of Medicine, 10-21-82, pgs
1081-82).

There is an extensive research literature on the safety and health
benefits of DMG. Many studies have shown that DMG
enhances the effectiveness of the immune system, improves the physical
and athletic performance of humans and other animals
(e.g. race horses) and has, all in all, a very wide range of beneficial
effects. It is very safe. I have seen no evidence of any toxic
or significant adverse effects.
>>>>>>>
(The "I" in the above is the person who wrote the web site information.)
"Prescription for Nutritional Healing", (Balch and Balch), says:
"Dimethylglycine (DMG) is a derivative of glycine, the simplest
of the amino acids. It acts as a building block for many important
substances, including the amino acid methionine, choline, a number
of important hormones and neurotransmitters, and DNA.
Low levels of DMG are present in meats, seeds, and grains.
No deficiency symptoms are associated with lack of DMG in the diet,
but taking supplemental DMG can have a wide range of beneficial
effects, including helping the body maintain high energy levels
and boosting mental acuity. DMG has been found to enhance the immune
system and to reduce elevated blood cholesterol and triglyceride
levels. It improves oxygen utilization by the body, helps to
normalize blood pressure and blood glucose levels, and improves
the functioning of many important organs. It many also be useful
for controlling epileptic seizures."

"The Encyclopedia of Natural Pet Care" by CJ Puotinen says:

"American herbalist John Christopher was famous for his successful treatment
of epileptics. He discovered that even the most severe, untreatable cases
responded to what he named B&B tincture, made of equal parts blue cohosh, black cohosh, blue vervain, lobellia, and skullcap. Instead of taking the
tincture orally, his patients placed the tincture in each ear before bed, holding it in place overnight with cotten. Dr. Christopher considered blue cohosh, black cohosh, and blue vervain specifics for the medulla oblongata,
the base of the brain stem, which forms the major pathway for nerve impulses leaving and entering the skull and which contains centers that regulate circulation, respiration, salivation, and swallowing. Lobellia is an excellent catalyst, especially for nerves, and skullcap is a well-known nerve healer. In his long years of medical practice, Christopher treated all types of nerve damage with B&B tincture, and it repaired even long-standing
disorders."
The author goes on to say that, although it's a small sample of dogs, she does know people who have used this tincture for epileptic dogs, and had great success with it, with no adverse effects. She goes on to describe the protocol for trying it.

TO JOIN A CANINE EPILEPSY EMAIL LIST, PLEASE READ THE INFORMATION AT THIS WEB SITE:
http://www.schips-r-it.

To contact me, please email me at:
kurvenal@ameritech.net

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This page was created by kurvenal.
The last update to the page was on Sunday February 13, 2000.

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