OTHER APPROACHES TO EPILEPSY THERAPY: VITAMINS, MINERALS, AND SPECIAL DIETS

Epilepsy that does not respond to the available anticonvulsants can be enormously frustrating to patients, parents, and physicians. Therefore, it is not surprising that many other approaches to the treatment of seizures have been tried, including the addition of single or multiple vitamins in regular or megadoses to the diet, the addition of varying minerals to the diet, or the adoption of special diets. Although there are abundant testimonials to the benefits of almost everything that has been tried, there is little evidence that most of the claims are justified.

There is NO evidence that epilepsy is caused by a deficiency of vitamins, minerals, or diet. Having said that, there are rare inherited conditions that cause seizures and that will respond to the addition of a vitamin or to dietary manipulation. Could some small portion of other epilepsy cases be a consequence of unknown dietary deficiencies or excesses? It is possible, but that portion must be very small and due to very specific deficiencies. Thus, at the present time, vitamin supplements and special diets (other than the ketogenic diet discussed below) should not replace anticonvulsant therapy.

Despite anecdotal stories, there is no evidence that food allergies or the elimination diets used to control them play any role in the treatment of epilepsy.