Epilepsy & Red Peony

Posted by Ryan Casey on

As a herbalist I often encounter patients who have such difficult conditions to treat that they have been to every doctor they can find, and still get no help.  They then search the world of alternative medicine, consulting various practitioners, in an attempt to find whatever help they can. I encountered a situation like this several years ago when a lady called me to explain that she was at her wits end over her daughter's medical condition and that she could find no relief or treatment whatsoever for her daughter. Mum explained that her daughter, then in her 20's, had suffered seizures/fits as a baby, as a result of teething, and one particular fit was so bad that it left the poor child with brain damage. So severe was the situation that she was left severely mentally and physically disabled with a lifetime of learning problems, behavioral difficulties, muscular problems on one side of her body and the need for continuous nursing care. The seizures had continued regularly with at least one a week being a major one. As she grew up Mum was slowly being worn down by the continuous care, and no medication really seemed to be of any help at all. To make matters even more distressing, when her daughter reached puberty she became much worse as her periods became established.

After discussing the situation with Mum I decided that the only safe way to proceed was to use Peony. Peony is not only the best herbal anti-epileptic agent, it is one of the primary herbs for menstrual and gynaecological problems in Chinese medicine, including being used for PMS type symptoms. Given the severity of the situation I prescribed a slightly larger than normal dose of Peony tincture. After 2 months of taking Peony Mum reported back to me that her daughter's seizures were less intense in the daytime and the regular, weekly, larger seizures were now further apart. Mum also noticed an improvement in her daughter's mood and the usual disturbance caused by her periods was not nearly as bad as normal.

I have always looked back to this particular case as an outstanding example of the way Peony works so effectively in the brain/nervous system and the female hormonal system. However, epilepsy is a very serious condition and you should not embark upon a course of self treatment in such a situation, especially if you are taking prescription medication for your condition. To proceed safely, call the Hughes Health help-line on 028 8778 8141, consult your doctor or find a local herbalist by visiting www.nimh.org.uk.   


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