Feature of Month
Cannabis , Epilepsy , and Seizure Disorders
Could daily micro-dosing dramatically reduce , if not eliminate , the number of seizures ?
by Peter Kershaw , contributing writer
Medical cannabis received a massive boost on August 11 , 2013 , when CNN featured Dr . Sanjay Gupta ’ s Weed . 1 A self-proclaimed cynic of the medicinal properties of cannabis , Gupta set out on a quest to determine if any of the hype was true . Featured within the first three minutes of the program is the Figi family . Infant daughter Charlotte suffered from intractable epilepsy . Her parents spoke of Charlotte getting “ The million-dollar workup ,” only to be told by doctors they had no idea what was causing her seizures .
Doctors prescribed one Anti-Epileptic Drug ( AED ) after another . But , as is the case with upwards of 30 % of epilepsy cases , the AEDs accomplished nothing in reducing the severity or frequency of Charlotte ’ s 300-plus weekly seizures . The side effects of the AEDs even made her health worse . In desperation , the Figis traveled to Colorado to try medical cannabis . The results were immediate and truly remarkable . Soon the Figis moved to Colorado so they could legally obtain a steady supply of medical cannabis . Dr . Gupta was made a convert , and little Charlotte Figi has ever since been dubbed “ The little girl who changed the world .” Indeed , Charlotte ’ s story inspired thousands of parents of epileptic children to mobilize their states into legalizing medical cannabis , and not just for epilepsy , but also a plethora of other chronic maladies that pharmaceutical drugs often don ’ t effectively treat .
A seizure is a temporary surge of electrical activity in the brain . The affected brain cells fire signals uncontrollably to other surrounding brain cells . This abnormal electrical activity overloads the affected areas of the brain . Possible symptoms include abnormal sensations , varying levels of consciousness ( if not passing out entirely ), and uncontrolled muscle movements . Seizures can run the spectrum from mildly unpleasant to convulsive grand mal seizures ( known as Tonic-clonic seizures ), which are quite serious . Seizures can be scary , especially if they occur while performing tasks that could put yourself and others at risk , such as driving .
More than 10 % of Americans will experience at least one or more seizures during their lives . These can occur for various reasons . One-time seizures aren ’ t necessarily considered medical emergencies , at least if symptoms are mild . Most seizures last from 30 seconds to two minutes . A seizure that lasts longer than five minutes is a medical emergency . Having two or more seizures at least 24 hours
apart that aren ’ t brought on by an identifiable underlying cause is generally considered to be epilepsy . Three million adults and 470,000 children , 1.2 % of Americans , have epilepsy . Seizure disorders can run in the family , i . e ., a patient is genetically predisposed . In other cases , the seizure disorder is “ acquired ,” meaning it occurs because of some identifiable underlying cause , such as after a stroke , a head injury , an infection like meningitis , high fever , or another severe illness .
In many cases , an underlying cause isn ’ t immediately apparent , but rather than digging deeper , the examining doctor may just shrug his shoulders with , “ We can ’ t determine what ’ s causing your seizures . All we can do is prescribe some drugs and see if that helps .” In a great many cases , the patient will stop taking the drugs because the side effects are more unpleasant than the seizures . Seizure disorders are often viewed as a mystery by the medical establishment , which even includes neurologists who really should be able to do better .
Though many doctors ridicule it as quackery , there is an increased risk of seizures , not to mention other health complications ( e . g ., autism , autoimmune diseases ) in correlation with certain vaccines . As of 2020 , the federal government ’ s National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program 2 had paid out over $ 4 billion in “ vax injury ” settlements to victims . 3
Another leading cause of seizure disorders ( not to mention many other neurological disorders ) are parasites . As just one example , neurocysticercosis ( caused by ingesting tapeworm eggs ) is now believed to be a leading cause of acquired epilepsy . 4 Millions of Americans are infested with parasites . 5 Left untreated , parasite infestations can have debilitating health consequences , including seizures . Intestinal parasites don ’ t just consume the food we eat ; they also poop it out , releasing dangerous toxins that can adversely impact neurology ( e . g ., MS can be caused by parasites ). Because there are so few Parasitologist MDs in the U . S ., relatively few seizure patients will ever get a thorough evaluation .
The cure for intestinal parasites is safe and easy : One tablespoon of food-grade diatomaceous earth ( DE ) ( available in many health food stores ) stirred into a glass of water , drunk once a day for 45 days . The DE safely kills parasites , and because it ’ s extremely absorbent , it absorbs the toxins from parasite die-off .
40 February 2023