Quackery Masquerading as Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) in Patients With Epilepsy

Abstract

Patients suffering from chronic diseases like epilepsy often use complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) as first-line treatment because of myths, superstitions, and stigma attached to the disease. The present study reports on 108 patients with epilepsy presenting to an allopathic hospital with uncontrolled seizures, status epilepticus, or drug toxicity. Blood samples of these patients taking unlabeled pills from a CAM provider specializing in the treatment of epilepsy contained prescription antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) such as carbamazepine, phenytoin, valproic acid, and phenobarbitone. Serum samples in all but 5 patients demonstrated presence of one or more AEDs. Most of the patients had serum levels of these AEDs either in the subtherapeutic or in the supratherapeutic range. The authors alert clinicians that the patients resorting to “safe” or “natural” CAM may end up receiving modern prescription medicines from unauthorized CAM providers in toxic or subtherapeutic doses.

Use of Integrative, Complementary, and Alternative Medicine in Children with Epilepsy: A Global Scoping Review

“…In a study conducted in India, 108 patients taking CAM solicited by specialized alternative medicine clinics presented to an allopathic hospital with status epilepticus, uncontrolled seizures, or drug toxicity. Upon lab testing, conventional anti-seizure drugs (ASD) were detected in the patient’s serum indicating that the unlabeled CAM pills likely contained conventional anti-seizure drugs [ 9 ] as the patients were not prescribed ASDs; however, the presence of ASD in CAMs was not verified through further testing of the product. Phenytoin, carbamazepine, valproic acid, and phenobarbital were among the ASD drugs detected on the serum work-up and the levels ranged from subtherapeutic to supratherapeutic.…”

“…In certain countries, patients with epilepsy may turn to CAM due to the myths, superstitions, and stigma associated with the disease [ 9 ]. Patients or families may also turn to CAM as supplementary to conventional medicines (ASMs) due to religious beliefs [ 10 ].…”