Proudly Canadian | We Ship Worldwide! | Need Help? Contact Us

Herbs to Avoid in Epilepsy

Asked by:

Louise

Posted at:

January 26, 2025

I am very interested in natural health care. I use some herbal products now, but my biggest concern is that I am an epileptic and need to now what herbs to avoid if any.
In general, for epilepsy, you want to use relaxants and avoid stimulants. Stimulants include coffee, tea, cola, chocolate, ephedrine containing products (often in diet pills). Herbs that stimulate the central nervous system, and therefore should be avoided, are Cramp bark, Kola nuts, Ephedra and Yerba mate.
Herbs that are calming, and recommended in epilepsy, are Lemon balm, Skullcap, Passionflower and Valerian. The holistic approach would also recommend an elimination diet, eliminating common allergy-causing foods such as dairy products, oranges, eggs, tomatoes and strawberries, to test if the seizures are related to allergies.