Complementary and alternative medicine in epilepsy: What patients and physicians perceive

Abstract

The purpose of the current study was to investigate the extent to which people with epilepsy (PWE) use complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) to treat their illness and to assess their perceptions. We also investigated the perceptions of their physicians. In this cross-sectional study, all patients with epilepsy, who had the illness for at least one year, were recruited at the outpatient epilepsy clinic at Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, from January 2019 until March 2019. A questionnaire was designed for this survey. We also designed a similar questionnaire to investigate perceptions of the physicians in the same region with approval by the Shiraz University of Medical Sciences Review Board. One hundred and one patients participated. 71 patients (70%) believed that CAM would be helpful in treating seizures; the most commonly reported CAM therapies were prayers, exercise, and herbs. Sixteen patients (16%) had actually used CAM to treat their seizures, but only one patient perceived that CAM was more effective than AEDs to bring her seizures under control. 31 neurologists participated in the study. Seventeen neurologists (55%) believed that CAM would be helpful in treating epileptic seizures. The most commonly reported CAM therapies were meditation, yoga, and exercise. CAM is considered and used by many PWE to treat seizures, despite the lack of enough scientific evidence. Cultural issues probably play an important role in having faith in CAM. Physicians involved in the care of PWE should provide appropriate information regarding the safety and efficacy of various CAM treatments.