People have been using essential oils for seizures for thousands of years. For example doctors in ancient Persia believed lavender (a common essential oil) could be used to treat epilepsy, and it was used in many places to treat seizures before modern medicine.
Today there are dozens of essential oils which can be bought in health stores and online. These products claim to provide various benefits for people’s health. Essential oils can be applied to the skin or are inhaled – a type of alternative medicine called aromatherapy.
However, there is relatively little research into using essential oils for seizures so it is unknown if using them is safe or effective, and there is some evidence that they can trigger seizures too. Nevertheless, some people with epilepsy are curious to try them. If you’re interested in aromatherapy, talk with your doctor about essential oils and seizures.
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Always talk with your doctor first
If you are thinking of using essential oils for seizure management, you should always speak with your doctor before using them. Essential oils should not replace your anti-seizure medication (ASM). It’s also important to remember that, just because something is ‘natural’, it doesn’t necessarily mean it is safe.
There is also no definitive evidence that essential oils and aromatherapy can treat or cure any diseases. While a small number of experiments have found positive results, these have not yet been verified by large medical trials. More evidence is needed to understand in what cases, if any, each essential oil works and to completely understand how safe it is
What does research into essential oils for seizures show?
Because there’s little definitive evidence about essential oils and seizures, we can’t say for sure if they’re helpful or not when managing epilepsy, so talk with your doctor about them.
One possible benefit of essential oils is that they may help some people feel less anxious. A 2020 review of multiple studies concluded that people who follow a course of aromatherapy prior to having surgery seemed to be less anxious. The research wasn’t specifically looking at people with epilepsy, however.
Another review of multiple studies suggested that there was support for lavender in treating several neurological disorders, including epilepsy.
A review article from 2019 found that there were both potential benefits and drawbacks to using essential oils for epilepsy. Talk to your doctor about the potential risks of using essential oils.
Some essential oils are not good for seizures
There are certain essential oils that could be seizure triggers, according to the 2019 review. Based on that analysis, the following essential oils may trigger seizures and should be avoided if you have epilepsy:
- Eucalyptus
- Fennel
- Hyssop
- Pennyroyal
- Rosemary
- Sage
- Savin
- Tansy
- Thuja
- Wormwood
Always speak with your doctor before taking any essential oils - even ones not included in the above list. They can give personalized advice for your situation. The fact is, there just hasn’t been enough research to be certain about the safety of essential oils for people with epilepsy.
Related: Are their vitamins that help with epilepsy?
Speak with your doctor about using essential oils for seizures
If you are interested in essential oils and seizure treatment, speak with your doctor first, so they can double check that the oil is safe for you to use.
