What You Need to Know About Epilepsy and Essential Oils

If you have epilepsy, understanding how epilepsy and essential oils interact is important. Unfortunately, the research about using aromatherapy with this medical condition is sparse.

What To Avoid

Although it's possible some essential oils may trigger seizures, sources differ on which oils people with epilepsy should avoid.

In the book Advanced Aromatherapy, Kurt Schnaubelt, Ph.D, recommends that people with epilepsy avoid anise, fennel, hyssop, nutmeg, parsley, and sage essential oils.

The Epilepsy Society recommends not using camphor, eucalyptus, fennel, hyssop, rosemary, sage, or spike lavender.

The paper Plant-Induced Seizures states that 11 plants are powerful convulsants because they contain highly reactive monoterpene ketones, such as camphor, pinocamphone, thujone, cineole, pulegone, sabinylacetate, and fenchone. The plants are:

• Eucalyptus
  
• Fennel (Epileptic Seizure Induced By Fennel Essential Oil reports on how eating food containing fennel essential oil caused a seizure in a woman.)
• Hyssop
• Pennyroyal (not used in standard aromatherapy)
• Rosemary (aromatherapy expert Robert Tisserand writes in a comment on this blog post that although rosemary oils contain camphor, which in massive doses can cause seizures, using rosemary in normal amounts has little need for restriction, as there have been no reported cases of convulsions from rosemary.)
  
• Sage
• Savin (not used in standard aromatherapy)
• Tansy
• Thuja (uncommon in standard aromatherapy)
• Turpentine (not used in standard aromatherapy)
• Wormwood (not used in standard aromatherapy)

Epilepsy and Essential Oils

The results of the study Anticonvulsant Activity Of Citrus Aurantium Blossom Essential Oil (Neroli) suggested that neroli essential oil has constituents with anticonvulsant activity.

To possibly prevent seizures, The Essential Oils Desk Reference suggests directly inhaling frankincense or lavender essential oil four times a day (rub a drop into your palms and sniff or use a diffuser for 10 to 15 minutes). Another option is to dilute the essential oil with a carrier oil and rub 2 to 3 drops behind your ears and on the back of your neck 2 to 3 times a day.

Other studies:

• The Effects of Various Essential Oils on Epilepsy and Acute Seizure: A Systematic Review
• Anticonvulsant Essential Oils and Their Relationship with Oxidative Stress in Epilepsy
• Essential oil related seizures (EORS): A multi-center prospective study on essential oils and seizures in adults

If you want to use essential oils with epilepsy, working with a qualified professional is a good idea. Also, pay close attention to essential oil safety guidelines.

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