Epilepsy and colds

[loflo]

Thanks to the lovely ladies of MN I know that Vicks/Olbas Oil is now a no-no but what about cough mixtures? Are there any that I need to avoid?

Thanks as always,

Flo

[DJAngel]

I use olbas oil and vicks too and dd has epilepsy. Not heard that before, but I put Vicks on her feet under socks and it seems to help her sleep bit better.. dh thinks it's mad though..

Was told that ibuprofen was a no no once but got pharmacist to check and he said there was one case where a child had had a seizure following ibuprofen.. but dd has high fevers tha calpol doesn't touch that have led to seizures so we go for the ibuprofen every time now..with no ill effects so far.

Rosemary essential oil can trigger seizures though I've heard..

[loflo]

Someone pointed me to this on the epilepsy foundation website which is why I am now vary of olbas/vicks/karvol kind of stuff. Spoke to a pharmacist today and gave me very simple syrup (just gylcerol to ease tickle):

I just wanted to add that I would avoid or be cautious in using some of the advised remedies with a person with epilepsy.

Vicks VapoRub contains--camphor, turpentine oil, menthol, and eucalyptus oil (all which I have seen on at least one list cautioning their use in a person with epilepsy). I've also seen menthol & menthol chemotypes on lists to use caution with in a person with epilepsy.

info below from Epilepsy.com HERBAL ESSENTIAL OILS:

Though "natural," they are not necessarily harmless. Even essential oils from some herbs commonly used in cooking, such as rosemary and sage, contain concentrated amounts of certain compounds that can cause seizures. Many of these compounds can be harmful when absorbed through the skin, not just when they are taken by mouth. One of these compounds is camphor, also used to repel moths.

One report in a medical journal told of two adults and a child who experienced tonic-clonic seizures for the first time after using some of these oils. The authors of this report (Burkhard et al.) listed 11 herbal essential oils that may cause seizures:

Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus globulus)
Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare)
Hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis)
Pennyroyal (Mentha pulegium or Hedeoma pulegioides)
Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis)
Sage (Salvia officinalis)
Savin (Juniperus sabina)
Tansy (Tanacetum vulgare)
Thuja (Thuya occidentalis)
Turpentine (Pinus species)
Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium)
Anyone who has epilepsy should avoid the essential oils on this list. Caution with others is also a good idea, not only if you have epilepsy but also if you have other medical disorders or are pregnant. Follow safety instructions about their use, and let your doctor know if you're planning to use any herbal essential oils.

[kissingfrogs]

thankgod for mumsnet or I'd have never known.

[loflo]

It doesn't sound like theres a huge amount of evidence that it causes problems but better safe than sorry I suppose.

Initially I thought it was just a Vicks thing but Olbas Oil has eucalyptus too.

You live and learn I guess