Dr. Fred Hui is somewhat unusual in the medical world, being knowledgeable in both the “hard science” of Western medicine and the centuries-old traditions of Chinese medicine. A graduate of the University of Toronto, Dr. Hui has been practicing medicine for over 20 years. His approach uses the best of Eastern and Western medicine.

“My passion for medicine has led me to explore anything that could possibly work for my patients.”

Dr. Hui has been the subject of TV documentaries, contributed to the Toronto Star, and has recently studied Chinese medicine at Beijing Hospital. According to Dr. Hui, although much of Chinese medicine has not yet been tested according to the standards of Western medicine, it works, and because the herbs have been used for hundreds of years, we can conclude that they are relatively safe.

Dr. Hui believes that in most “idiopathic” (cause unknown) cases of epilepsy, the seizures result from some scarring in the brain, perhaps too microscopically small to be detected. He describes this as a “hardware problem” underlying any “software problems” in the brain. Because of this underlying “hardware problem”, Dr. Hui makes a point of saying he cannot offer a cure. The best treatments we have for most people with epilepsy involve anticonvulsant medications, and most people achieve good seizure control through these drugs.

For those who cannot achieve good seizure control with meds, Dr. Hui offers his suggestions of additional ways to enhance or improve seizure control. Because he is not a neurological expert, he offers this advice very informally, based on his own experiences helping his patients.

The body has many “homeostasis mechanisms,” according to Dr. Hui. Together, these mechanisms are the “Control Department” for the body, and function very efficiently when all the parts of the system are doing well. But there are many factors in this control system, which create a certain amount of “room to play”. This is why the frequency of seizures is not consistent, even with a single person. So there may be a “hardware problem”, but we can work with the parts of the operating system— your body’s various functions— to try for more good days and fewer bad days.

According to Dr. Hui, much of Western medicine is overly specialized. The treatment of epilepsy, for example, often focuses only on the brain and a specific problem in a specific area of the brain. This approach doesn’t address the “surrounding area” – the rest of the body.

It is a basic principle of Chinese medicine that health comes from balancing all parts of the body – when all the parts work well, the machine runs “like clockwork.” Epilepsy medications typically work to make neurons in the brain either less excitable or not excitable. The medications do their job, but also depress the entire central nervous system. Medications don’t address any of the other factors that affect seizure control. These are the areas that we can work on to improve control.

Dr. Hui suggests the following principles, based on Chinese medicine, for achieving extra control beyond what is provided by medications:

• Decrease irritability in the faulty part of the brain.
• Nourish the brain.
• Balance the rest of the body.

Decreasing Irritablity

Stimulants: We take medications to decrease the excitability of brain cells. Why would we then also ingest, often in large doses, substances that increase excitability?

Dr. Hui recommends that we avoid many substances that can affect the body’s seizure threshold, including these stimulants: cola (including diet cola), coffee, chocolate, sugar, tea (including herbal teas containing caffeine), and cold remedies containing pseudo-ephedrine (a synthetic relative of adrenaline).

In addition to nicotine, cigarettes contain cadmium, lead, and other particles and combustion by-products, which interfere with the body’s enzymes, which are responsible for, among other things, maintaining the body’s electrical balance. Cigarettes also constrict blood vessels, interfering with blood flow, which is also important in maintaining the body’s balance. Still, many smoke despite having seizures.

Sensory Inputs: The body’s balance is sometimes described in terms of a “harmony” among the parts. Dr. Hui likens the brain to a musical instrument, a tuning of electrical vibrations. Exposing ourselves to very loud noises, even music, or psychedelic strobe lights, can be like striking a tuning fork, says Dr. Hui. The sensory inputs can cause the body’s rhythms to resonate with the external environment, disturbing one’s internal balance, and possibly worsening seizures.