Hi, I have a question regarding a possible adverse reaction to Young Living eucalyptus oil. A friend of mine was mopping her floor with some eucalyptus oil diluted in her mop water. The same day, her three year old had a seizure. He had never been diagnosed with a seizure disorder of any kind. He was taken to the ER and received several tests with inconclusive results. My friend did not make any connection between the oil and his seizure. About a week later, exactly the same series of events occurred. The second seizure lasted 24 minutes. She discarded the oil. Her son is still having seizures and was diagnosed with status epilepticus. He did not ingest the oil. The only routes of administration would have been diluted on bare feet or inhalation. Pure coincidence or a reaction with neurological damage?
Thanks,
Amber
Hi Amber,
Seizures are possible from essential oil inhalation, though rare. Seizures from eucalyptus oil are also very rare but do happen, and the younger the child the more susceptible they are to seizures. One case was reported in 2011 from a girl who used a head lice repellent lotion containing 11% eucalyptus oil. The same sequence of events happening does suggest a causal connection.
Best wishes,
Robert
I have given massage with essential oils for years and have never had anyone react (knock on wood). Of course eucalyptus is one of the favorites for doing massage. When a reaction occurs like seizures, I would have the person skin tested and blood tested for allergy. Also more studies to determine safety. Seizures can be triggered like migraine headaches from flashing lights, noise, strong smells, etc. In that case, the seizure disorder already existed, it had just not been triggered yet.
On the other side of this question, I have a lady with a 19 month old baby who has been diagnosed with Myoclonic Epilepsy and she contacted me about using essential oils to help control seizures. I have not had any experience with this but she said she read somewhere that Frankincense oil applied to the big toe would be effective, so she tried it and said from the first night there were no seizures. Instinctively, I want to tell her to dilute the oils…and even further…not put them directly on her baby’s skin. Does anyone have any experience here?
I have been epileptic all my life. Eucalyptus always triggers seizures for me. I realize it is very rare from this oil but it does happen. Additionally Eucalyptus can interfere with some anti-convulsant medications.