Treating Epilepsy

The Basics

Treatment 101

"No seizures, no side effects" is the goal of epilepsy treatment.

While seizure medicines are the mainstay of epilepsy treatment, there are other approaches to think about too. Some alternatives to epilepsy medicines include surgery, neurostimulation devices, dietary therapy, complementary health approaches, and clinical trials. You and your doctors will work together to determine what treatment is best to suit your needs. It’s important to remember that it takes time to find the right treatment and that everyone is different when it comes to managing epilepsy.

What's first?
What's first?

First step is to see a doctor if you think you or a loved one is having seizures!

Seizure and Epilepsy Medicines

Medicine is the most common way of treating epilepsy and is almost always the first treatment tried.

There are many different medicines that can prevent or stop seizures. These are sometimes called anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs) or anti-seizure drugs. AEDs will successfully control seizures for 7 out of 10 people with epilepsy.

However, some medicines work better for certain types of seizures than others. It’s important to keep a seizure diary and discuss your seizures and symptoms with your doctor to find the best fit for you. The answer may be a combination of different medications. The two most important things to remember is to take your medication regularly  and to  never stop or change your medication without talking to your doctor. Any disruption in your medication can trigger a seizure.

When do I seek specialty care?
When do I seek specialty care?

If your seizures continue after one year or after two anti-seizure medications have been tried, we recommend seeking more specialized care.

Surgery

Surgery is a treatment option that offers some people a real solution to stopping their seizures.

Epilepsy surgery is a treatment used to help control seizures when seizures are not controlled by medications. There are many different types of epilepsy surgery. The type of surgery recommended will depend on many factors, including: type of seizures and where they start in the brain.

Fact #1
Fact #1

Recent national survey suggests that 56% of adults taking seizure medications report having seizures in the past year.

Fact #2
Fact #2

Studies show that 30 to 40% of people have drug resistant epilepsy.

Fact #3
Fact #3

Some types of epilepsy surgery may lead to seizure freedom and an improved quality of life in up to 80% of people with drug resistant epilepsy.

Dietary Therapies

Dietary therapy is an approach to help control seizures, usually in conjunction with seizure medication.

Some of the dietary therapies used to treat epilepsy include the classic ketogenic diet, the modified Atkins Diet, the Low Glycemic Index Treatment developed in 2002 as an alternative to the ketogenic diet, and the Medium Chain Triglyceride (MCT) diet, a modified ketogenic diet.

Follow the national office’s Keto News for latest updates about the ketogenic diet and other dietary therapies.

Devices

Seizure medications do not control seizures or can cause bothersome side effects in at least 3 out of 10 people with epilepsy.

Vagus Nerve Stimulation

Vagus Nerve Stimulation (VNS) prevents seizures by sending regular, mild pulses of electrical energy to the brain via the vagnus nerve, sometimes referred to as the “pacemaker” of the brain.

Responsive Neurostimulation

Responsive Neruostimulation (RNS Therapy) is similar to a heart pacemaker. It can monitor brain waves, then respond to activity that is different from usual or that look like a seizure.

Deep Brain Stimulation

Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) requires a neurosurgeon to place electrodes in a target area of the brain. The electrodes then provide stimulation directly to the brain to help stop seizures.

External Trigeminal Nerve Stimulation

External Trigeminal Nerve Stimulation (eTNS) is used to treat drug resistant seizures and is a non-invasive therapy designed to deliver neuromodulation without the risk of invasive devices or electrodes placed in the brain.

X