Epilepsy is a condition in which a person has a tendency to have recurring seizures. Medication can provide seizure control for approximately 70 per cent of people with epilepsy. For some people, surgery is successful if medication fails. Avoiding known triggers and attention to lifestyle can sometimes improve seizure control.
Many people experience a single seizure, while approximately 50 per cent go on to have further seizures. It is not possible to know for certain who will have more than one seizure. The circumstances of the seizure, the family history or the test results might suggest that the risk of another seizure is higher in some people. Treatment aims to prevent seizures and maximise quality of life.
Treatment
Vagus nerve stimulation
A device called a vagus nerve stimulator is implanted into your chest under the collarbone. Wires from the stimulator are wrapped around the vagus nerve in your neck. The vagus nerve connects your brain to your heart, lungs and gastrointestinal tract. The device turns on and off according to an adjustable program. It's not clear how brain stimulation via the vagus nerve inhibits seizures, but the device reduces seizures by about 20 percent to 40 percent on average.
Most people still need to take anti-epileptic medication, but many can reduce their dosage.
Medical Treatment
Drug therapy with anticonvulsants is the mainstay.
Choice of drug depends on several factors including the frequency and severity of the seizures as well as the person's age, overall health, and medical history.
An accurate diagnosis of the type of epilepsy is critical for choosing the best treatment.
Most medical treatments can involve some risks or complications. Your neurologist will explain any possible risks or complications from the treatments you'll receive. Don't be afraid to ask your doctors, nurses or therapists about your treatment. If your treatment includes medication, be sure to take it exactly as the doctor has ordered. And remember to keep all your follow-up appointments with our doctors and other medical staff.
Initial treatment
Initial treatment for epilepsy depends on the severity, frequency, and type of seizures and whether a cause for your condition has been identified. Medicine is the first and most common approach. Antiepileptic medicines do not cure epilepsy, but they help prevent seizures in well over half of the people who take them.
Anti-convulsants taken by mouth may reduce the number of future seizures. How well medicine works depends on each individual's response to the drug. The type of medicine used depends on seizure type, and dosage may need to be adjusted from time to time. Some seizure types respond well to one medication and may respond poorly (or even be made worse) by others. Some medications need to be monitored for side effects and blood levels.
Corpus Callosotomy
Patients who have generalized seizures are not usually candidates for surgery. However, if the seizures are resulting in falls and injuries, a procedure called "corpus callosotomy" may be considered. This procedure involves separating the nerve fibers that connect the two halves of the brain. While this surgery does not cure epilepsy or completely stop seizures, it can reduce the number and severity of seizures and the related falls and injuries.
