Treatment FAQ

what are the treatment of epilepsy

by Jessyca Orn Published 2 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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medicines called anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs) surgery to remove a small part of the brain that's causing the seizures. a procedure to put a small electrical device inside the body that can help control seizures. a special diet (ketogenic diet) that can help control seizures.

Medication

Diet Therapy for Epilepsy, Including Ketogenic Diet High fat, very low-carbohydrate diets, when calibrated and administered by a doctor and followed precisely, can help ease recurrent seizures in some cases. Johns Hopkins offers diet therapy for epilepsy for both pediatric and adult patients, using the ketogenic diet and the modified Atkins diet.

Procedures

Treatment can help most people with epilepsy have fewer seizures, or stop having seizures completely. Treatments include: medicines called anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs) surgery to remove a small part of the brain that's causing the seizures a procedure to put a small electrical device inside the body that can help control seizures

Therapy

Epilepsy is a chronic neurological disorder in adults and requires treatment with antiepileptic medication. While the majority of patients with epilepsy can be treated with medication, about one third will fail on medical treatment. Therefore, other treatment options such as surgery, devices, and the ketogenic diet are other options to consider, in addition to medical treatment.

Self-care

Not every person will reach that goal right now, but research and specialty care help more people achieve it each year. While seizure medicines are the mainstay of epilepsy treatment, there are other approaches to think about too, including. Surgery. …

Nutrition

Jul 15, 2017 · identified or multiple seizures occur, is reasonable to help determine the risk of recurrence and the risks and benefits of treatment as opposed to watchful waiting.

Is there a cure for epilepsy?

The mainstay of treating seizures associated with acute or chronic stroke, after identification and elimination of toxic or metabolic disturbances lowering the seizure threshold, is the use of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs).

How can you treat epilepsy?

Description. The Treatment of Epilepsy, fourth edition, is a comprehensive reference and clinical guide to the pharmacological, medical and surgical options available in the treatment of epilepsy. The text is compiled by a group of internationally renowned editors and contributors and is now in full color and extensively illustrated. The first two sections cover the background to, …

What to do during and after a seizure?

Mar 17, 2021 · Today, AEDs are usually the first-line treatment for epilepsy and selected based on the type of seizure one has as well as the patient’s other pertinent medical history. For seizures that are refractory to AEDs, patients can be offered alternative treatments including trying a ketogenic diet, vagus nerve stimulation, or surgery [ 4 ].

How do you cure seizures?

Jan 29, 2019 · The Ketogenic Diet (KD) is a modality of treatment used since the 1920s as a treatment for intractable epilepsy. It has been proposed as a dietary treatment that would produce similar benefits to fasting, which is already recorded in the Hippocratic collection. The KD has a high fat content (90%) and low protein and carbohydrate.

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What are treatment options for epilepsy?

Apart from medications and surgery, these potential therapies offer an alternative for treating epilepsy:Vagus nerve stimulation. ... Ketogenic diet. ... Deep brain stimulation. ... Responsive neurostimulation.Oct 7, 2021

What is the latest treatment for epilepsy?

In 2018, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a deep brain stimulation (DBS) device, manufactured by Medtronic, that sends electrical pulses through the brain to reduce the frequency of seizures. (It works by stimulating an important relay station deep in the brain called the thalamus.)Mar 24, 2021

What are 4 drugs to treat epilepsy?

Medicines used to treat epilepsy Carbamazepine, clobazam, clonazepam, eslicarbazepine, ethosuximide, gabapentin, lacosamide, lamotrigine, levetiracetam, oxcarbazepine, perampanel, phenobarbital, phenytoin, pregabalin, primidone, rufinamide, sodium valproate, tiagabine, topiramate, vigabatrin and zonisamide.

What was the first treatment for epilepsy?

Nevertheless, potassium bromide represented the first drug therapy for epilepsy (and is still used largely in dogs with epilepsy and very rarely in humans).Oct 24, 2018

What is best medicine for epilepsy?

March 22, 2007 - Lamictal is the best first-choice drug for partial epilepsy, while valproic acid is the best first choice for generalized epilepsy, two major clinical trials show.Mar 22, 2007

What injection stops seizures?

What Is Keppra Injection? Keppra (levetiracetam) Injection is an antiseizure (antiepileptic) drug (AED) for adult patients (16 years and older) in the treatment of partial onset seizures when oral administration is temporarily not feasible. Keppra is used with other medications in adults with epilepsy.

What causes epilepsy?

When epilepsy is diagnosed in older adults, it's sometimes from another neurological issue, like a stroke or a brain tumor. Other causes can be related to genetic abnormalities, prior brain infection, prenatal injuries or developmental disorders. But in about half of people with epilepsy, there's no apparent cause.Oct 7, 2021

What foods are good for seizures?

A low glycemic index diet focuses on foods with a low glycemic index, meaning they affect blood glucose levels slowly, if at all. Although it's not understood why, low blood glucose levels control seizures in some people. Foods on this diet include meat, cheese, and most high-fiber vegetables.

Can epilepsy go away?

It isn't common for epilepsy to go away on its own. Long-term, recurring seizures usually can be controlled with treatment, which often includes taking medication. About 70 percent of people with epilepsy can control their seizures with medications or surgery.

Who is most affected by epilepsy?

Epilepsy is more common in young children and older people. Slightly more men than women have epilepsy. About 1 in 10 people will have an unprovoked seizure in their lifetime. 1 in 26 people will develop epilepsy (recurring seizures) in their lifetime.

What happens if you have epilepsy?

Epilepsy is a common condition that affects the brain and causes frequent seizures. Seizures are bursts of electrical activity in the brain that temporarily affect how it works. They can cause a wide range of symptoms. Epilepsy can start at any age, but usually starts either in childhood or in people over 60.

How can epilepsy be prevented?

These are some of the most common ways to reduce your chances of developing epilepsy:Prevent traumatic brain injuries. ... Lower the chances of stroke and heart disease. ... Get vaccinated. ... Wash your hands and prepare food safely. ... Stay healthy during your pregnancy.

What is the diagnosis of epilepsy?

There are several different types of epilepsy, characterized by seizures, with symptoms causing changes in awareness, muscle tone, emotions, behavior and sensory experience. Proper treatment starts with a careful assessment of the person’s seizures, which may include: Medical and seizure history and neurological ...

Why do people choose Johns Hopkins?

Epilepsy Treatment: Why Choose Johns Hopkins 1 The large number of patients we treat gives us unparalleled expertise in assessing and treating the full spectrum of epilepsy and seizure disorders. 2 Johns Hopkins offers a First Seizure Clinic, Genetic Testing Clinic and a well-equipped Epilepsy Monitoring Unit to help diagnose seizures and epilepsy. 3 Our team tailors each patient’s treatment plan with access to the most advanced medical, dietary and surgical therapies available. 4 If you and your doctor decide that epilepsy surgery is right for you, we offer the most modern approaches, including laser interstitial thermal therapy (LiTT).

How to stop seizures in epilepsy?

Treatment can help most people with epilepsy have fewer seizures, or stop having seizures completely. Treatments include: medicines called anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs) surgery to remove a small part of the brain that's causing the seizures. a procedure to put a small electrical device inside the body that can help control seizures.

How does epilepsy surgery work?

The surgeon makes a small cut in your scalp and creates an opening in your skull so they can remove the affected part of the brain. The openings in your skull and scalp are closed at the end of the operation.

What is the test for epilepsy?

This will usually involve having several tests, such as: brain scans. an electroencephalogram (EEG) – a test of your brain's electrical activity.

What is keto diet?

A ketogenic diet is a diet high in fats, and low in carbohydrates and protein. In children, the diet is thought to make seizures less likely by changing the levels of chemicals in the brain. The ketogenic diet was one of the main treatments for epilepsy before AEDs were available.

How do AEDs work?

They help control seizures in around 7 out of 10 of people. AEDs work by changing the levels of chemicals in your brain. They do not cure epilepsy, but can stop seizures happening.

What does it mean when you get a rash on a med?

rashes – contact your GP or specialist if you get a rash, as it might mean you're having a serious reaction to your medicine. Contact your GP or specialist if you have symptoms similar to being drunk, such as unsteadiness, poor concentration and being sick. This could mean your dose is too high.

How long does it take for side effects to show on AEDs?

Side effects are common when starting treatment with AEDs. Some may appear soon after starting treatment and pass in a few days or weeks, while others may not appear for a few weeks.

What is the treatment for epilepsy?

Treatment of epilepsy in adults. Epilepsy is a chronic neurological disorder in adults and requires treatment with antiepileptic medication. While the majority of patients with epilepsy can be treated with medication, about one third will fail on medical treatment.

What are the factors that affect epilepsy?

The treatment of epilepsy requires many other factors to be taken into consideration, and these include, but are not limited to, age, gender, coexistent medical conditions, and the use of concomitant medications.

Can epilepsy be treated with medication?

While the majority of patients with epilepsy can be treated with medication, about one third will fail on medical treatment. Therefore, other treatment options such as surgery, devices, and the ketogenic diet are other options to consider, in addition to medical treatment. The treatment of epilepsy requires many other factors to be taken ...

What are the best ways to treat epilepsy?

Not every person will reach that goal right now, but research and specialty care help more people achieve it each year. While seizure medicines are the mainstay of epilepsy treatment, there are other approaches to think about too, including. Surgery. Neurostimulation devices. Dietary therapy.

What is an epileptologist?

Epilepsy centers provide a team approach to caring for people with seizures and epilepsy. Testing is available to diagnose whether a person has seizures and the type of epilepsy they may have. Epilepsy experts (called epileptologists) can help explore all treatment options, .

How long does it take for seizures to go away?

If your seizures are difficult to control, meaning you continue to have seizures after one year or after two anti-seizure medications have been tried, we recommend seeking more specialized care. Epilepsy centers provide a team approach to caring for people with seizures and epilepsy.

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Description

The Treatment of Epilepsy, fourth edition, is a comprehensive reference and clinical guide to the pharmacological, medical and surgical options available in the treatment of epilepsy.

About the Author

Simon Shorvon MA MB BChir MD FRCP#N#Professor in Clinical Neurology and Clinical SubDean, UCL Institute of Neurology, University College London and Consultant Neurologist, National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, Queen Square, London, UK

What is the only treatment for epilepsy?

Fasting is the only therapeutic measure against epilepsy recorded in the Hippocratic collection. Two Parisian physicians, G Guelpa, and A Marie, recorded the first modern use of starvation as a treatment for epilepsy in 1911 (Wheless, 2008).

What are the symptoms of AE?

Other important AE are gastrointestinal symptoms, which include constipation, diarrhea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. The family should also be informed about how to recognize the symptoms of hypoglycemia and be advised to administer a small amount of juice or other forms of dextrose (Kossoff et al., 2018).

What is the KD diet?

The Ketogenic Diet (KD) is a modality of treatment used since the 1920s as a treatment for intractable epilepsy. It has been proposed as a dietary treatment that would produce similar benefits to fasting, which is already recorded in the Hippocratic collection. The KD has a high fat content (90%) and low protein and carbohydrate.

What is the function of KD?

Neurotransmitter Function . The KD-induced synaptic stabilization is additionally related to changes in critical amino acids as a result of ketone metabolism. It has been proposed that KD interferes with the concentration of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), the major inhibitory neurotransmitter.

Is epilepsy a metabolic disease?

Because epilepsy is a metabolic disease (Clanton et al., 2017), interest in studies of alterations of metabolism by anticonvulsants such as the KD has increased, as has their importance for the treatment of drug-resistant epilepsy.

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Diagnosis

Clinical Trials

Lifestyle and Home Remedies

Coping and Support

Your provider will work with you to develop a care plan that may include one or more of these treatment options.
Medications are the first choice of treatment for epilepsy. Other methods, including surgery, are recommended when medications fail.
Medication

Anti-seizure medications: To reduce the frequency and intensity of seizures.

Carbamazepine . Valproate . Lamotrigine

Procedures

Brain surgery: The portion of the brain that causes seizure is removed.

Therapy

Vagus nerve stimulation:A device is implanted in the chest to stimulate the vagus nerve to reduce seizures.

Ketogenic diet:Has been found to help children in reducing seizures.

Self-care

Always talk to your provider before starting anything.

  • Take your medications as prescribed and in right doses
  • Never stop taking your medications without consulting the doctor
  • Notify your doctor regarding any side effects from medications
  • Get adequate rest

Nutrition

Foods to eat:

  • Ketogenic diet: a diet high in fat, but low in carbohydrates, as recommended by the doctor

Foods to avoid:

  • NA

Specialist to consult

Neurologist
Specializes in treating diseases of the nervous system, which includes the brain, the spinal cord, and the nerves.

Preparing For Your Appointment

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To diagnose your condition, your doctor will review your symptoms and medical history. Your doctor may order several tests to diagnose epilepsy and determine the cause of seizures. Your evaluation may include: 1. A neurological exam.Your doctor may test your behavior, motor abilities, mental function and other areas to …
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