Epilepsy

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Epilepsy Treatment

For treatment of seizures, please see Seizures - first aid.

If an underlying cause for recurrent seizures (such as infection) has been identified, the cause should be treated, and this may stop the occurrence of further seizures. This may include surgical repair of tumors or brain lesions, or other treatments.

Oral anti-convulsants may reduce the number of future seizures. Response is individual, and the medication used and dosage may have to be adjusted repeatedly. The type of medicine used depends on the seizure type, as some seizure types respond well to one medication and may respond poorly (or even be made worse) by others.

The need for follow-up depends on the seizure type and medications used. Some medications need to be monitored for side effects and blood levels.

For some patients, the use of several medications may still be inadequate. This is called refractory epilepsy. Some such people may benefit from brain surgery to remove the abnormal brain cells that are causing the seizures. For others, a vagal nerve stimulator is implanted in the chest, which can help reduce the number of seizures.