Epilepsy & Seizures Treatment

In terms of epilepsy treatment, the most common therapy is antiseizure medications. If a patient doesn't respond to medication, it may be a sign of an underlying, treatable cause of the epilepsy, such as a brain tumor. These patients may be referred to a specialized epilepsy center for treatment with a surgical procedure. For children with epilepsy, doctors may suggest a high fat, low carbohydrate ketogenic diet. This diet can help prevent seizures in children who don't respond to antiepileptic medications and may reduce or end the need for medication. It's not clear why this diet is more effective in children than adults in the treatment of epilepsy.

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QHow is epilepsy (seizure disorder) treated?

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A Discovery Health answered

Since seizures come in many variations, there is't a single pill or set dosage that can control them.

Patients may have to try many different drugs to find a combination that provides seizure control while preserving their quality of life. Many medications are considered to be disabling because they can affect cognitive processes, including thought and memory.

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QWhat type of diet can help control epilepsy?

1 Answer

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A Dr. Daniel R. Spogen, MD , Family Medicine, answered on behalf of Univ. of Nev. School of Medicine, Family Medicine

Studies have shown that a low carbohydrate or a ketosis inducing diet can help control epileptic events.
QWhat should I do for a person who is having a seizure?

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A Dr. Jerome Engel, MD , Neurology, answered on behalf of UCLA Health

A generalized tonic-clonic seizure can be frightening to observe but these are usually self-limited events and not life-threatening. People do not swallow their tongues during seizures so the common belief that something needs to be placed in the person’s mouth is absolutely wrong. This can cause serious injury to the person having the seizure or to the person who is trying to help. It’s important to ensure that the person having the seizure does not injure him- or herself by placing something soft under the head and removing hard or sharp objects from the area. It is normal for the person to stop breathing briefly after the seizure, and even to turn blue, but this is not cause for alarm. At this point, it is helpful to turn the person on his or her side so fluids that accumulate in the mouth can drain. It is then important for someone to stay with the person until full consciousness returns and it is possible to ask the person if they need additional help. If the person is known to have epilepsy usually nothing more is required. It is not necessary to call an ambulance unless the person has never had such a seizure before, there was an injury during the seizure, the seizure occurred in water, the person is pregnant, the tonic-clonic phase lasts longer than four minutes, or a second seizure occurs before consciousness returns. It is difficult to estimate how long a seizure is lasting, so it is important to note the time when the seizure begins, if possible. Calling an ambulance to go to an emergency room for a habitual seizure in someone with known epilepsy only adds to their disability by introducing additional cost and extensive wasted time. There is nothing to do for less severe seizures other than wait for them to end, but for focal seizures with impaired conscious control, it may be necessary to keep the person from harm. Attempts to restrain the person should be avoided, however, as this might be perceived as threatening and provoke a combative response that makes the situation worse.

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QWhat are surgical treatments for epilepsy?

1 Answer

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A NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital answered
Neurosurgeons use one of several surgical procedures to treat epilepsy. Most people experience a great reduction in seizure frequency and severity after surgery. Patients with certain types of epilepsy have a greater than 70 percent chance of complete freedom from seizures following surgery.

Multiple subpial transaction for epilepsy: If the source of the epileptic seizures is in an area of the brain that is critical to speech or movement, surgeons may use an approach called multiple subpial transection. Instead of removing brain tissue, surgeons interrupt nerve fibers on the surface of the brain that carry the impulses responsible for epileptic symptoms.

Resective surgery for epilepsy: This type of brain surgery removes the specific area of the brain that is generating the seizures. A resective procedure called temporal lobectomy, in which surgeons remove a portion of the temporal lobe (the most common source of epileptic seizures), is the brain surgery most often performed for epilepsy.

Vagal nerve stimulation for epilepsy: Vagal nerve stimulation is a treatment in which doctors place a small pacemaker under the skin near the vagal nerve in the side of the neck. Placement of the device does not involve surgery on the brain. This device regulates electrical activity in the brain, and in many patients with poorly controlled epileptic seizures, it can reduce their frequency and severity.
QIs there any treatment for Dravet syndrome?

1 Answer

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A Riverside Center for Neurosciences answered

Seizures in Dravet syndrome are difficult to control but can be reduced by anticonvulsant drugs. A ketogenic diet, high in fats and low in carbohydrates, also may be beneficial.
This answer is based on source information from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.
QHow is Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (LGS) treated?

1 Answer

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A Jumo Health answered

Treatment for Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (LGS) may include a combination of medicines which can help control the seizures but it’s important to remember that with a severe condition like LGS, medications may not be able to stop all seizures. Sometimes a special diet, called a ketogenic diet, can also help control seizures. Sometimes too, a device or an operation might be helpful.
QHow can surgery help with epilepsy?

2 Answers

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A Discovery Health answered

Patients are candidates for surgery if seizures are isolated in one part of the brain. For instance, in an anterior temporal lobectomy, the front portion of the temporal lobe is removed. This is the most common type of epilepsy surgery.
Surgeons also can remove parts of other lobes or disconnect parts of the brain that are not properly communicating. One such surgery is called a corpus callosotomy, which cuts away the white matter that connects the hemispheres of the brain.
These surgeries can be performed on children and adults. These surgeries remove only the damaged part of the brain, and do not seem to result in either brain damage or new seizure centers.
In some cases, patients show intellectual improvement after surgery.

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QWhat should my family do if I have a seizure?

1 Answer

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A Dr. Jeanne Morrison, PhD , Family Medicine, answered

It can be a frightening experience to see your loved one having a seizure. The most important thing to remember when helping a person having a seizure is safety. Keep the head safe by either cradling it in your lap or putting a pillow under the head. Do not put fingers or any object in the person’s mouth. Keep a record of the time and duration of the seizure so you can give to the doctor. Many times the person will have no recollection of the seizure. They may also be disoriented and very sleepy for several hours after the actual seizure. You can keep them comfortable during this time.
QWhat are the side effects of anticonvulsant taken for epilepsy?

1 Answer

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A Dr. Jeanne Morrison, PhD , Family Medicine, answered

There are several different types of anticonsulsant drugs used for epilepsy and each drug may have its own side effects. Work closely with your doctor to determine which drug you should take to control your seizures. Ask your pharmacist or doctor about the side effects you may experience with that specific anticonvulsant drug.