How is epilepsy treated?
How is epilepsy treated?
Treatments to control epilepsy include anti-seizure medications, special diets (usually in addition to anti-seizure medications) and surgery.
Anti-seizure medications
Anti-seizure medications can control seizures in about 60% to 70% of people with epilepsy. Anti-seizure medication treatment is individualized. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved more than 20 anti-seizure medications for treating epilepsy. Your healthcare provider may try one or more medications, doses of medications or a combination of medications to find what works best to control your seizures.
Choice of an anti-seizure medication depends on:
- Seizure type.
- Your prior response to anti-seizure medications.
- Other medical conditions you have.
- The potential for interaction with other medications you take.
- Side effects of the anti-seizure drug (if any).
- Your age
- General health.
- Cost.
Because some anti-seizure medications are linked to birth defects, let your healthcare provider know if you’re pregnant or planning to become pregnant.
If anti-seizure medications don’t control your seizures, your healthcare provider will discuss other treatment options, including special diets, medical devices or surgery.
Diet therapy
The ketogenic diet and the modified Atkins diet — diets high in fat, moderate in protein and low in carbohydrates — are the two most common diets sometimes recommended for people with epilepsy. Diets are mostly recommended for children where medication was not effective and who aren’t candidates for surgery. Low glycemic index diets may also reduce seizures in some people with epilepsy.
Surgery and devices
Your healthcare provider will consider surgery if anti-seizure medications don’t control your seizures, and if your seizures are severe and debilitating. Epilepsy surgery can be a safe and effective treatment option when more than two anti-seizure medication trials fail to control your seizures. It’s important to be evaluated at an epilepsy center to see if you’re a candidate for epilepsy surgery if anti-seizure medications don’t control your seizures.
Surgery options include surgical resection (removal of abnormal tissue), disconnection (cutting fiber bundles that connect areas of your brain), stereotactic radiosurgery (targeted destruction of abnormal brain tissue) or implantation of neuromodulation devices. These devices send electrical impulses to your brain to reduce seizures over time.