Your epilepsy may be inherited, or it may not. One study has found that some people with epilepsy have inherited an abnormally active version of a gene that makes them resistant to drugs. This may explain why some people have a hard time controlling their seizures with medication.
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Epilepsy in Children
Watching your child have his or her first seizure was probably one of the most frightening moments of your life. Finding out that your child has epilepsy may have been another one. The future may suddenly seem terrifying and uncertain for both your child and your whole family. But as you may already know, the news is not nearly as bad as it sounds. Here are some things to keep in mind if your child has had a seizure: Most children who have a seizure don't have another one. Most children...
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Even though they may look very different, seizures all start in the same place: your brain. They are caused by sudden changes in the way brain cells send electrical signals back and forth. But just because they start in the same place does not mean they can be treated in the same way. Your doctor will want to obtain an accurate diagnosis of the exact type of epilepsy that you have. Only then can your doctor create the treatment plan that is right for you.
Today, most epilepsy is treated with medication. Drugs do not cure epilepsy, but they can often seizures very well. About 80% of people with epilepsy today have their seizures controlled by medication at least some of the time. Of course, that means that 20% of people with epilepsy are not helped by medication. And others who do take medication say that it doesn't help enough. Your doctor will work with you to select the right kind of medication for your type of seizures. If you find that the medication does not control your seizures, your doctor can then talk with you about other treatment options.
There are more drugs available today to control seizures than ever before. In fact, there are more than 20 different medications now on the market to treat epilepsy. Older medications which are still used to treat epilepsy include:
- Carbamazepine (Tegretol or Carbatrol)
- Divalproex (depakote, Depakote ER)
- Diazepam (Valium and similar tranquilizers)
- Ethosuximide (Zarontin)
- Phenytoin (Dilantin or Phenytek)
- Phenobarbital
- Primidone (Mysoline)
- Valproic acid (Depakene)