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Treatment

Treatment can help most people with epilepsy have fewer seizures, or stop having seizures completely.

Treatments include:

Some people need treatment for life. But you might be able to stop if your seizures disappear over time.

You may not need any treatment if you know your seizure triggers and are able to avoid them.

Talk to your specialist about the treatments available and which might be best for you.

Anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs)

AEDs are the most commonly used treatment for epilepsy. 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.

Types of AEDs

There are many AEDs.

Common types include:

The best type for you will depend on things like the type of seizures you have, your age and if you're thinking of having a baby.

Some AEDs can harm an unborn baby – see living with epilepsy for more information.

If your doctor recommends taking an AED, ask them about the different types available and which is likely to be the most suitable for you.

Taking AEDs

AEDs are available in a number of different forms, including tablets, capsules, liquids and syrups. You usually need to take the medicine every day.

Your specialist will start you on a low dose and gradually increase it until your seizures stop. If the first medicine you try does not work, your doctor may recommend trying another type.

It's important you follow any advice about when to take AEDs and how much to take. Never suddenly stop taking an AED – doing so could cause a seizure.

If you have not had a seizure for a few years, ask your doctor if you might be able to stop treatment. If they think it's safe, your dose will be reduced gradually over time.

While taking AEDs, do not take any other medicines, including over-the-counter medicines or complementary medicines, without speaking to your GP or specialist. Other medicines could affect how well your AED works.

Side effects

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.

The side effects you may get depend on the medicine you're taking.

Common side effects of AEDs include:

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.

For information about the side effects of your medicine, check the information leaflet that comes with it.

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Brain surgery

Surgery to remove part of your brain may be an option if:

In these cases, there's a good chance that your seizures could stop completely after surgery.

Tests before surgery

If your epilepsy is poorly controlled after trying several AEDs, you may be referred to a specialist epilepsy centre to see if surgery might be possible.

This will usually involve having several tests, such as:

The results of these tests will help you and your specialist decide if surgery is an option for you, and what the result of surgery might be.

What happens during surgery

Surgery for epilepsy is usually carried out under general anaesthetic, where you're asleep.

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.

Recovery and risks

It's likely to take a few weeks or months for you to feel back to normal after surgery.

Your seizures may not stop straight away, so you might need to keep taking AEDs for 1 to 2 years.

There's a risk of complications from surgery, such as problems with your memory, mood or vision. These problems may improve over time, or they may be permanent.

Before having surgery, make sure you talk to your surgeon about the possible risks.

Further information

Other procedures

If AEDs are not controlling your seizures and brain surgery is not suitable for you, there are other procedures that could help.

Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS)

Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) is where a small electrical device similar to a pacemaker is placed under the skin of your chest.

The device is attached to a wire that goes under your skin and connects to a nerve in your neck called the vagus nerve. Bursts of electricity are sent along the wire to the nerve.

It's thought this can help control seizures by changing the electrical signals in the brain.

VNS does not usually stop seizures completely, but it can help make them less severe and less frequent. You'll probably still need to take AEDs.

Side effects of VNS include a hoarse voice, a sore throat and a cough when the device is activated. This normally happens every 5 minutes and lasts for 30 seconds.

The battery for the VNS device typically lasts up to 10 years, after which time another procedure will be needed to replace it.

Deep brain stimulation (DBS)

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is similar to VNS. But the device placed in the chest is connected to wires that run directly into the brain.

Bursts of electricity sent along these wires can help prevent seizures by changing the electrical signals in the brain.

DBS is a fairly new procedure that's not used very often, so it's not yet clear how effective it is for epilepsy.

There are also some serious risks associated with it, including bleeding on the brain, depression and memory problems.

If your doctor suggests DBS as an option, make sure you talk to them about the potential benefits and risks.

Further information

Ketogenic 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. But it's now not widely used in adults because a high-fat diet is linked to serious health conditions, such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

A ketogenic diet is sometimes recommended for children with seizures that are not controlled by AEDs. This is because it's been shown to reduce the number of seizures in some children.

It should only be used under the supervision of an epilepsy specialist with the help of a dietitian.

Further information

Complementary therapies

There are several complementary therapies that some people with epilepsy feel work for them. But none has been shown to reduce seizures conclusively in medical studies.

You should therefore be cautious about advice from anyone other than a GP or specialist to reduce or stop taking your medicine and try alternative treatments. Stopping your medicine without medical supervision may cause seizures.

Herbal remedies should also be used cautiously because some of their ingredients can interact with epilepsy medicine.

St John's Wort, a herbal remedy used for mild depression, is not recommended for people with epilepsy because it can affect the levels of epilepsy medicine in the blood and may stop the medicine working properly.

There are reports that some strong-smelling aromatherapy treatments, such as hyssop, rosemary and sweet fennel, may trigger seizures in some people.

For some people with epilepsy, stress can trigger seizures. Stress-relieving and relaxation therapies such as exercise, yoga and meditation may help.

Further information

Page last reviewed: 1 August 2019
Next review due: 1 August 2019