Temporal lobe epilepsy; Seizure disorder

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

If an underlying cause for recurrent seizures (such as infection) has been identified and treated, seizures may stop. Treatment may include surgery to remove a tumor, an abnormal or bleeding blood vessel, or other brain problems.

Medication to prevent seizures, called anticonvulsants, may reduce the number of future seizures. These drugs are taken by mouth.

• The type of medicine you take depends on what type of seizures you are having. The dosage may need to be adjusted from time to time.
• Some seizure types respond well to one medication and may respond poorly (or even be made worse) by others. Some medications need to be monitored for side effects and blood levels.
• It is very important that you take your medication on time and at the correct dose. Most people taking these drugs need regular checkups and regular blood tests to make sure they are receiving the correct dosage.
• You should not stop taking or change medications without talking to your doctor first.

Some factors increase the risk for a seizure in a person with epilepsy. Talk with your doctor about:

• Certain prescribed medications
• Emotional stress
• Illness, especially infection
• Lack of sleep
• Pregnancy
• Skipping doses of epilepsy medications
• Use of alcohol or other recreational drugs

Epilepsy that does not get better after two or three seizure drugs have been tried is called "medically refractory epilepsy."

Images

Central nervous system

Brain structure

Limbic system

Treatment of epilepsy

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Epilepsy Prevention

Review Date: 01/23/2010
Reviewed By: Linda Vorvick, MD, Medical Director, MEDEX Northwest Division of Physician Assistant Studies, University of Washington School of Medicine; Luc Jasmin, MD, PhD, Department of Neurosurgery at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, and Department of Anatomy at UCSF, San Francisco, CA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)