For some people with epilepsy it is a ‘lifelong’ condition. This can be a discouraging thing to hear. However, there is hope! The majority of people with epilepsy control their seizures and live the kind of life they want.
Will seizures ever stop?
Because there are different forms of epilepsy, it is best to speak with your physician to understand how likely it is that your seizures will stop. That said, most people find ways of managing the condition:
- Medication: Drugs are very effective. Forty seven percent of people find that the first epilepsy medication they try helps control seizures and leads to seizure freedom. If the first drug doesn’t work, another 13% find that a second treatment helps them reach seizure freedom.
- Drug resistant epilepsy: Around a third of people don’t respond to medication. Even then, there are other methods for treating epilepsy including medical devices which send electrical pulses from an implant in your chest or brain and special diets. Read more about drug resistant epilepsy here.
- Surgery: Surgery can, in some cases, remove the part of the brain which causes seizures (this can stop seizures altogether, but it is not guaranteed)
- Vagus nerve stimulation and special diets: These are two other options that some people may find helpful to managing their seizures. Find out more about alternative diets.
While epilepsy doesn’t exactly have a ‘cure’, most people live a normal life with the condition. If you are finding that medication isn’t working, consider talking to your doctor about alternative treatment options at your next appointment.
