Epilepsy - Treatments
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If you or your child has epilepsy, treatments can help control the seizures. Epilepsy drugs work well for most people, but they can cause side effects.
Key points about treating epilepsy
- Doctors usually wait for someone to have at least two seizures before they start treatment.
- Epilepsy drugs cut down or stop seizures for most people.
- Some people need to take two drugs. This is especially common for people who get seizures that affect only part of their brain (partial seizures).
- Most epilepsy drugs have side effects. They may make you feel drowsy, worn out and dizzy. Some may make you put on weight. Others can cause a rash.
- Some epilepsy drugs can stop contraceptive pills or contraceptive injections from working properly.
- If you haven't had a seizure for two years, your doctor may see how you get on without drugs. About 3 in 5 people who stop taking their drugs don't have seizures for at least two more years.
- If you're pregnant, you'll need to continue taking your epilepsy drugs.
- Surgery can help some people whose epilepsy cannot be controlled with drugs.
- Nerve stimulation is another option. This treatment is mostly for people who cannot have surgery.
- You or your child should have a thorough check-up at least once a year.
Treatments for epilepsy
Which treatments work best? We've carefully weighed up the research and divided the treatments for epilepsy into categories. You can find out more about each treatment by clicking on the links below.
We've also looked at whether you need drug treatment after just one seizure, and when it's safe to stop taking drug treatment.
For help in deciding which treatment is best for you or your child, see .
Treatments that work
- Carbamazepine: This is one of the main drugs that doctors use to try and stop seizures. It often works on its own but it does have side effects. The brand names include Tegretol and Tegretol Retard. More...
- Phenobarbital: This is one of the main drugs that doctors use to try to stop seizures. It often works on its own but it does have side effects. (Phenobarbital is not sold under a brand name in the UK.) More...
- Phenytoin: This is one of the main drugs that doctors use to try to stop seizures. It often works on its own but it does have side effects. Its brand name is Epanutin. More...
- Valproate: This is one of the main drugs that doctors use to try to stop seizures. It often works on its own but it does have side effects. Its brand names are Epilim and Episenta. More...
- Taking more than one drug for epilepsy if you have partial seizures: If you are taking one drug and still get partial seizures, then taking two or more drugs may work. Drugs (and their brand names) that are taken with other epilepsy drugs include gabapentin (Neurontin), lamotrigine (Lamictal), levetiracetam (Keppra), oxcarbazepine (Trileptal) and tiagabine (Gabitril). More...
- An operation to remove a small part of your brain: Your doctor may suggest surgery if drug treatments don't help control the seizures. More...
Treatments that are likely to work
- Educational programmes: Special classes can help you understand epilepsy and learn how to live with it. They may also cut down your seizures. Classes are available for both adults and children. More...
- Nerve stimulation: If you or your child has partial seizures and drug treatments aren't helping, your doctor may suggest nerve stimulation. This treatment uses an electrical device to stimulate a nerve in the neck. This may calm down the overexcited nerve cells in the brain that cause seizures. More...
Treatments that need further study
- Taking one of the newer epilepsy drugs: Your doctor may recommend one of these if older epilepsy drugs don't work or cause side effects. But these drugs may also cause side effects. The newer drugs (and their brand names) that can be taken on their own include gabapentin (Neurontin), lamotrigine (Lamictal), levetiracetam (Keppra), oxcarbazepine (Trileptal), tiagabine (Gabitril), topiramate (Topamax), vigabatrin (Sabril). More...
- Biofeedback: This treatment teaches you how to control the electrical activity in your brain. More...
- Cognitive behaviour therapy: You learn how to recognise and control unhelpful or negative thoughts about yourself and your epilepsy, and replace them with helpful, positive ones. More...
- Family counselling: This involves sessions with a therapist to help you and your family cope with and adjust to epilepsy. More...
- Relaxation therapy: A therapist teaches you ways to calm your mind by releasing the tension in your body. More...
- Relaxation plus behaviour modification therapy: This combined treatment may help you learn to relax and adjust to life with epilepsy. More...
- Yoga: Yoga classes focus on stretching, controlling breathing and deep relaxation or meditation. This may help you manage stress. More...
Other treatments
The following treatment hasn't been studied to the same scientific standards that we use to judge other treatments. (To learn more, see .) But we wanted to cover this treatment because many people are interested in it. As you read this information, bear in mind that more research is needed to say whether this treatment works.
- Ketogenic diet: If your child has epilepsy and drug treatments aren't helping, your doctor may suggest you try a special diet. More...
© BMJ Publishing Group Limited ("BMJ Group") 2007. All rights reserved
This information does not replace medical advice. If you are concerned you might have a medical problem please ask your Boots pharmacy team in your local Boots store, or see your doctor.
