How to cure epilepsy?
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Hello, there is a 25 year old woman with a history of febrile seizures as a child who presented six months ago with absence spells brought on by a particular memory from her past. The patient had a full work-up at that time which showed a right temporal spike focus on EEG and a normal brain MRI scan. The patient was started on phenytoin. She reports no further spells on treatment but complains that the medication sedates her and causes “foggy thinking.” How to cure this?
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@alhad Most people with epilepsy can become seizure-free by taking one anti-seizure medication, which is also called anti-epileptic medication. Others may be able to decrease the frequency and intensity of their seizures by taking a combination of medications. Many children with epilepsy who aren't experiencing epilepsy symptoms can eventually discontinue medications and live a seizure-free life. Many adults can discontinue medications after two or more years without seizures. Your doctor will advise you about the appropriate time to stop taking medications. Finding the right medication and dosage can be complex. Your doctor will consider your condition, frequency of seizures, your age and other factors when choosing which medication to prescribe. Your doctor will also review any other medications you may be taking, to ensure the anti-epileptic medications won't interact with them. Your doctor likely will first prescribe a single medication at a relatively low dosage and may increase the dosage gradually until your seizures are well controlled.