Epilepsy drugs and medication to manage the symptoms

Epilepsy or better known as epilepsy, is a central nervous system disorder that triggers recurrent seizures and even loss of consciousness. So that the symptoms of epilepsy do not recur, the patient will be prescribed antiepileptic drugs or undergo other medications. Intrigued, what medications and treatments should a patient with epilepsy undergo? Let's discuss them one by one in the reviews below.

List of drugs to treat epilepsy

Epilepsy cannot be completely cured. However, there are a variety of medications that can help control seizure symptoms, such as seizures. The following are drugs that doctors usually prescribe as a way to treat epilepsy:

Sodium valproate

This drug is used to treat symptoms of epilepsy and prevent headaches in children and adults. Sodium valporate is not intended for people who have liver disease or metabolic problems.

Women who are pregnant or planning to become pregnant should consult their doctor first. Usually this drug is taken 2 times a day, namely in the morning and evening. This drug is available in the form of capsules, syrup, dissolved in food or drinks, as well as liquid injections.

Carbamazepine

This drug is used to treat diabetes neuropathy and epilepsy. The dosage given varies, from once to four times a day. You can take this drug in the form of tablets, syrup, and put through the anus (suppositories). People who have heart and bone problems should not take carbamazepine.

Lamotrigine

Lamotrigine is used as a drug for epilepsy and prevents a bad mood, if it shows signs of depression. The dosage of this drug is usually prescribed once or twice a day. The most common side effects are headaches and skin rashes.

Consult your doctor first if you have liver problems, kidney disease, meningitis, are pregnant or are planning a pregnancy.

Levetiracetam

Levetiracetam is a generic drug to treat epilepsy. The starting dose is usually given once a day and can be increased to twice a day.

If you have kidney problems, are planning to become pregnant or are pregnant, consult your doctor first before using the drug. The side effects of this medicine are headache, drowsiness, itchy throat, and nasal congestion.

Apart from taking medication, surgery can also treat epilepsy

doctors, performing, operation

Epilepsy drug therapy is actually quite effective in controlling seizures in people with epilepsy. Unfortunately, many cases of epileptic seizures do not work with epilepsy medication from a doctor.

In fact, about 30 percent of patients are not strong with the side effects of the drugs caused, such as headaches, uncontrollable shaking (tremors), rashes, restlessness, and so on.

As a solution, patients will be advised to undergo epilepsy treatment through surgery, also known as epilepsy surgery. There are three main goals of epilepsy surgery, including:

1. Removing areas of the brain that trigger seizures.
2. Blocking the nerve pathways of the brain that cause seizures.
3. Inserting certain devices into the brain to reduce the impact of epilepsy on patient health, namely brain damage, bone damage, and sudden death.

It should be noted that surgical treatment of epilepsy can only be performed if the area of ​​the brain causing the seizure does not hold vital functions in the body, such as the center of body movement, language, or touch. If this area of ​​the brain is affected by surgery, the patient may find it difficult to move or speak.

Types of surgery for epilepsy

Not all patients will undergo the same epilepsy surgery procedure. This depends on how severe the seizure is and where the cause of the seizure is located.

Quoted from the Mayo Clinic, there are three types of epilepsy surgery that are most often performed, namely:

1. Resective surgery

This type of surgery is most often performed to control epileptic seizures. Resective surgery is done by lifting a small area of ​​the brain, usually the size of a golf ball, that triggers the seizure. After having epilepsy surgery, you will be given medication to prevent side effects.

2. Corpus callosotomy

Operation corpus callosotomy more often used in children who have severe seizures. The trick is to cut the nerve network that connects the right and left hemispheres of the brain that causes seizures. This can help reduce the severity of seizures in children.

3. Hemispherectomy

Look like cospus callosotomy , procedure hemispherectomy also more often performed in children who have seizures due to damage to one hemisphere of the brain, either the right or the left. Epilepsy surgery is performed by removing the outer layer of half of the brain.

The good news is, most epilepsy surgeries provide satisfactory results. Most patients no longer have epileptic seizures after surgery. Even if you still have seizures, their duration will be much reduced and they are relatively rare.

Even so, doctors will still provide epilepsy drugs for the next year to help control epileptic seizures. However, if you end up having epileptic seizures that are difficult to control after taking your medication, you should reduce the dose or even stop taking epilepsy medications.

Risk of side effects of epilepsy surgery

Just like other types of surgery, the surgical treatment of epilepsy also has risks and side effects that must be considered. This can vary from person to person because it depends on the type of epilepsy surgery and how much area of ​​the brain is removed.

Some of the risks and side effects of epilepsy surgery that may occur include:

1. Memory disorders

The area of ​​the brain's temporal lobe is responsible for processing memories as well as combining them with taste, sound, sight, touch, and emotional sensations. Epilepsy surgery performed on this area of ​​the brain can make it difficult for patients to remember, speak, and understand the information provided.

2. Behavior changes

The frontal lobe area is the part of the brain that is located behind the forehead. Its function is to control thoughts, reasoning and behavior. If epilepsy surgery is performed on this area of ​​the brain, the patient tends to lose control, drastic mood swings, and depression.

3. Double vision

Double vision can occur when epilepsy surgery is performed on the temporal lobe of the brain. You may also have difficulty seeing objects at a distance due to the side effects of epilepsy surgery.

To speed up recovery from these side effects, patients are recommended to be hospitalized 3 to 4 days after surgery under the supervision of a doctor. You may experience pain and swelling in certain parts of your body for several weeks afterward. But there's no need to worry. Most importantly, do regular controls to monitor your health condition after surgery.

Complete epilepsy treatment with therapy

Apart from drugs or surgery, alternative treatments such as therapy can also be a way to treat epilepsy. Some of these therapies include:

Stimulation of the vagus nerve

The doctor will implant a vagus nerve stimulator, which is similar to a pacemaker, with a cable that connects to the vagus nerve in the neck. This device will send electrical energy to the brain.

The effectiveness of this therapy in reducing the symptoms of epilepsy by 20-40 percent. Therefore, patients still have to take antiepileptic drugs. The side effects of this medication are sore throat, hoarseness, shortness of breath, or cough.

Deep brain stimulation

In deep brain stimulation, surgeons implant electrodes into a specific part of your brain, usually the thalamus. The electrodes are connected to a generator implanted in the chest or skull, which then sends electrical signals to the brain and can reduce seizures.

Ketogenic diet therapy

Some people with epilepsy can reduce seizures by following a strict diet that is high in fat and low in carbohydrates. This diet is known as the ketogenic diet, which aims to make fat the main energy-producing ingredient for the body.

Consult your doctor if you or your baby are considering a ketogenic diet. It is important to ensure that your child is not malnourished while following a diet.

Possible side effects of a ketogenic diet include dehydration, constipation, slow growth due to lack of nutrients and a buildup of uric acid in the blood, which can lead to kidney stones. These side effects are rare if the diet is supervised by a doctor or nutritionist.