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There are many treatment options for people with epilepsy. The main treatment option is medication, anti-epileptic drugs. There are over 20 different epileptic medications, Some of the older medications Phenytoin, Phenobarbital, Sodium Valproate which has been publicized a lot recently as we have to be careful for its use with women of childbearing years, due to the effect of the unborn fetus. Other medications such as Levetiracetam, Carbamazepine, Zonisamide, Lacosamide, the list goes on. For some people, one medication will work. For others, they need a selection of those medications to gain some control over their seizures. Epilepsy medication is not a cure, it is altering the chemicals in the brain to reduce the risk of seizure activity breaking through. Other treatment options include brain surgery. This depends on where in the brain the seizure is taking place and whether it is possible to alter that part of the brain. There is a special diet called the Ketogenic diet which works for some people.

There is Vagus nerve stimulator where they put a little stimulator to the Vagus nerve in the brain and it intermittently sends electrical impulses through to prevent seizures. The other treatment option which a lot of people find useful is self-help. If the individual knows their triggers and they can reduce some of their triggers, there is a chance that they can reduce some of the seizures occurring. So for example urine infections quite commonly would trigger off seizures in people. Therefore if the individual can drink more fluids, have antibiotics only if the GP requires them, that can reduce the risk of their urine infections that then reduces the amount of seizures that breakthrough. So going to the doctor when somebody is unwell, looking after themselves, getting enough sleep, trying to keep their stress levels down or learning techniques in how to avoiding stress levels rising, these can all reduce the amount of seizures that an individual is having. So, therefore, medication and self-help techniques and trigger reduces can actually assist and work together.