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Zarontin -- Does it Cure Absence Seizures, or simply Treat them?
Fri, 02/24/2006 - 08:19Topic: Medication Issues
My 6 year old girl was diagnosed with absence seizures over 18 months ago (while 4). Since then, she has been on Zarontin (which has completely controlled her seizures), except during hyperventilationo tests during EEGs. My doctor just recently told me that Zarontin actually "cures" absence seizures -- previously, all of my research had led me to believe that Zarontin simply "treated" her seizures (i.e., controlled them). I had never previously heard that Zarontin (and other AEDs) are necessary ultimately to help "cure" her absence seizures.
Is Zarontin (and, I assume, other AEDs) necessary to optimize the chances of "CURING" absence seizures? Or, is it simply a form of treatment?
I would very much value your insights on this topic.
thanks!
Peter C
Comments
Re: Zarontin -- Does it Cure Absence Seizures, or simply Treat t
Submitted by Dan Marple on Tue, 2006-03-07 - 12:56
Hi,Peter
The word "cure" can be misleading because it really means to eradicate of some illness or medical condition. I believe that medications may help with treatment, while the body will change and eventually there is hope that the medication will no longer be needed when the condition is not so serious.
Re: Zarontin -- Does it Cure Absence Seizures, or simply Treat t
Submitted by lisam11463 on Mon, 2006-03-13 - 09:38
Hi Peter!
Are you sure the doctor said Zarontin can "cure" seizures? I've never heard any doctor state that a medication can cure seizures. I took Zarontin years and years ago, and it sure didn't cure me. My only chance at a "normal" life was to undergo left temporal lobe surgery back in 1994. It's the best thing I've ever done in my life, other than marrying my husband who has been nothing but 100% supportive on my surgery and on all the time and energy I put into the two chat rooms I host each week online and the countless emails I answer each week. Has your child been evaluated to see if he/she is a good surgery candidate?
Lisa-Marie
"Changing the misconceptions society has about epilepsy,
by educating one person at a time"....Lisa-Marie Kinsman
Re: Zarontin -- Does it Cure Absence Seizures, or simply Treat t
Submitted by marg on Tue, 2006-03-07 - 12:15
My 4 1/2 year old son has had absence seizures since he was about 15 months. They would mostly occur when he was tired and would only last a few seconds so they went undiagnosed for a while. (We thought he just spaced out for a few seconds because he was sleepy.) He has been on zarontin for almost 2 years. While the frequency of seizures have decreased dramatically since taking zarontin,he still has some "break through" seizures. Adjustments to the times and the amount taken has helped. I have always been told by his neurologists and pediatrician that zarontin would only TREAT the absence seizures and that he will hopefully outgrow them. All of the research I have done on my own supports this opinion.