New Video for Veterans with Epilepsy Covers Medications

The VA Epilepsy Centers of Excellence (ECoE) video series, “Veterans and Epilepsy: Basic Training” addresses the fear and misunderstanding of epilepsy and educates veterans, their caregivers, and the general public about living with epilepsy. The latest video focuses on medication issues related to epilepsy.

Epilepsy News From: Wednesday, July 20, 2016

The VA Epilepsy Centers of Excellence (ECoE) has released its fourth video in this “Veterans and Epilepsy: Basic Training” series. This new video focuses on medication issues.

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Antiepileptic medications are the mainstay of treatment for epilepsy. Many veterans with epilepsy will need to be on at least one antiepileptic medication to prevent seizures from occurring. Some veterans will even need two or more antiepileptic medications, often for the duration of their lives. Currently, there are more than 20 different medications available to treat people with epilepsy and use of these medications can become complex. The purpose of this video is to provide information about antiepileptic drugs and their use in epilepsy and to review some common issues that arise with antiepileptic medication use. Especially common issues include side effects to antiepileptic medications and medication compliance.

“Antiepileptic medications are an extremely important aspect in the care of veterans living with epilepsy. For many veterans, antiepileptic medications control their seizures and allow them to go about their daily routine,” says Viet Nguyen PharmD, MPH, MS, neurology pharmacist at VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System. “That’s why as providers, we spend so much time discussing antiepileptic medications, including knowing what medications the veteran is taking, having the veteran understand what his or her medications do, having the veteran understand what side effects the medications may cause, and ensuring that the veteran knows how to take medications correctly.”

“There are many different antiepileptic medications available, but some may work better in some patients and not in others,” says Sunita Dergalust PharmD, neurology pharmacist at the VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System. “It is our goal at the ECoE to ensure that every veteran is on the best antiepileptic medication for their type of epilepsy and that every veteran is as knowledgeable as they can be about their medications and treatment plan.”

About the “Veterans and Epilepsy: Basic Training” Video Series

Each video in the series features a veteran sharing his or her personal experiences and unique challenges balancing the medical, personal, and social aspects associated with having recurring seizures. The goal of the video series is to promote public awareness of the impact of epilepsy in the lives of veterans and to convey that these people are able to live full, productive, successful lives. Subsequent videos will be released every few months over the next year and include topics such as seizure first aid. Check the YouTube playlist to see all of the videos in this series.

To meet the needs of veterans suffering from epilepsy and related medication issues the VA created the Epilepsy Centers of Excellence (ECoE), located at 16 sites across the VA health care system that are organized into four regional centers. The ECoE’s mission is to improve the health and well-being of veterans with epilepsy and other seizure disorders through the integration of clinical care, outreach, research, and education.

For more information, please email ECoE@va.gov or visit the VA epilepsy website.

Reviewed Date

Wednesday, July 20, 2016

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