Medicine is the most common way of treating epilepsy and is almost always the first treatment tried.
There are many different medicines that can prevent or stop seizures. These are sometimes called anti-seizure medications (ASMs), anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs) or anti-seizure drugs. They will successfully control seizures for about 7 out of 10 people with epilepsy.
Some medicines tend to work better for certain kinds of seizures than for others. If one medicine fails, another may work better. A combination of medications may be tried too. The medications don’t fix the problem that causes seizures. Instead they work to stop seizures from occurring.
This section provides in-depth information on epilepsy medications and how to use them. It’s important to talk with your doctor about the pros and cons of the different seizure medicines available to treat your kind of epilepsy.
Important Information
- Taking your medication regularly is essential to controlling your seizures.
- Never stop or change your medication without talking to your doctor, as this could cause a severe seizure.
When to Seek Specialty Care
If your seizures are difficult to control, meaning you continue to have seizures after one year or after two anti-seizure medications have been tried, we recommend seeking more specialized care.
Epilepsy centers provide a team approach to caring for people with seizures and epilepsy. Testing is available to diagnose whether a person has seizures and the type of epilepsy they may have. Epilepsy experts can help explore all treatment options, including new or add-on seizure medications, surgery, devices, dietary therapy, or a clinical trial.
Webinar Recording
Medical Therapy in Epilepsy: Treatment, Side Effects, Drug Interactions
Barry Gidal PharmD, RPh, and Elaine Kiriakopoulos MD, MSc, spoke to behavioral health providers about medical therapy in epilepsy. The goal was to improve their understanding of seizure treatment, medication side effects, and drug interactions to help them meet the needs of their patients living with epilepsy.
Resource for Professionals
The American Epilepsy Society’s “Current Review in Clinical Science: A Summary of Antiepileptic Drugs Available in the United States of America” provides an overview of the use, dosage, side effects, and contraindications of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs).
