Welcome Back to Mindbodyfoodconnection.org. Today we are talking about what treatments are available to those with Epilepsy and little but essential ideas you can put into practice each and every day that may make a World of difference.
First, let’s talk about what Active epilepsy is and go from there.
What is Active Epilepsy? : According to the CDC an adult 18 years or older has an active form of Epilepsy if they have a history of a doctor-diagnosed epilepsy and have at least one of the following:
They are currently taking medication to control their seizure activity
They have had one or more seizures in the past year.
For children ages 17 years old and under similar ideas apply if they are considered to have an active form of Epilepsy. Children are thought to have active Epilepsy if their parent or guardian reports the following:
A doctor or health care provider has told them that their child has Epilepsy or seizure disorder
The child currently is having one or more seizure(s) in the past year as reported by a parent or guardian (1).
Available treatments for Epilepsy:
First off, let me remind everyone that every person should consult their doctor before considering any form of treatment for Epilepsy or any other medical condition. Also, every body is different so what may work for one person is not guaranteed to work for another.
AEDs or Anti epileptic Drugs
The very first line of treatment most doctors will recommend to their patients are what is known to the medical community as AEDs or more simply put an Anti epileptic drug. Before I go on regarding other treatments that are available, I briefly would like to mention the difference between provoked seizures and unprovoked seizures. This is important because in order for a doctor to give a proper diagnosis of Epilepsy the patient must have had at least two separate incidents of unprovoked seizures (2).
Provoked seizures are those often caused by a uncontrolled substance like street drugs or alcohol. On the other hand, unprovoked seizures usually do not have a known cause even if the brain appears healthy otherwise (2).
Other treatments for Epilepsy include the following: hormonal therapies, diet, surgery, Neurostimulation, and behavioral modification techniques (2).
Surgical options for people with Epilepsy
Always discuss your surgical options with your neurologist or epidemiologist to assess the risks versus benefits of surgery beyond taking your medication. One surgery that has generally been up to seventy percent successful for patients with temporal lobe epilepsy, is called Anterior temporal lobe lobotomy . Simply put this means that patients who had this surgery achieved freedom from seizure activity seventy percent of the time according to at least two studies (Weibe et al., 2001) and (Tellez-Zentteno et al., 2005). This is a great achievement in my eyes! (2)
The Ketogenic diet
This is a diet that is naturally high in fat, low in carbs, and low in protein. Numerous studies show that it is helpful to children who are more resistant to AEDs. The biggest downside is that this type of diet may be hard to maintain over the long term especially for adults. If you and your doctor choose this route you may be able to achieve up to fifty percent reduction in seizure activity overall (2).
I happen to agree that this diet is very likely difficult to maintain over time and I would love to find some long term studies observing the effects of this type of diet on people with Epilepsy over the course of years to see if the benefits as well as any possible harmful effects of doing this type of diet long term. Anyone in the comments have any suggestions of studies like this please let me know!
Vegus Nerve Stimulator
This amazing electronic device was approved to use in the U.S. in 1997. It is a device placed in your chest with electrodes that are attached to the vagus nerve found in your neck. The device when necessary stimulates this particular nerve via electrical impulses. The device is usually set to detect a certain type of electrical frequency in the brain which is first set up via your neurologist (3).
What you can do as a person with Epilepsy to help yourself:
Wear a Medical ID bracelet or necklace
Wearing a Medical ID may not sound all that appealing but in times of real emergency that can be a lifesaver! You never know what can happen. I would suggest you put your full name, a contact number for emergencies and any medications you take listed on it along with any allergies that paramedics and others should be aware of (3).
Be aware of any key stressors that may make having a seizure more likely.
This may include but are not limited to: being overworked or feeling overwhelmed for long periods of time or not getting enough sleep at night. Every person is different so your stessors may not be the same as those mentioned here. I know this from personal experience and I can say that when I get enough sleep and don’t feel overwhelmed in life I manage much better.
Have a Seizure Action plan
This may seem unusual but having a plan if you are out and about can help if the moment strikes. You can have any emergency medication you need on hand, ask a family member or friend to call 911 if needed and take the appropriate steps to keep you safe if and when a seizure happens unexpectedly. I may explain an example of this if you are all interested at a later date and time.
Join a Support Group
There are numerous support groups either online or in person you can join for children, adults, and caregivers. This type of open environment can definitely be a comfort during hard times and its a great place to occasionally get advice or just vent to people who can relate to your daily struggles. Unfortunately, I do not know of too many support groups for teens at this time. Though I will mention I did create one when I was sixteen and it was one of the best decisions I ever made! If you interested about how and when that began I may write a post on that in the future. Tell me if that idea interests you in the comments section below!
What Family (caregivers can do to help someone with Epilepsy:
Movement monitor to detect movement
If you believe someone with Epilepsy may be having seizure activity at night this device may be worth its price tag. One example of this type of device is called the MP5 Tonic/clonic Seizure detector (this device mentioned here is not sponsored in any way). The movement sensor is placed under the mattress around shoulder height and is set by the caregiver regarding regular nighttime movements. This helps the device not set off any false alarms. There is also a set timer delay that can be set from two to twenty seconds in length. The basic model for this movement device is around $225.00 (3).
I should mention that I wish this was made when I was growing up. It could have been a big help.
Be aware of any all seizure medications taken
Make sure as a caregiver that you are always up to date on your child’s seizure activity and tell your doctor if any episodes occur. Also note the correct dose of medication as well as any side effects that may affect your child on a daily basis. It can really help them in the long run and eventually they will be able to do such things themselves. (Personal experience)
Have a seizure action plan!
I mentioned this for the individual with Epilepsy but its also for the family as well and any friends too! This really is a necessary step to keeping your child safe and happy. Better safe than sorry when it comes to an unexpected seizure.
Join a Support group for Caregivers
Yes, I am repeating this one as well. Honestly it is just as important for the caregivers as much as the person with Epilepsy. Sometimes the best people to talk to are people who can truly relate when times are good, bad, and crazy!
Friends of People with Epilepsy:
This is an extra bonus section. I just want to say it can be hard sometimes to form relationships with others but friends who understand outside of a support group are just wonderful for everyone. Your friend can appreciate the challenges you go through everyday and if you at least one, two, three or more that is AWESOME!
If you are friend of a person with Epilepsy
Be patient with them and overall just let them be themselves around you. Don’t let seizures scare you off because a person is more than their medical condition.
Get to know them, support them like you would any other friend and have an fun time together that is what matters most!
If it helps you feel more comfortable around them, feel free to learn the Seizure Action Plan as well. It never hurts.
Okay, those are my thoughts on available treatment, support and what you or your family can do to help live everyday with Epilepsy. If you like to read more on topics like this one feel free to subscribe to my blog. Feel free to also follow my on Instagram. My name is Mindbodyfoodconnection.
I hope this information was helpful to you in your everyday life and remember that the mind, body, and food are all interconnected.
Bibliography
CDC.gov. (2019, January 25). Epilepsy Data and Statistics. Retrieved February 28, 2019, from cdc.gov: https://www.cdc.gov/epilepsy/data/index.html
Burakgazi, E. F. (2016). Treatment of epilepsy in Adults. The educational journal of the International League Against Epilespy , Vol. 18 issue 3 228-239.
Epilepsy Florida. (2016). Devices and Treatments. Retrieved February 28, 2019, from Epilespyfl.com: http://www.epilepsyfl.com/get-help-3/resources/devices-treatments/
