Refractory Epilepsy
Refractory Epilepsy
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If your doctor says you have refractory epilepsy, it means that medicine isn't bringing your seizures under control. You might hear the condition called by some other names, such as uncontrolled, intractable, or drug-resistant epilepsy.
You can have refractory epilepsy as an adult, or your child might have it. About 1 in 3 people with epilepsy will go on to develop refractory epilepsy.
Understanding Epilepsy -- Prevention
In someone with epilepsy, certain triggers can lead to a seizure. Identify and watch for particular behaviors, environments, or physical and emotional signs that precede attacks. It's not uncommon, for example, to feel annoyed or elated several hours prior to a grand mal seizure, and immediately before the attack.In addition, the person may become aware of a warning "aura" -- perhaps a taste or smell: This warning may allow you to lie down in time to avoid falling. In cases where the aura is a...
Read the Understanding Epilepsy -- Prevention article > >
Epilepsy is the medical name for having seizures again and again, when there doesn't seem to be a clear cause. In an epilepsy seizure, your brain has a sudden burst of electrical activity. When that happens, you might start shaking without being able to control it. You could black out or simply stop moving and lose awareness of your surroundings. The seizures may last a few seconds or a few minutes.
Your doctor can try certain things to help keep your seizures under better control. For instance, he might try different combinations of drugs.
Your doctor may also put a device under your skin that sends electrical signals to one of your nerves, called the vagus nerve. This may cut the number of seizures you get.
Surgery that removes a part of the brain that causes your seizures may also be an option.
With any of these treatments, you may still need to take epilepsy medicine throughout your life.
It's natural to feel anxious when the doctor tells you your epilepsy isn't getting better with the medicine you're now taking. You don't have to go through it alone, though. It's important to reach out to family and friends to get the emotional support you need. You might also want to join a support group, so you can talk with other people who are going through the same things you are.
Epilepsy can start at any age, and it sometimes runs in families. In about half of all cases, doctors don't know why it happens.
Sometimes a serious head injury causes epilepsy, for example, from a car accident. Your child might develop epilepsy from a serious infection, such as meningitis. In an adult, a brain tumor or a stroke could lead to epilepsy.
Refractory Epilepsy
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What Is Refractory Epilepsy?
If your doctor says you have refractory epilepsy, it means that medicine isn't bringing your seizures under control. You might hear the condition called by some other names, such as uncontrolled, intractable, or drug-resistant epilepsy.
You can have refractory epilepsy as an adult, or your child might have it. About 1 in 3 people with epilepsy will go on to develop refractory epilepsy.
Recommended Related to Epilepsy
Understanding Epilepsy -- Prevention
In someone with epilepsy, certain triggers can lead to a seizure. Identify and watch for particular behaviors, environments, or physical and emotional signs that precede attacks. It's not uncommon, for example, to feel annoyed or elated several hours prior to a grand mal seizure, and immediately before the attack.In addition, the person may become aware of a warning "aura" -- perhaps a taste or smell: This warning may allow you to lie down in time to avoid falling. In cases where the aura is a...
Read the Understanding Epilepsy -- Prevention article > >
Epilepsy is the medical name for having seizures again and again, when there doesn't seem to be a clear cause. In an epilepsy seizure, your brain has a sudden burst of electrical activity. When that happens, you might start shaking without being able to control it. You could black out or simply stop moving and lose awareness of your surroundings. The seizures may last a few seconds or a few minutes.
Your doctor can try certain things to help keep your seizures under better control. For instance, he might try different combinations of drugs.
Your doctor may also put a device under your skin that sends electrical signals to one of your nerves, called the vagus nerve. This may cut the number of seizures you get.
Surgery that removes a part of the brain that causes your seizures may also be an option.
With any of these treatments, you may still need to take epilepsy medicine throughout your life.
It's natural to feel anxious when the doctor tells you your epilepsy isn't getting better with the medicine you're now taking. You don't have to go through it alone, though. It's important to reach out to family and friends to get the emotional support you need. You might also want to join a support group, so you can talk with other people who are going through the same things you are.
Causes
Epilepsy can start at any age, and it sometimes runs in families. In about half of all cases, doctors don't know why it happens.
Sometimes a serious head injury causes epilepsy, for example, from a car accident. Your child might develop epilepsy from a serious infection, such as meningitis. In an adult, a brain tumor or a stroke could lead to epilepsy.