March is Epilepsy Awareness Month in Australia, with March 26th 2012 being Purple Day, where people are encouraged to wear purple or have purple-themed events to raise awareness and funds for epilepsy.
Everyone knows about epilepsy, right? After all, it is a relatively common disease. It is recognised as the world's most common brain disorder. It is estimated in Victoria alone that approximately 4% of the population, or 220,000 people, will have epilepsy in their lifetime. When I read that figure, I must admit that it was larger than I would have guessed.
I suspect that many people's perception of epilepsy comes from what they have seen on television or in movies. i.e. someone falls to the ground twitching and jerking and frothing at the mouth. Quite dramatic. And while some people with epilepsy can have seizures like that, there are many, many more who don't.
A seizure, or 'fit' as it is commonly referred to, is a sudden, short burst of abnormal electrical activity in the brain. Seizures can last from a few seconds to a few minutes and can cause changes in thoughts, feelings, behaviour or consciousness. Just because someone has a seizure, this does not mean they have epilepsy - it could just be a one-off. People with epilepsy have recurrent seizures.
Epilepsy can be caused by an injury to the brain, a stroke, an infection in the brain, a tumour, other conditions such as Alzheimer's Disease, or genetics. In about half of cases, however, the cause is unknown.
The type of seizure generally falls into one of two groups:
Medications have a very important role in controlling seizures in people with epilepsy. In fact, of people at risk of recurring seizures, more than 60% are likely to achieve complete seizure control with medication within a year.
There are many different medications which can be taken for seizures and often, people need to be on more than one to sufficiently control their seizures. The type or combination of medication chosen will be a joint decision between you and your doctor, but will often be influenced by factors such as the type of seizures, your age, other medications you may be taking and the risk of further seizures.
Just like any other medication, there are possible side effects. And like any other medication, if you find you are experiencing anything unusual, especially when medications are commenced or stopped or changes to your dose have been made, you should speak to your doctor and/or pharmacist. Often side effects are more likely to occur at the start of treatment and will subside after awhile, but sometimes, you may need to be changed to a different medication.
As a general rule, do not suddenly stop taking your medication for seizures. Abruptly stopping them can result in seizures or a medical emergency, as can missing doses. Usually, if your doctor wants to stop one of these medications, they will advise you on how to gradually wean it down to minimise any unwanted effects.
Everyone who takes any sort of medication should also be aware of the possibility of their medication interacting with another medication (including medicines you buy over-the-counter from your pharmacy) or even a herbal product or vitamin. It is always wise to keep a list of your medications with you and check with your doctor or pharmacist to make sure anything new will not cause any problems.
Although many medications have generic brands which are available, in the case of epilepsy, it is advisable that patients stick to one brand of medication and do not swap. Due to the way antiepileptic drugs work, even the slightest variation in the amount of the drug taken appears to cause problems for some people with epilepsy, such as seizures or side effects. Our pharmacists at Berwick Pharmacy can help you make sure that you stick to the same brand.
Epilepsy is very common and can usually be managed with medication and awareness. If you or someone you know has epilepsy, try and identify and avoid triggers for seizures. Make sure you learn about the condition and what to do in case of a seizure. Be aware of your medications and how to take them and avoid abruptly stopping them as well as the potential for any interactions.
Our pharmacists at Berwick Pharmacy can help you find more information about your condition and the medications. Pop in for a free Self Care Card on epilepsy. We can advise on whether other medications or herbal products will interact with your seizure medication. We also sell medico-alert bracelets which can have your personal information as well as stating you have epilepsy to alert medical professionals in case you are unable to communicate with them.
A seizure, or 'fit' as it is commonly referred to, is a sudden, short burst of abnormal electrical activity in the brain. Seizures can last from a few seconds to a few minutes and can cause changes in thoughts, feelings, behaviour or consciousness. Just because someone has a seizure, this does not mean they have epilepsy - it could just be a one-off. People with epilepsy have recurrent seizures.
Epilepsy can be caused by an injury to the brain, a stroke, an infection in the brain, a tumour, other conditions such as Alzheimer's Disease, or genetics. In about half of cases, however, the cause is unknown.
The type of seizure generally falls into one of two groups:
- Partial or focal seizures - these start in one part of the brain and affect the part of the body controlled by that part. Usually these seizures only last a few minutes. They can either be a simple partial seizure (which can affect hearing, vision, taste, smell or muscle jerks, but the person remains conscious and remembers what happens) or a complex partial seizure (the person may appear vague or confused and show some strange behaviours such as smacking their lips repeatedly).
- Generalised seizures - these affect most or all of the brain. They can either be absence seizures (where the person appears to have spaced out as if they are daydreaming and may then have some facial twitches) or tonic-clonic seizures (the person's entire body goes stiff before they experience uncontrollable muscle jerking and twitching. They may also have other signs such as drooling of the mouth, groaning and loss of bladder control). If these symptoms last more than five minutes, an ambulance should be called. There are also a few other types of generalised seizures, but these are the two main ones.
Medications have a very important role in controlling seizures in people with epilepsy. In fact, of people at risk of recurring seizures, more than 60% are likely to achieve complete seizure control with medication within a year.
There are many different medications which can be taken for seizures and often, people need to be on more than one to sufficiently control their seizures. The type or combination of medication chosen will be a joint decision between you and your doctor, but will often be influenced by factors such as the type of seizures, your age, other medications you may be taking and the risk of further seizures.
Just like any other medication, there are possible side effects. And like any other medication, if you find you are experiencing anything unusual, especially when medications are commenced or stopped or changes to your dose have been made, you should speak to your doctor and/or pharmacist. Often side effects are more likely to occur at the start of treatment and will subside after awhile, but sometimes, you may need to be changed to a different medication.
As a general rule, do not suddenly stop taking your medication for seizures. Abruptly stopping them can result in seizures or a medical emergency, as can missing doses. Usually, if your doctor wants to stop one of these medications, they will advise you on how to gradually wean it down to minimise any unwanted effects.
Everyone who takes any sort of medication should also be aware of the possibility of their medication interacting with another medication (including medicines you buy over-the-counter from your pharmacy) or even a herbal product or vitamin. It is always wise to keep a list of your medications with you and check with your doctor or pharmacist to make sure anything new will not cause any problems.
Although many medications have generic brands which are available, in the case of epilepsy, it is advisable that patients stick to one brand of medication and do not swap. Due to the way antiepileptic drugs work, even the slightest variation in the amount of the drug taken appears to cause problems for some people with epilepsy, such as seizures or side effects. Our pharmacists at Berwick Pharmacy can help you make sure that you stick to the same brand.
Epilepsy is very common and can usually be managed with medication and awareness. If you or someone you know has epilepsy, try and identify and avoid triggers for seizures. Make sure you learn about the condition and what to do in case of a seizure. Be aware of your medications and how to take them and avoid abruptly stopping them as well as the potential for any interactions.
Our pharmacists at Berwick Pharmacy can help you find more information about your condition and the medications. Pop in for a free Self Care Card on epilepsy. We can advise on whether other medications or herbal products will interact with your seizure medication. We also sell medico-alert bracelets which can have your personal information as well as stating you have epilepsy to alert medical professionals in case you are unable to communicate with them.
References and further reading
- Epilepsy Self Care Card, Pharmaceutical Society of Australia, published February 2011
- Epilepsy Australia website
- Purple Day website
Epilepsy is very common and can usually be managed with medication and awareness. If you or someone you know has epilepsy, try and identify and avoid triggers for seizures. Make sure you learn about the condition and what to do in case of a seizure.
ReplyDeleteEpilepsy is very common and can usually be managed with medication and awareness. If you or someone you know has epilepsy, try and identify and avoid triggers for seizures. Make sure you learn about the condition and what to do in case of a seizure.
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