How do you manage refractory epilepsy?
Non-drug therapies, such as epilepsy surgery, vagus nerve stimulation, responsive neurostimulation, deep brain stimulation, dietary therapies, or experimental clinical trials, may be good options for some people. Only 5% of people (1 out of 20) with refractory epilepsy get better each year.
Is refractory epilepsy serious?
[4] Medically refractory epilepsy, therefore, is a major health concern not only for patients and their families, but for society. Treatment objectives for epilepsy are no seizures, and no side effects, as soon as possible.
Why does refractory epilepsy occur?
Refractory epilepsy occurs when your antiepilepsy medicines are no longer controlling your seizures. Often the cause of refractory epilepsy is not known. Your healthcare provider will likely give you other medicines to try to get your seizures under control.
How is refractory epilepsy diagnosed?
Doctors have many ways to help diagnose refractory epilepsy. Your doctor will likely ask you many questions about your seizures. You will likely also have a test called an electroencephalogram. This involves placing electrodes on your scalp to measure your brain’s activity.
What percent of epilepsy is refractory?
This condition is also referred to as intractable, medically refractory, or pharmacoresistant epilepsy. As many as 20 to 40 percent of patients with epilepsy (roughly 400,000 people living in the United States) are likely to have refractory epilepsy.
How common is refractory epilepsy?
You can have refractory epilepsy as an adult, or your child might have it. About 1 in 3 people with epilepsy will develop it.
What percentage of epilepsy is refractory?
About one-third of people with epilepsy will eventually develop refractory epilepsy. This means that medicines don’t work well, or at all, to control the seizures.
Does creatine help epilepsy?
Besides, acute creatine (40 and 80 mg/Kg) decreased the incidence of tonic seizures after electroshock. In conclusion, creatine exerts anticonvulsant effects in three seizure models; therefore, it may act as a potential drug to help patients with convulsions.
What is considered 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. Your doctor can try certain things to help keep your seizures under better control.