Epilepsy

In epilepsy a sudden burst of excess electrical activity in your brain disrupts the normal processes in and this results in seizures (or fits). People with epilepsy have their seizures controlled by anti-epileptic medicines which usually have to be taken every day

Being diagnosed as epileptic can be difficult to cope with, and these are some of the things that you may worry about:

• having to take medicines for the rest of your life
• going out on your own in case you have a seizure
• having to change your lifestyle, or stop doing certain leisure activities
• people/family/friends behaving differently towards you
• not being able to do things like travel abroad, go to nightclubs, drive a vehicle

However, many people with epilepsy are able to live their life almost exactly the same as they did before, with just a few minor modifications

Will I be on anti-epileptic medicines for the rest of my life?
This depends on what type of epilepsy you have, but if you have been seizure free for a few years you can talk to your doctor or consultant about coming off medication. they will advise you how to do this in a controlled and safe way

If you have epilepsy all your prescriptions are free, but you do need to get an exemption certificate from a pharmacy

Tell your doctor or consultant if you are getting side effects from your anti-epileptic medicine. It should be possible to switch to medicine with a better side-effect profile

Social life
If you have photosensitive epilepsy (a type of epilepsy where seizures can be caused by flashing lights), you will have to take care to check about lighting and effects before you go to a bar, nightclub, or watch a film at the cinema

Alcohol
Having epilepsy doesn't mean that you cannot drink alcohol. Some anti-epileptic medicines can make you more sensitive to the effects of alcohol, and alcohol can increase the side-effects of some anti-epileptic medicines. Drinking to excess can cause withdrawal seizures within 72 hours of your last drink

Make sure you don't miss taking your anti-epileptic medicine through being drunk - more seizures are caused by missing taking your medicine, than are caused by the alcohol

Sleep
We do know that if you have epilepsy, lack of sleep and late nights can make you more likely to have a seizure

Sex and contraception
Many people with epilepsy worry that a seizure might happen during sex. In fact a seizure is no more likely to occur at this time than at any other

Some anti-epileptic medicines can interact with contraceptive methods, meaning it wouldn’t give you as much protection against getting pregnant. Talk to your doctor, nurse or consultant to make sure you get the best contraceptive method for you

Tell your doctor if you intend to become pregnant, as pre-conception counselling is important for women with epilepsy

Driving
In the UK, you need to be 17 or over and seizure-free for at least a year, before you can apply for a driving licence and start learning to drive. If you’ve had sleep seizures only for three years or more, and are 17 or over, you can also apply for a licence.

Travel abroad
There is no reason that epilepsy should prevent you from travelling, and no evidence to suggest that flying is harmful. You can take simple precautions like keeping your medicine with you, and taking a copy of your prescription in case your medicine is lost or stolen. This web page is an excellent resource if you would like specific advice about travelling with epilepsy: www.epilepsy.org.uk/info/travel.html

What your friends or family should do if you have a seizure

Tonic-Clonic seizures
The person loses consciousness, the body stiffens, then falls to the ground. This is followed by jerking movements. A blue tinge around the mouth is likely. This is due to irregular breathing. Loss of bladder and/or bowel control may occur. After a minute or two the jerking movements should stop and consciousness may slowly return

• Do protect the person from injury - (remove harmful objects from nearby)
• Do cushion the head
• Do aid breathing by gently placing the person in the recovery position once the seizure has finished
• Do be calmly reassuring
• Do stay with the person until recovery is complete
• Do not restrain the person
• Do not put anything in the person’s mouth
• Do not try to move the person unless they are in danger
• Do not give the person anything to eat or drink until they are fully recovered
• Do not attempt to bring them round

Call 999 or 112 for an ambulance if

• You know it is the person’s first seizure
• The seizure continues for more than five minutes
• One tonic-clonic seizure follows another without the person regaining consciousness between seizures
• The person is injured during the seizure
• You believe the person needs urgent medical attention

Seizures involving altered consciousness or behaviour

Simple partial seizures: Twitching, numbness, sweating, dizziness or nausea; disturbances to hearing, vision, smell or taste; a strong sense of deja vu

Complex partial seizures: Plucking at clothes, smacking lips, swallowing repeatedly or wandering around. The person is not aware of their surroundings or of what they are doing

Atonic seizures: Sudden loss of muscle control causing the person to fall to the ground. Recovery is quick

Myoclonic seizures: Brief forceful jerks which can affect the whole body or just part of it. The jerking could be severe enough to make the person fall

Absence seizures: The person may appear to be daydreaming or switching off. They are momentarily unconscious and totally unaware of what is happening around them

• Do guide the person from danger
• Do stay with the person until recovery is complete
• Do be calmly reassuring
• Do not restrain the person
• Do not act in a way that could frighten them, such as making abrupt movements or shouting at them
• Do not assume the person is aware of what is happening, or what has happened, so do explain anything that they may have missed
• Do not give the person anything to eat or drink until they are fully recovered
• Do not attempt to bring them round

• You know it is the person's first seizure
• The seizure continues for more than five minutes
• One seizure follows another without the person regaining consciousness between them
• The person is injured during the seizure
• You believe the person needs urgent medical attention

Summary
Living with epilepsy is not as disruptive as many people believe:

• About 5 in 10 people with epilepsy will have no seizures at all over a five year period
  
• About 3 in 10 people with epilepsy will have some seizures over a five year period
• 2 in 10 people will have regular seizures regardless of their lifestyle or medication

Source: LSMP / www.epilepsy.org.uk

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Last revision: April 2011