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Nerves & brain
Epilepsy
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Story of discovery :
Signs and symptoms
Diagnosing epilepsy
How it affects you
How it affects your family
Your ideas about causes
Epileptic seizures :
Seizures
Non-epileptic attacks
Triggering factors
Treatments :
Drug treatment
Taking and stopping medication
Side effects
Neurosurgery
Vagus nerve stimulation
Complementary approaches
Making treatment choices
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Living with it :
Living with it
Anxiety and depression
How it affects others
How it affects education
How it affects work
Driving and transport
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Women and epilepsy
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Epilepsy
Subject index
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Nerves & brain
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Epilepsy
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Aged 50-69
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Interview EP04
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Explains that he was seeing both neurologists and psychologists.
Diagnosed with epilepsy in 1966, and had an epileptic stroke in 1986. Has tried various drugs over the years and is currently on lamotrigine (Lamictal), which has not controlled the epilepsy but has led to an improvement in quality of life between seizures. Current medication: lamotrigine (Lamictal).
Nerves & brain
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Epilepsy
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Carers of
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Interview EP29
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Explains what alerted her to a problem in her 14-month-old son.
Carer (aged 44), of her son aged 22, who was diagnosed with epilepsy in 1982, at 16 months of age. Severe uncontrolled epilepsy and autism, symptoms of Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome, diagnosed in 1997. Has tried several different drugs, and ketogenic diet as a child. Currently on a gluten free and dairy free diet. Current medication: levetiracetam (Keppra) and carbamazepine (Tegretol).
Nerves & brain
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Epilepsy
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Aged under 30
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Interview EP33
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Explains that a status epilepticus episode led to her diagnosis of epilepsy.
Diagnosed with epilepsy in 2001. Has tried various drug treatments though seizures have not been controlled. Current medication: levetiracetam (Keppra) and clobazam (Frisium).
Nerves & brain
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Epilepsy
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Aged under 30
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Interview EP32
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Tells how he had two car accidents and then a third seizure which his partner witnessed.
Diagnosed with epilepsy in 2001. Was put on gabapentin straight away and epilepsy has been well controlled since then. Current medication: gabapentin (Neurontin).
Nerves & brain
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Epilepsy
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Aged under 30
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Interview EP24
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Recalls the medical history she had as part of her diagnosis.
Diagnosed with epilepsy in 1993. Has tried various different drug treatments, and has been seizure free for a year. Current medication: vigabatrin (Sabril), lamotrigine (Lamictal) and levetiracetam (Keppra).
Nerves & brain
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Epilepsy
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Aged 30-49
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Interview EP19
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Discusses what he remembers of the tests that led to his diagnosis.
Diagnosed with epilepsy in 1985. Seizures have been controlled since 1992. Current drug treatment is carbamazepine retard (Tegretol Retard) and sodium valproate (Epilim).
Nerves & brain
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Epilepsy
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Aged under 30
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Interview EP06
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Explains that a tumour was causing his seizures and was discovered during the tests.
Diagnosed with epilepsy in 1989, which was caused by a brain tumour. Had radiotherapy and chemotherapy to treat the tumour, and seizures were reduced considerably. Felt better without medication and decided to stop taking anti-epileptic drugs. Current medication: none.
Nerves & brain
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Epilepsy
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Aged 50-69
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Interview EP11
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Recalls her experience of having an EEG.
Diagnosed with epilepsy in 2000. Tried various drugs which did not control seizures and caused severe side effects. At the time of interview, participant had stopped taking all medication. Current medication: none.
Nerves & brain
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Epilepsy
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Aged 30-49
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Interview EP27
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Recalls that having an MRI was painless and all part of the process.
Diagnosed with epilepsy in 1995. Tried a number of different drug treatments, and on average has about one seizure per year. Current medication: lamotrigine (Lamictal).
Nerves & brain
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Epilepsy
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Aged 50-69
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Interview EP03
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Recalls the tests he had and feeling claustrophobic during the MRI scan.
Had seizures since 1986. In 2002 these were diagnosed as non-epileptic seizures. Had been taking carbamazepine (Tegretol). Is currently being weaned off medication. Seizures have now stopped.
Nerves & brain
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Epilepsy
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Aged 30-49
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Interview EP05
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Discusses the tests used to diagnose her epilepsy and how she felt when she watched the telemetry video.
Diagnosed with epilepsy in 1981. Tried various drugs and, in 1999, had neurosurgery which reduced the frequency and intensity of seizures. Current medication: gabapentin (Neurontin) and carbamazepine retard (Tegretol Retard) daily, and clobazam (Frisium) around the time of menstruation.
Nerves & brain
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Epilepsy
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Aged 30-49
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Interview EP21
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Discusses some of the difficulties with diagnosing epilepsy.
Diagnosed with epilepsy in 1984, although had the condition throughout childhood as well. Has been seizure free since 1986, though had a status epilepticus episode in 1999 when medication was missed. Current medication: carbamazepine retard (Tegretol Retard) and clobazam (Frisium).
Nerves & brain
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Epilepsy
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Aged under 30
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Interview EP36
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Discusses what happened before she was diagnosed with epilepsy.
Diagnosed with epilepsy in 1998. Has tried sodium valproate (Epilim) and is currently taking lamotrigine (Lamictal), which has reduced the frequency and intensity of seizures but epilepsy is not controlled. Current medication: lamotrigine (Lamictal).
Nerves & brain
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Epilepsy
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Aged 30-49
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Interview EP20
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Explains that the tests he had showed that his seizures were non-epileptic.
Diagnosed with non-epileptic seizures in 1998, which were triggered by manic depression. Current drug treatment is for depression and seizures, and includes carbamazepine (Tegretol) and sodium valproate (Epilim).
Nerves & brain
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Epilepsy
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Aged 30-49
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Interview EP20
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Discusses the tests that showed his seizures were non-epileptic.
Diagnosed with non-epileptic seizures in 1998, which were triggered by manic depression. Current drug treatment is for depression and seizures, and includes carbamazepine (Tegretol) and sodium valproate (Epilim).
Nerves & brain
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Epilepsy
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Aged 30-49
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Interview EP10
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Discusses some of the tests he had just before and during surgery.
Diagnosed with epilepsy in 1982. Tried various drugs which did not control seizures. Had neurosurgery in 1984 at the age of 13 and in 1998 at the age of 28. Although there was some improvement in the seizures, epilepsy is poorly controlled. Current medication: carbamazepine retard (Tegretol Retard), vigabatrin (Sabril) and lamotrigine (Lamictal) daily, and clobazam (Frisium) when needed.
Nerves & brain
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Epilepsy
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Aged 30-49
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Interview EP22
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Discusses her concerns before having surgery for epilepsy.
Diagnosed with epilepsy in 1988. Tried various drugs, and had neurosurgery in 2000. Has been seizure free since surgery, and stopped taking medications (lamotrigine and carbamazepine) a few months after neurosurgery.
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