Can seizure medication be stopped?

Most doctors will consider tapering the dosage and discontinuing your seizure medicines after a seizure-free period of 2 to 4 years. If you have had only one seizure, some doctors will consider discontinuing the medicine if you have been seizure-free for 6 to 12 months.

Can epilepsy be misdiagnosed?

Misdiagnosis of epilepsy remains common and the consequences for the individual significant. Poor history taking and overreliance on laboratory test are the main causes of misdiagnosis. Risks of a false positive diagnosis must be appraised against risks of a false positive diagnosis.

Can seizures stop without medication?

The drugs are not a cure, but seizures don’t always last a lifetime; in as many as half of people with epilepsy, the seizures may stop on their own. This means there’s a subset of people taking anti-seizure medication who don’t need it. After years without seizures, many people want to try stopping their medication.

What happens if you abruptly stop taking seizure medication?

When AEDs are withdrawn, special caution is warranted. The medication should be tapered, usually over weeks to months, rather than stopped abruptly. Abrupt discontinuation of any AED may increase the risk of seizures and status epilepticus.

Can you stop a seizure once it starts?

There isn’t much you can do to stop a seizure once it starts. But you can help protect someone from harm during one. Some seizures are more dangerous than others, but most aren’t an emergency. If you want to do something for the person, focus on keeping them safe.

What can be misdiagnosed as seizures?

Many conditions have symptoms similar to epilepsy, including first seizures, febrile seizures, nonepileptic events, eclampsia, meningitis, encephalitis, and migraine headaches. A first seizure is a one-time event that can be brought on by a drug or by anesthesia.

How often is seizure misdiagnosed?

It has become axiomatic that the rate of misdiagnosis of epilepsy is high. A population based study mainly in adults found a misdiagnosis rate of 23\%,1 while 26\% of subjects referred to a single adult neurologist with “refractory epilepsy” were found not to have epilepsy.

How do you taper antiepileptics?

The most prudent AED discontinuation course is to slowly taper the medication via a 25\% dose reduction every 2-4 weeks. Seizure recurrence most often occurs in the early months of AED tapering or discontinuation, with 80\% occurring in the first 4 months and 90\% in the first year.

Why is epilepsy not curable?

There’s no cure for epilepsy, but early treatment can make a big difference. Uncontrolled or prolonged seizures can lead to brain damage. Epilepsy also raises the risk of sudden unexplained death. The condition can be successfully managed.

When can you stop antiepileptics?

In 1994, the American Academy of Neurology published guidelines recommending discontinuation of antiepileptic drug therapy if the following criteria are met: seizure-free for two to five years, only one type of epilepsy, normal EEG findings, and normal neurologic examination findings.

Do beta blockers need to be tapered?

If someone is on a beta blocker for more than a short period of time, it is important to slowly taper, or wean, off of it. This becomes increasingly important as people get older, because just stopping the drug cold can lead to a fast heartbeat for awhile, which is dangerous with increasing age.

How do you stop an oncoming seizure?

Seizure Prevention Tips

1. Get plenty of sleep each night — set a regular sleep schedule, and stick to it.
2. Learn stress management and relaxation techniques.
3. Avoid drugs and alcohol.
4. Take all of your medications as prescribed by your doctor.
5. Avoid bright, flashing lights and other visual stimuli.