Other Seizure Medications

• Numerous medications exist to control seizures. Some of these include Carbamazepine, Divalproex sodium, Ethosuximide, Felbamate, Fosphenytoin, Gabapentin, Lamotrigine, Levetiracetam, Oxcarbazepine, Pregabalin, Tiagabine, Topiramate, Valproic acid and Zonisamide. If none of these are effective, doctors will sometimes try barbiturates and benzodiazepine medications, but usually only as a last resort, since these drugs may lead to dependence or addiction.
  
  

Surgery

• Surgery is an option when medications are not effective in reducing epileptic seizures. Most often, surgery is considered to treat children with severe seizures. Surgery also seems to work well when an individual has seizures due to a malfunction in just one part of the brain and when that part can be removed without damaging things like memory, eyesight or speech.
  Because this type of brain surgery is a delicate, complicated operation, it is usually performed at specialized medical centers with skilled, experienced surgical teams. Epilepsy surgery entails removing the part of the brain where seizures begin, and is often performed while the patient is awake. Since the brain does not feel pain, having the patient awake can ensure that essential parts of the brain aren't damaged during surgery.
  After surgery, medications may have to be continued for a period of time, usually for a year or two. But then, if no more seizures occur, the medicines are slowly reduced until they are eventually eliminated altogether.
  
  

Diet

• Another option for people with epilepsy who do not respond to medication is to try the ketogenic diet. This treatment is most often used on epileptic children and is successful in a bout a third of the cases. Another third improve and have less seizures while on the diet. Because the ketogenic diet mimics starvation, it begins with a 24-hour fast. As a result, the patient uses up all her stored glucose and begins to burn stored fat. The ketogenic diet continues this starvation process by keeping the calorie count low and making high-fat foods 80 percent of the calories the individual consumes. The remaining 20 percent comes in the form of carbohydrates and protein. Because of the extreme nature of the diet, it should only be done under medical supervision, especially since it lacks many essential nutrients that often need to be given to the patient in the form of supplements. Also, results aren't usually immediate, and doctors will recommend staying on the diet for one to three months before they can determine if it is working. Once they determine that the diet is effective, doctors will often prescribe it as a treatment for a period of about two years. Then they will have the patient gradually go back to a more normal diet to see if the patient can remain seizure-free.