EPILEPSY HANDOUT
MEDICATIONS
Take your seizure medications as prescribed. Missing doses of seizure medication can result in death, injury, or more frequent seizures. Please call your doctor before you run out of medication if you need refills.
SUDEP
SUDEP stands for Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy.
Are you SUDEP aware? Check this link: http://www.sudepaware.org
BONE HEALTH
Long term anti-seizure medication can lower bone density, and this can result in osteopetrosis. It is recommended that some patients taking anti-seizure medication take a supplement of calcium and vitamin D, depending on the anti-seizure medication. Ask your doctor about this. The supplements can be prescribed or over-the-counter. Calcium should be at least 500mg twice per day, and vitamin D should be at least 800 international units total per day.
DEPRESSION
Depression is very common in patients with epilepsy. Talk with your doctor if you find that you are suffering from signs of depression.
PATIENT ADVOCACY, RESOURCES, COMMUNITY:
http://www.epilepsy.com - the leading portal for people, caregivers and professionals dealing with epilepsy
SEIZURE DIARY
Patients with seizures should keep track each seizure: when did it happen, what happened, where there any triggers, etc. This can be easily done in a small notebook, a calendar, or a mobile phone. A very helpful, FREE resource for this is a website called Seizuretracker. They also include a mobile app for phones. https://seizuretracker.com/
SAFETY:
Patients at risk for seizures that involves loss of consciousness must avoid:
- Driving (at least 3-6 months after a seizure...
...UNTIL A PHYSICIAN STATES THAT IT IS OK TO DRIVE
- unattended baths, unattended swimming,power tools, heavy machinery
- ladders, high platforms, roofs
- any other activity that could pose a safety risk if there was a loss of consciousness or uncontrolled body movements
For any seizure involving loss of consciousness, do the following:
1. Don't panic - take a deep breath
2. Look at the clock to see what time the seizure started.
3. If the patient is shaking for more than 5 minutes - or has repeated seizures without returning to normal in between, call 911; this is an emergency.
4. As much as possible, move things away from the patient's head to avoid injury
5. Use pillows or towels to protect the from injury
6. Put them on a bed, couch, or the floor ON THEIR SIDE. This is to avoid a condition called aspiration pneumonia, when vomit goes into the lungs.
7. DO NOT PUT ANYTHING IN THEIR MOUTH. Patients don't swallow their tongues despite the old wives tale. However, putting things inside the mouth could lead to choking hazard.
8. When the seizure is over and you are sure they are safe, please call the neurology clinic to let us know about a seizure.