Epilepsy Talk
MS or Epilepsy?
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Recently a woman wrote to me telling about the awful diagnostic disaster that she had been through.
In her words: “It took 3 years, 3 primary doctors, and 7 neurologists to diagnose me.
I told everyone that ‘it feels like my brain is shaking in my head.’
If they had listened to me the first time and had done a simple EEG, it would’ve saved us and the insurance company a lot of money!
I was misdiagnosed with MS after 4 MRIs. We had 3 trips to the ER. A lot of blood work. And on and on…”
Tags: autoimmune, epilepsy MS, misdiagnosis, neuroimaging, research sparse
Diagnostic tests that save millions…
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A diagnosis for cervical cancer with vinegar?
A test for liver damage which requires a single drop of blood and 15 minutes?
A team approach for AIDS treatment…?
Tags: cost, diagnostic tests, pennies a day, saving millions
For Refractory Epilepsy — Two AEDs and You’re Home Free!
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A recent University of Washington report, published in the journal of the American Academy of Neurology, found a combination of two common drugs, lamotrigine and valproate, is more effective in treating refractory epilepsy than other anti-epileptic regimens.
In a large-scale retrospective study of patients with very difficult-to-control epilepsy, researchers discovered that out of the 32 drug combinations studied, only the lamotrigine/valproate treatment regimen significantly decreased seizure frequency in this group. This specific combination reduced seizure frequency by about half, on average, compared to other regimens.
Tags: lamotrigine and valproate, more effective, reduce seizures by 50%, refractory epilepsy
2012 Top Ranked Neurology and Neurosurgery Hospitals in the U.S.
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Every year, patients and potential patients alike, look forward to the U.S. News & World Report’s impartial list of top ranking hospitals. Attached is a link to their most current list for best Neurology and Neurosurgery services. This year, more than 1,300 hospitals are included. The top 50 are ranked and the rest are listed alphabetically.
Criteria for the survey was: reputation among specialists, nursing staffing, and patient survival. Also considered was technology, patient safety, and patient services.
Here are the first ten…
Autistic Children May Have Too Many Brain Cells
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TUESDAY, Nov. 8 (HealthDay News) — The brains of autistic children have far more neurons in the prefrontal cortex than the brains of kids without autism, finds a new study that could advance research into the disorder.
“For the first time, we have the potential to understand why autism gets started,” said study author Eric Courchesne, a professor of neurosciences at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and director of the Autism Center of Excellence.
“Creating brains cells and the correct number of brain cells is absolutely fundamental to building the brain,” said Courchesne. “If there is an excess number of neurons, there must be a negative consequence to that in the way the brain gets wired or organized.”
Anti-seizure medication conflicts…
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Common wisdom is that it’s best to take one anti-seizure medication. But for many of us, monotherapy just doesn’t work. However adjunct therapy has its dangers. And both treatments carry their own interactive risks – even with things as innocent as aspirin.
For example, some seizure medicines can lower or raise the levels of other types of medicines in your blood. Some combinations cause the levels of both medications to fall. Some cause one level to fall and one level to rise. And some cause unpredictable side- effects…
So I hunkered down to discover the unhappy marriages between anti-seizure meds. I’m sure there are many more, but it’s a start. And more than I knew before embarking on this research. Here’s what I discovered…
Tags: drug interaction, Epilepsy, risks, side effects, unpredictable
New Research: Epilepsy’s Ties To Autism
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In the past few years, large studies on the epidemiology and genetics of epilepsy and autism have uncovered commonalities between the two disorders. But scientists are only beginning to untangle the biological roots of the overlap.
However, new research suggests that “treatment-resistant epilepsy” is common among patients with autism, and more than one-third of patients in our study group had treatment-resistant epilepsy,” said Dr. Orrin Devinsky, director of the NYU Comprehensive Epilepsy Center, who led the study.
Epilepsy Studies: True or False?
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There’s a “Golden Rule” which says: “He who has the most gold makes the rules.”
And who might that be? And what are the methods used? Some are simply amazing. (Or at least I thought so.) But they all follow the “Golden Rule.”
Tags: epilepsy studies, favorable outcomes, fixed results, health risks, offshore testing
Defined: 40+ different types of seizures
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When I was first diagnosed with epilepsy, there were two kinds of seizures. Grand Mal and Petit Mal. (Can you guess how old I am?) Now, things are much more different and difficult. No more cut and dried.
So, please, if you have any additions, subtractions or corrections, feel free to chime in. Because I don’t pretend to be an expert. In fact, this has certainly been a learning experience, from start to finish.
Here, to the best of my knowledge, are the 40+ different types of seizures…
Increased Birth Defect Risks in Two FDA-Approved Epilepsy Medications
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Two epilepsy drugs – Lamictal and Keppra – which are currently listed in category C may be dangerous to a fetus and should be listed in category D, according to new data. The difference between the categories is that D shows evidence of risk, but the benefits outweigh the risks…
Tags: Birth Defects, dangers, Epilepsy, Keppra, Lamictal, pregnancy
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