Epilepsy Talk
Why you should AVOID going to the hospital… (If You Can!)
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Medical mistakes are the third leading cause of death in the United States, after heart disease and cancer.
A recent Johns Hopkins study claims more than 250,000 people in the U.S. die every year from medical errors.
Other reports claim the numbers to be as high as 440,000.
Combined Meds — What They Are Doing to Your Body
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For many of us, monotherapy just doesn’t work.
However adjunct therapy has its dangers.
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.
In case of emergency — new solutions
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Here are some methods to stop a seizure in its tracks. Or shorten one.
And help relieve you of the dreaded after-effects.
Possibilities you might not have known about…especially the new nasal sprays.
Tags: Ativan, auto-injector, convulsing, Diastat, gel, Klonopin, nasal spray, oral, seizure control, syringe, tablets, Valium, Valtoco (Diazepam), Versed (Midazolam), wafers
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!”
Tags: autoimmune, Epilepsy, misdiagnosis, MS, neuroimaging, research sparse
Brain surgery alternatives…
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“It’s not brain surgery.” And it doesn’t have to be.
There are a host of epilepsy procedures that are minimally invasive.
For example…
Tags: biofeedback, Brain Surgery Alternatives, Cell Transplantation, counseling, Deep Brain Stimulation, gamma knife surgery, Gene Therapy, Homeopathy, Hormone Imbalances, laser surgery, Naturopathy, neurostimulator, Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, trigeminal nerve stimulation, Vagus Nerve Stimulation
Traumatic brain injuries and epilepsy — what you need to know
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In a fraction of a second, head trauma can dramatically change a person’s life.
Head trauma caused by falls, physical abuse, violence, vehicle crashes and sporting accidents, not to mention modern warfare.
However, it’s important to realize that not all head injuries, even severe ones, result in seizures. And seizures frequently occur in people who haven’t experienced head trauma.
Tags: cooling grid, head trauma, new research, prevent or reduce seizures, seizures, TBI, traumatic brain injury
Epilepsy and sleep apnea — a dangerous duo
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Almost a third of people with epilepsy may suffer with undiagnosed sleep apnea, a sleep disorder which is dangerous because of the possible serious consequences.
Basically (as you probably already know), sleep apnea is characterized by abnormal pauses in breathing or instances of abnormally low breathing during sleep.
Each pause in breathing, called an apnea, can last from at least ten seconds to minutes, and may occur 5 to 30 times or more an hour, causing partial airway obstruction.
As sleep deepens, your airway becomes blocked.
Which of these is the cause of your epilepsy?
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In some 6 out of 10 cases, epilepsy is idiopathic — meaning the cause is unknown. In other cases, epilepsy can be traced to an abnormality of the structure or function of the brain.
These abnormalities can arise from traumatic brain injuries, strokes and other vascular problems, infections of the nervous system (meningitis or encephalitis), congenital malformations, brain tumors or metabolic abnormalities.
Seizures can literally begin at any time for any number of reasons.
Here are just a few of them.
Which pertain to you?
2023 Patient Recommendations for TOP Neurologists…Epileptologists…Neurosurgeons…and Pediatric Doctors
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Below is a compilation by website forum members who have had positive personal experiences with docs over the years.
This list is based on recommendations and, of course, is purely subjective. But it might be helpful for anyone looking for a good Neurologist…Epileptologist…Neurosurgeon…or Pediatric Doctor.
NOTE: The National Association of Epilepsy Centers (NAEC) provides a directory of specialized epilepsy centers in the U.S. along with other useful information about epilepsy. https://www.naec-epilepsy.org/about-epilepsy-centers/find-an-epilepsy-center/
Tags: epileptologist, Neurologist, neurosurgeon, pediatric doctor, top patient recommendations
2022-2023 Top-Ranked Hospitals for Neurology & Neurosurgery
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The U.S. News & World Report’s annual survey of hospitals is considered the pre-eminent source for excellence.
For the 2022-2023 ranking, U.S. News evaluated 1,254 hospitals and ranked the top 50 that treat many challenging neurological patients for brain hemorrhage, conditions affecting the central nervous system, spinal disorders and injuries, degenerative nervous system diagnoses such as MS, care for stroke, seizures, meningitis and more.
Details of each hospital’s performance in Neurology & Neurosurgery are linked from the listings below. Find top hospitals in the treatment of stroke or back and spinal surgery, or neurologists near you.
The top-scoring hospitals are listed below.
Tags: 2022-2023, neurological hospitals, top rated, U.S. News & World Report
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