Epilepsy | Epilepsy Talk

The first Vagus Nerve Stimulator (VNS) was implanted in 1988, as a therapeutic option for medically intractable epilepsy, when elective epilepsy surgery was not appropriate.

As the number of implanted vagus nerve stimulators grows, so does the need to remove or revise the devices.

Which is a little tricky, because of the spiral stimulating electrodes, wrapped around the nerve.

Posted in Epilepsy, Medication Issues, Research
Tags: alternative, better seizure control, depression reduction, drug-resistant, effective, enhancement, Epilepsy, no side-effects, no surgery, non-invasive, post traumatic stress, success rate, trigeminal nerve stimulation, vagus nerve stimulator

Vagus Nerve Stimulation…Is it for YOU?

September 12, 2021
8 Comments

Having a Vagus Nerve Stimulator implanted can be a tough decision. Is it right for you? Will it work? What are the side effects and consequences?

I did some research and got the low-down on what it is, how it works and some interesting statistics.

Posted in Epilepsy, Medication Issues, Research
Tags: brain, depression, electrical pulses, improvement, memory, mood swings, refractory, setting, signals, vagus nerve stimulator

Brain Surgery — Questions to Prepare Yourself

September 8, 2021
18 Comments

How many times have you heard: “Well, it isn’t exactly brain surgery.” Well this time it is.

And it’s your brain.

It’s a scary trip into the unknown. Thoughts are swirling around in your head: What will happen to me? Is this the right thing to do? Is this really the best surgeon for the job? What if it doesn’t work? Maybe I should put it off…

It’s really hard to be prepared for something as radical as brain surgery – either physically or emotionally. That’s why it’s important to gather all the information you can, before hand.

Remember: Knowledge is power.

Here some things to consider and ask your neurologist/neurosurgeon team before surgery…

Posted in Epilepsy, Tips
Tags: advance directive, benefits, best doctors, best hospitals, brain surgery, complications, experience, insurance, living will, neurologist/neurosurgeon, options, post operative care, questions, recovery, risks, second opinion, skill

Blood Tests May Help Diagnose Epilepsy

September 5, 2021
5 Comments

A recent study shows that a simple blood test can determine whether or not someone has had an epileptic seizure.

Posted in Epilepsy, News, Research
Tags: blood test, complex partial seizures, monitor anti-seizure medication levels in your blood, tonic-clonic seizures, type of seizure

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Epilepsy

September 2, 2021
8 Comments

What was once known as “shell shock” is now called Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. (PTSD).

PTSD affects about 7.7 million American adults, and while it’s impossible to predict who will develop PTSD in response to trauma, there are certain risk factors that increase your vulnerability.

Of course, the first thought is of veterans. But anyone can get PTSD at any age.

Going through trauma is not rare. About 6 out of every 10 (or 60%) of men and 5 of every 10 (or 50%) of women experience at least one trauma in their lives.

Posted in Epilepsy
Tags: "red alert", "shell shock", abuse, assault, flashbacks, hyperarousal symptoms, military, minimize risk factors, prevention, PTSD, Research, risk, trauma, underlying brain injury, victim, witness

Sleep and seizures…at what cost?

August 30, 2021
17 Comments

Sleepless nights. Exhausted afternoons. Confusion. Memory loss. Trouble with concentration, mood swings and of course, seizures.

Posted in Epilepsy, Research
Tags: electrical brain activity, hormonal activity, lack of oxygen, nocturnal seizures, sleep apnea, sleep disorder, sleeping pills

Buyer beware!

August 27, 2021
11 Comments

It’s amazing — and scary — how wildly drug prices can vary between pharmacies. And between name brand drugs and generics, especially when you don’t have insurance.

Here are some comparisons:

Posted in Epilepsy, Medication Issues
Tags: Canada, discounts, drugs.com, generics, GoodRx, name brand drugs, no insurance, perscription hope

Déjà Vu or Prescience?

August 25, 2021
16 Comments

Think of it as knowing something from the past…or feeling a premonition of the future.

Those who have experienced the déjà vu feeling describe it as an overwhelming sense of familiarity, with something that shouldn’t be familiar at all.

Those who experience prescience, feel they have the ability to see into the future in some way.

Posted in Epilepsy, Research
Tags: aura, deja vu, future, ictal, past, prescience, temporal-lobe epilepsy