Epilepsy Talk
A chief of surgery offers insider tips to finding the right surgeon
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On Sunday morning, my neighbor Carolyn knocked on my front door holding a basket of carbs and said, “I need to have my gallbladder out. I’ve never had an operation and have no idea how to find a surgeon to do my surgery. I don’t want to die. I brought you some scones.”
Carolyn brings up a valid point — if you’ve been blessed with reasonably good health, you probably don’t have a surgeon’s number on speed dial. Therefore, the bigger question is, in the unfortunate event that you need one, how do you find the best surgeon for your medical condition?
Tags: doctors, insider tips, interview, key credentials, references, risks, top candidates
Brain Surgery — Questions to Prepare Yourself
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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.
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.
12 things your doctor won’t tell you…
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Modern medicine can do miraculous things — but every test and treatment has its downside.
And your doctor may not disclose the dangers without prompting, a new survey finds.
Researchers surveyed 2,700 patients who’d recently decided whether or not to have surgery, take a medication, or undergo cancer screening.
Most reported their physician spent far more time talking up the benefits of each choice than explaining the risks.
In fact, with the exception of lower back surgery, less than half the participants reported even some discussion of the cons.
Some patients felt left out of the decision-making process altogether.
Tags: alternatives, benefit, choose wisely, cost, disclose dangers, insurance, misuse, overuse, quotas, referrals, risks, side effects, underuse, unnecessary tests
Seizures and Steroids – A Hidden Solution
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I always thought that steroids were the kind used by athletes and bodybuilders to pump up their performance.
Yes, they do exist and, yes they are quite dangerous, but those aren’t the kind of steroids this article is about.
Calcium – Friend or Foe?
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After talking to a famous epileptologist, I learned that calcium is really a two-edged sword. Which surprised (and scared) me.
I’ve always read that calcium was imperative if you were taking anti-epilepsy drugs — especially Dilantin. Even if your doc “forgot” to tell you!
Dilantin – Hero or Horror?
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Since it first came out, Dilantin has always had its fans and its detractors.
Who can forget Jack Nicholson’s out-of-control behavior as the “crazy” in Ken Kesey’s “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest”!
Tags: Birth Defects, bone weakening, Brain Atrophy, dangers, Dilantin, FDA, Gingivitis, Neuropathy, Purple Glove Syndrome, risks, seizures, side effects, Stevens-Johnson Syndrome
Epilepsy: Meditation vs. Medication
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You can have medication without meditation. Most of us do.
You can do meditation without medication. Most of us wouldn’t and shouldn’t take that risk.
But together, they can enhance one another.
Tags: benefits, Complementary Alternative Medicine, enhance, Epilepsy, medication, meditation, relaxation, risks, seizures, stress
Why Your Pharmacist is Your Best Friend
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Your pharmacist is the least expensive and most accessible health resource you have. They fill prescriptions and provide expert information about medications — a very important role, considering the prominent use of seizure medications to treat epilepsy.
You can see the pharmacist anytime you want, without an appointment, and all consultations are free. In medicine, that’s extraordinary.
Tags: access, benefits, costs, Epilepsy, expert information, free consultations, interactions, knowledge, pharmacists, prescription, risks, seizure medications
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Epilepsy Talk 