Epilepsy Talk
Seizures and Steroids
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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.
Epilepsy Medication Conflicts…
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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.
Tags: AEDS, drug interaction, Epilepsy, risks, side effects
Clinical Trials Explained
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New therapies, including medications, medical devices and surgical procedures, are evaluated in research studies known as clinical trials.
Often these new therapies are investigational, which means they are not yet approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for general use.
Participation in clinical trials offers the potential for new treatment options and allows patients to participate with researchers in driving the discovery of effective therapies for epilepsy…
Tags: 3 phases, benefits, clinical trials, Epilepsy, information, NIH, risks
A Chief of Surgery Offers Insider Tips to Finding the Right Surgeon
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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: ask doctors, friends, how many times, insider tips, interview, key credentials, nurses, references, right surgeon, risks, top candidates
12 THINGS YOUR DOCTORS WON’T TELL YOU…
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Modern medicine can do miraculous things — but every test and treatment has a 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.
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
Schizophrenia and Epilepsy — The Connection
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There’s always been a suspicion of the possible ties between epilepsy and schizophrenia.
But now, research has shown that schizophrenia and epilepsy are linked in both directions.
Tags: environmental factors, Epilepsy, genetic susceptibility, links, neurobiological, psychosis, Research, risks, schizophrenia
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 antiepilepsy drugs — especially Dilantin. Even if your doc “forgot” to tell you!
Speaking of which, a survey found that fewer than one-third of neurologists routinely evaluated AED patients for bone disease. And fewer than 10% prescribed Calcium and Vitamin D.
Tags: benefits, bone mineral density, Calcium, calcium rich foods, controversy, DEXA scans, Dilantin, Epilepsy, heart disease, Mysoline, Osteopenia, Osteoporosis, Phenobital, risks, supplements, Tegretol, Valproate, Vitamin D
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.
While it might seem easier to forge a personal relationship with one pharmacist at a small mom-and-pop pill dispensary, smart patients can and do establish great relationships with superstore pharmacists, too.
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, EFA, Epilepsy, expert information, free consultations, interactions, knowledge, pharmacists, prescription, risks, seizure medications
A Fallen Football Hero
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This is a story about life’s hard knocks. Literally.
It’s the story of former Browns running back Jerome Harrison and how Harrison is now suffering from post tumor seizures. The tumor was brought on due to concussions that Harrison suffered during his time in the NFL.
The 28-year-old running back was traded from the Detroit Lions to the Philadelphia Eagles, but the trade was voided a day later when he failed his physical with his new team, once Eagles’ doctors discovered he had a brain tumor.
The good news was the tumor was discovered, it was non cancerous, and it was removed.
The bad news is that Harrison is suffering a string of post-tumor seizures, along with other complications from his brain surgery.
His football days are done. And life as he knew it, will never be the same…
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