Epilepsy Talk
Sleep and Seizures
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Sleepless nights. Exhausted afternoons. Confusion. Memory loss. Trouble with concentration, mood swings and of course, seizures.
Which may increase in frequency or severity. Or may even contribute to intractable seizures. It seems like an endless cycle.
For people with epilepsy, sleep problems are a double-edged sword; epilepsy disturbs sleep and sleep deprivation aggravates epilepsy.
The Great Debate — Medical Marijuana
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Even though the cannabis plant has a long history of medicinal use, with evidence dating back to 2,737 BCE, it’s still a subject of hot controversy.
It appears to be a standing battle between politics and science.
The legality requires proof of medical marijuana’s effectiveness.
Reports of success are anecdotal.
Yet there are no funds for clinical trials and it remains on a back burner for further NIH funding and research.
(Wow. What a surprise!)
Dating Disasters and Epilepsy
14 Comments
When I was a teen I fell down, walked into walls, bumped into virtually everything in my path, and almost drowned in the shower.
So, you can imagine what a disaster dating was.
Of course, in my infinite wisdom, I would never tell my dates that I had epilepsy.
My parents wouldn’t even utter the word, so rather than become a pariah, I kept my mouth shut.
Bad idea…
The Trouble with AEDs…
29 Comments
At the very best, finding the right anti-epilepsy drug is a crap shoot. There’s always the hope that this one will do it.
Or maybe adjunct therapy will work. Or, sigh, the side-effects derail you and you’re on to the next.
Is asking for seizure control too much?
The good news is that many newer AEDs are better tolerated than the older, standard AEDs. Although they, too, come with side-effects.
Newer AEDs often cause less sedation and require less monitoring than older drugs.
Tags: AEDS, anti-epilepsy drugs, benefits, dangers, seizures, side effects, uses
The Embrace2 – Newly Cleared by the FDA – with New Advantages for You
10 Comments
The fear, the anxiety, the anticipation of another seizure.
Coupled with the dread that you won’t be able to tell. When it’s coming. IF it’s coming.
The triggers, the reasons, the causes.
Peace of mind is difficult to come by for — you and for your loved ones.
It’s worry all the time. Every day. Does it always have to be this way?
Tags: accelerometers, advantages, Caregiver Alert Confirmation, confidence, convulsive seizure, Embrace2, first FDA medical-quality wrist-worn wearable in the field of neurology, first response device, freedom, generalized tonic-clonic seizures, gyroscope, newest smartwatch, prescription only device, safety, seizures, stress and overall body balance, track your activity, triggers
Why Won’t You Play With Me?
22 Comments
Once upon a time there was this girl named Ellen.
She had epilepsy and she hated the world.
So the world hated her back.
She had no friends and didn’t speak to anybody.
In turn, nobody spoke to her. Except the occasional bully.
Traumatic Brain Injury and Epilepsy
27 Comments
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.
But close associations do exist between head trauma and seizures — as much as twelve times as opposed to someone without a head trauma.
Tags: cooling grid, head trauma, new research, prevent or reduce seizures, seizures, TBI, traumatic brain injury, varied problems
Is Epilepsy Inherited?
12 Comments
Just because you have a parent, sibling, cousin or aunt who has epilepsy doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll have it also.
In fact, if you have a close relative with epilepsy, the chance of you having epilepsy is only about 2-5%, depending on the specific type of epilepsy.
Tags: Epilepsy, family risk, genetic abnormalities, genetic testing, Research, seizure threshold, seizure-free, seizures
Dilantin — Hero or Horror?
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Dilantin (Phenytoin) can be considered the grandfather of all epilepsy medications.
Although it was invented in 1908 as a chemical that could prevent convulsions during electroshock treatment, its popularity grew quickly, and as early as 1940, it was hailed as initiating a whole new epoch of anti-epilepsy drugs, motivating researchers to seek even more effective medications and pharmaceutical companies set up aggressive screening programs.
In the next two decades, a dozen new anticonvulsants were introduced into clinical therapy!
Today, Dilantin remains one of the most widely used drugs in the world.
A Fallen Football Hero…
11 Comments
This is a story about life’s hard knocks. Literally.
It’s the story of former NFL Browns running back Jerome Harrison and how his occasional seizures, thought to be a result of concussions from the game, saved his life.
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