Get Informed: Epilepsy/Seizures

38

Patient Comments about
Epilepsy/Seizures

1 in 69 people have Epilepsy/Seizures

iGuard is currently monitoring more than 29,148 patients with Epilepsy/Seizures from around the United States as shown on the heat map below. These figures suggest that roughly 4.37 million Americans have Epilepsy/Seizures with women being 2 times more likely to be affected than men.

Geographical distribution of iGuard users with Epilepsy/Seizures
10

< 21

20

21-39

45

40-59

25

60+

Age (Years)

iGuard is currently monitoring more than 29,148 patients with Epilepsy/Seizures.

Medications used for Epilepsy/Seizures

Drugs commonly taken by iGuard users for Epilepsy/Seizures are listed below, together with the percentage of patients that take each drug.

Commonly Used Medication Name*
(Hover mouse over name to see medication class) 		% of Patients Average Risk Rating Has Generic Available
Lamictal 20% 4: Elevated Yes
Depakote 16% 4: Elevated Yes
Keppra 16% 0: On hold Yes
Dilantin 13% 0: On hold Yes
Topamax 12% 4: Elevated Yes
Tegretol 10% 0: On hold Yes

Less than 5%: Trileptal, Phenobarbital, Neurontin, Klonopin, Xanax

*This list is NOT EXHAUSTIVE - Only drugs used by a sufficiently large number of iGuard users are listed.

**Medications are sometimes known by different brand/generic names, depending upon how they are packaged or used.


Global Patient Feedback for Epilepsy/Seizures ( Post a comment )

Comments, Questions, and Answers
Show Newest | Oldest first

Question/Comment:

i have complex partial seizures for 25yrs now and it has never been under control im on keppra and tegretol.and in the past phenytion it is getting me down can i have surgery or wot other medication is there that will work. i dont think i can carry on like this 39yr old male england

39 year old Male – Source: iGuard United States

Posted: 2010-03-18 12:29:55

Question/Comment:

i suffer from epilepsy and have done now for 37years can any one advise me if st johns wort can help with the deppressed side off life thank you pauline age 46 years old.

46 year old Female – Source: iGuard United Kingdom

Posted: 2010-02-07 16:33:53

iGuard Answer/Reply:

St John's Wort is an herbal supplement that has the potential for many drug interactions. Discuss adding this medication to your regimen with your doctor before taking this drug especially given your history of seizure disorder.

Posted: 2010-02-09 21:13:27

Answer/Reply:

I have been taking Primidone for approximately 10 years. I have been on several other epilepsy medication that didn't help, but the Primidone works for me. I was on 3 different drug studies, almost died on one. Tegretol and Lamictal being 2 of the worse for me. I was taking St. John's Wort for depression and it had the opposite side effect for me. I was told by my nurse when I was on a drug study that St. Joh's Wort hadn't been approved by the FDA at that time. I wouldn't suggest taking it to ANYONE with epilepsy. I learned the hard way. Thank God, I had 2 major brain surgeries 9 years ago and it completely controlled my epilepsy. I will be taking medication for the rest of my life, but at least I don't have seizures anymore.
Good Luck,
Dena

48 year old Female – Source: iGuard United States

Posted: 2010-03-02 12:49:07

Question/Comment:

I am an epileptic since the age of 3. I could write a book about the list of medication I have gone through and the experiences they have caused me. Some made me feel that I needed to sleep all day, others threw me into night terrors, and most of them didn't agree with my situation at all and made me have up to 5 seizures a day. I'm not mad at all, because I know that each human body reacts differently to medications, and my epilepsy is one of the rarest kind. At the moment, Tegretol and Keppra combined is doing very well for me. It is only under extreme stress and/or exaustion that I have a seizure - it has only been about 10 in the last 14 months, and only at night.
However, I wonder: Does anyone know of a "pregnancy-friendly" medicine for epilepsy? My doctor is very good, but tends to look at the old medicines instead of the new (which I can understand for solid safety purpose).
Please, feel free to reply, I would be very grateful :-)

28 year old Female – Source: iGuard United States

Posted: 2009-08-25 14:00:27

Question/Comment:

I have had complex partial seizures for 3 years now, since I had a grand mal seizure. I have taken Dilantin which caused me to have the shakes badly-Trileptal which worked well for about 8 months then I was switched to Tegretol which gives me horrendous migraines- Keppra which worked really well for my type of seizures with no migraines and Neurontin until the free clinic I was going to quite receiving AED drugs so I was given Tegretol again because I could get it for $8 month at Wal-Mart and am now awaiting Keppra & Neurontin from the pharmaceutical company as free drugs. Even with all these changes in my medications I have begun to have seizures on a weekly basis for the last 5 months and it is very, very frustrating!!
It has been an up and down 3 years!! with me just wanting to get the drug/s that help me control my seizures,live a normal life and no migraines. Is there any one else with Complex Partial Seizures that go or has gone thru some of the same experiances?
51 year old female

52 year old Female – Source: iGuard United States

Posted: 2009-07-08 09:48:03

Answer/Reply:

Keppra is now available in generic form. Maybe you could get the $7 price at Walmart, or chek Walgreen's Prescription Drug Plan. Good luck out there!

45 year old Male – Source: iGuard United States

Posted: 2009-08-07 12:21:29

Question/Comment:

I have taken Actonel 35 MG weekly for 5 years now and had no problems. Then in early May 09
I began to wake up having heart palpations the
during the night on the day I take it. I was wondering is anyone else experiencing this problem? Also have other listed side effects
on patient information sheet. Waiting for Dr. to
respond with possible cause.

54 year old Female – Source: iGuard United States

Posted: 2009-06-09 02:56:36

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