MedicineNet.com

View the Epilepsy Slideshow Brain Disorders Image Collection and Image Gallery Take the Epilepsy (Seizure Disorder) Quiz

What Are the Treatments for Epilepsy?

The majority of epileptic seizures are controlled through drug therapy, particularly anticonvulsant drugs. The type of treatment prescribed will depend on several factors including the frequency and severity of the seizures as well as the person's age, overall health, and medical history. An accurate diagnosis of the type of epilepsy is also critical to choosing the best treatment.

Drug Therapy

Many drugs are available to treat epilepsy, several of which have only recently been released.

Older, classic medications used to treat epilepsy include:

• Dilantin or Phenytek
• Phenobarbital
• Tegretol or Carbatrol
• Mysoline
• Zarontin
• Depakene
• Depakote, Depakote ER
• Valium and similar tranquilizers such as Tranxene and Klonopin

Newer drugs to treat epilepsy include:

• Felbatol
• Gabitril
• Keppra
• Lamictal
• Lyrica
• Neurontin
• Topamax
• Trileptal
• Zonegran

In general, for a given type of epilepsy there are only minor differences among appropriate drugs. The choice is most often based on other factors specific to each patient, such as which side effects can be tolerated by the patient, other illnesses they may have, and which delivery method is acceptable.

Although the different types of epilepsy vary greatly, in general, medications can control seizures in about 70% of patients.