Successful Treatment Tips

There are several important things people with epilepsy can do to give their treatment the best chance of success.

1. Take your medication regularly.
2. Learn about your medication. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for information about the medication and possible side effects. If you obtain information from other sources, such as friends or the Internet, that causes you concern, check with your doctor or pharmacist.
3. Don't change the dose without consulting your doctor. Too much medication may lead to side effects. Too little medication may increase your seizures.
4. Be honest. If you have been missing doses or having side effects, say so. If you are not honest with your doctor, he or she cannot properly help you.
5. Don't ever stop your medication abruptly. This can result in a dramatic increase in your seizures, which can be dangerous to you.
6. Ask your doctor what to do if you miss a dose of medication. Don't assume if you miss a few doses that you can make them up by taking them all at once, or when you feel a seizure coming on. What you need is a certain amount of medication, taken regularly, to keep a constant level of medication in your blood.
7. Don't try other people's pills, even if a friend says they are working well for her. Instead, get the name of the medication and ask your doctor if it might be right for you.
8. Never mix large amounts of alcohol with medication. Ask your doctor if it would be safe for you to consume small amounts of alcoholic beverages.
9. Be cautious when starting a new medication or making a major change in dose. Don't drive until you know how the new drug or different dose will affect you. It may make you drowsy.
10. Give your memory some help if you have trouble remembering to take your medication. Reminders include daily or weekly pill boxes, watches with alarms, notes where you can see them, and computer calendar reminders. It may be helpful to take your medication at the same time you regularly perform other daily tasks, such as brushing your teeth, after meals or before bedtime.
11. Do not run out of medication. Set up a schedule for re-ordering so it becomes automatic. Request refills several days in advance. If ordering medication by mail, leave enough time for delays in delivery.
12. Take enough medication with you when going on vacation to last until you return. Carry a separate copy of your prescription and the phone number of your doctor so you can easily replace any medicine that gets lost. Don't keep pills in checked baggage when traveling by plane. Take them with you.
13. Keep all medications out of reach of young children. Keep medication in the drug store bottle with a childproof cap and label on it. If using a pill box, keep it in a safe place if there are children around. Grandparents and others should remember that toddlers can be very curious.
14. Know the name, strength of pills and dosage of your medication. Write it down so you can refer to it.
15. Keep all epilepsy medications away from direct sunlight, dampness and high humidity. A bathroom cabinet or windowsill over the kitchen sink are usually not good places to keep medicines.
16. Remember to tell all your doctors, as well as dentists and pharmacists, that you are taking antiepileptic medication. It is a good idea to bring all your medication bottles with you to doctor visits.
17. If you are unhappy with your level of seizure control or are having unpleasant side effects from the medication, don't assume you have to put up with it. Tell your doctor. Ask about other medications or treatments which may be appropriate for you.