Medications Worse Than Seizures?

Medication is often the first line of treatment used in most people who have epilepsy. While some are fortunate enough to have good control of their seizures with the right medication(s), the unwanted side effects are at times, worse than the seizures themselves. The seizures may have stopped but the side effects continue daily.

Side effects can be: extreme mood swings, depression, suicidal ideations, memory impairment, severe nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, weight loss, weight gain, constipation, diarrhea, sleepiness, insomnia, hair loss, tremors, coordination problems, vertigo, infertility, birth defects, muscle pain, back pain, severe rash, life threatening rash, hives, itching, double vision, blurred vision, loss of peripheral vision, loss of sight, uncontrollable eye movements, lazy eye, ear pain, sore throat, cough, fever, irregular heart beat, chest pain, and water retention are just a few of the most frequent side effects that people deal with.

Most of the government funding provided for epilepsy research has been used for improving the anti seizure medications that are currently on the market. The newer anti-seizure medicines, while still presenting risk of side effects, are a little more "user friendly" than the older anti-seizure medicines that have been on the market for years.