Drug Resistant Epilepsy patients at increased risk

This Epilepsy Awareness month (November), a new campaign is launching to increase awareness of drug-resistant epilepsy. The Epilepsy Society and LivaNova are joining forces to highlight the condition and help patients share their experiences of living with uncontrolled seizures.

Studies have proven that if 2 or more medications fail to control seizures then adding more is unlikely to achieve sustained seizure freedom. One in three people who suffer from epilepsy are drug resistant.

Uncontrolled seizures can increase the risk of personal injuries, status epilepticus (a seizure lasting 5 minutes or more) and SUDEP (Sudden Unexplained Death in Epilepsy).

It’s important to diagnose and treat drug-resistant epilepsy as soon as possible. This is especially pertinent during the COVID pandemic when patients may be reluctant to seek medical treatment. If 2 antiepileptic drugs fail to control a person’s seizures, they should speak with their doctor and ask if they could have drug-resistant epilepsy, so alternative treatments can be explored.

Aston spoke to Professor Ley Sander from The Epilepsy Society to raise awareness on epilepsy.