How Do You Know If Your Medication Is Actually Working? | MyEpilepsyTeam

Connect with others who understand.

sign up Log in
Resources
About MyEpilepsyTeam
Powered By
Real members of MyEpilepsyTeam have posted questions and answers that support our community guidelines, and should not be taken as medical advice. Looking for the latest medically reviewed content by doctors and experts? Visit our resource section.
How Do You Know If Your Medication Is Actually Working?
A MyEpilepsyTeam Member asked a question 💭

How do you know? because when I get asked that question I get confused because if it means it completely stops my seizures and movement disorder then the answer would be no but most of the time it keeps them at bay but not entirely .
Are medications meant to stop seizures completely or does it take time to work and how can you know for sure if your meds are helping.

posted June 20, 2021
•
View reactions
A MyEpilepsyTeam Member

I wanted to add to my response to How Do We Know If Our Medicine Is Working?

I have always had seizures for over half my life. Someone mentioned about recording info around seizures. Very important for myself. There was (prior to menopause) a week every month when I would have strong and frequent seizures. That was a time to not even hope my medicine was working. So definitely keep track of what your body is doing. Your brain/body have control over it all.

posted June 26, 2021
A MyEpilepsyTeam Member

keep a diary of seizures diet lifestyle, drugs take many months to have any appreciable effect in my experience

posted June 20, 2021
A MyEpilepsyTeam Member

In my case , my family who witness my seizures, change to the worse or I may have seizure more than I did before.

posted June 21, 2021
A MyEpilepsyTeam Member

How blessed is she , I wish that happened to me all of a sudden it stops .

posted June 21, 2021
A MyEpilepsyTeam Member

@A MyEpilepsyTeam Member As the others have suggested (and my first neurologist told me at my first appointment), the diary along with notes of as much detail as possible from others who have witnessed one of my absence seizures is exceptionally important. It doesn't matter who good your neurologist is, the doctor cannot read your mind, so you need to share the information that cannot be obtained with any form of test or study. I cannot speak for anyone except for myself, but I do know when my medicine is working and I am at the peak level of safe stress because I have felt what I call "near auras" where I have the beginning sensation of an aura, and then it suddenly stops. And there is no other one that follows and no one witnessed me having a complex partial or full seizure. So, yes, you can tell if the medication is working. However, if you are one of the individuals who unfortunately develop an immunity to the anticonvulsants over time and thus none of them work or if they do it is only for a short time, then this might not be the case for you.

And, of course, there are the amazing stories of other friends on here who have been seizure free for decades after a lifestyle change (the special diet worked) or a certain anticonvulsant was the key or others where there is no explanation at all. I cannot remember the name of the team member who went into a seizure center to be tested, yet could not have a seizure. The doctors tried everything which included working her off one of her medications after another and still not trigger a seizure. And she left the center seizure free and no longer on any medications at all.

posted June 21, 2021

Related content

View All
Vomiting Up Your Medication
A MyEpilepsyTeam Member asked a question 💭
What Do You Do When You Miss A Dose Of Your Medication?
A MyEpilepsyTeam Member asked a question 💭
Do You Use Anything To Help You Remember Take Your Medication?
A MyEpilepsyTeam Member asked a question 💭
Continue with Facebook
Continue with Google
Your privacy is our priority. By continuing, you accept our Terms of use and Privacy policy.
Already a Member? Log in