Epilepsy in Adolescence

Sleep is the time when your brain rests and stores to memory the things you learned during the day. Everybody needs to get enough sleep at night. For people with epilepsy, sleep is extremely important. People with epilepsy who deprive themselves of sleep are at an increased risk of having more frequent seizures. To prevent this, make sure you get enough sleep every night.

People diagnosed with epilepsy should avoid alcohol. Alcohol is a depressant that has a major effect on the brain cells and dulls the senses. It also has an effect on the liver and its ability to break down anything that is filtered through it, including medications. Long-term use of alcohol leads to dependence, which means that the person will have to ingest higher amounts of it in order to get the same effect. In people with epilepsy, especially those who drink large quantities, this is especially important because of the effect alcohol has on their brains and levels of anti-seizure medications in the blood. The seizure threshold (the point at which the brain may go into a seizure) can be lowered by alcohol consumption and withdrawal. This means that alcohol makes it much easier for your brain to start a seizure.

Usually, anywhere between six to 72 hours after drinking, seizures can occur. Alcohol does not mix well with anti-seizure medications. The combination of the two can make you dizzy and overly sleepy, while alcohol speeds up the elimination of the medication from your body.

Some types of epilepsy are sensitive to certain types of light. In these cases, exposure to light can cause changes in the electrical activity of the brain and cause it to go into a seizure. Most commonly, strobe lights and flashing lights on video games can have that effect. If your epilepsy is sensitive to these types of lights, you should avoid places where they are used. Wearing sunglasses when these lights are present is not a reliable way to prevent seizures.

Besides being illegal, drugs are a bad combination with epilepsy. Using illegal drugs and withdrawing from them can cause the brain to go into a seizure. Some of the most common illegal drugs are cocaine and marijuana. Cocaine can cause seizures in anyone as soon as it is taken. With epilepsy, however, the risk is greatly increased. While marijuana may or may not cause seizures, it definitely dulls the senses. A person who smokes marijuana could easily forget to take his or her medication, and, in people diagnosed with epilepsy, this could cause seizures to occur.

Many birth control methods for women rely on hormones to change the body’s ability to become pregnant. The most common methods that use hormones include pills, rings, medicines placed under the skin and shots (Depoprovera). The combination of hormones and seizure medications in your body can have different effects. Hormones can decrease the effectiveness of your seizure medicine, causing you to have more seizures, or the seizure medicines can decrease the effectiveness of your birth control hormones.

Nonhormonal contraceptives, such as condoms, diaphragms and IUDs (intra-uterine devices) are safe to use with epilepsy medications. Natural family planning is another option, but many women with epilepsy have irregular periods and this method may be quite a challenge.

Some seizure medications can cause birth defects. If you are planning to become pregnant, speak with your gynecologist and neurologist about which medications you are taking. Your medical team will recommend changes, if needed.

Many students with epilepsy attend college – and you can, too. To succeed, you must take responsibility for your health, which includes:

• Taking your medications, regularly and on time
• Making sure you get enough sleep
• Staying away from illegal substances and alcohol
• Communicating and keeping all appointments with your doctor

As healthcare providers, we recognize the challenges one has to face when dealing with a chronic disorder, such as epilepsy. With this in mind, certain medical companies offer scholarships for students with epilepsy.

Driving carries much responsibility. A driver is responsible for his or her life, as well as the lives of others, whether they are in the car or around the car. In the state of Ohio, it is possible to have epilepsy and still be able to drive, but you must meet some requirements. You must be free of seizures for six months, the level of medication in your blood needs to be within normal range and your doctor must complete a form and send it to the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles. At first, the form is submitted every six months and then yearly, depending on what your doctor decides. If you do not take your medicine regularly, you are at risk for having a seizure. After a seizure, driving privileges are suspended and you must once again be seizure-free for six months before getting your license reinstated.