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Non-epileptic seizures, usually called functional or dissociative seizures, can look almost identical to seizures caused by epilepsy but work in a completely different way. They are involuntary and real, they are not caused by disrupted electrical activity in the brain, and anti-seizure medications (ASMs) do not control them. The immediate first aid is much the…

Category: Seizures

A tonic-clonic seizure is the type most people picture: the body stiffens, then jerks rhythmically, and the person is unconscious throughout. Most last between one and three minutes. The response is to time it, protect the person from injury, avoid restraining them, place them in the recovery position once the movements stop, and call 999…

Category: Seizures

In short: Around a fifth to a quarter of people with a learning disability also have epilepsy, compared with roughly 1 in 100 of the general population, and their seizures are far more likely to resist treatment. The 2024 LeDeR annual report found epilepsy accounted for 9.4% of avoidable deaths among adults with a learning…

Category: Uncategorised

In short: Oxcarbazepine, sold in the UK under the brand name Trileptal and as generic versions, is an anti-seizure medication (ASM) used for focal seizures. Most early side effects are dose-related and often settle, but oxcarbazepine has one distinctive risk worth understanding: low blood sodium, known as hyponatraemia. Skin reactions also need prompt attention, particularly…

Category: Uncategorised

In short: Phenytoin, known in the UK by the brand name Epanutin, is an anti-seizure medication (ASM) with a narrow margin between an effective blood level and a level that causes side effects. Small dose changes can produce large changes in blood level, which is why phenytoin levels are monitored and why staying on the…

Category: Treatments

In short: Good epilepsy awareness training covers seizure recognition across the main seizure types, seizure first aid, unambiguous criteria for calling 999, how to follow an individual support plan, and accurate recording. Awareness training alone does not make anyone competent to give rescue medication such as buccal midazolam: that requires named staff, practical training and…

Category: Education