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The European Union has taken the landmark step of approving a medical cannabis product for use in certain cases of epilepsy. Put simply, this means that the drug can legally be prescribed within the UK and other EU countries, however, at present it is not recommended by the NHS. (source: BBC - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-49795260)  Just last…

Category: Treatments

When a person is diagnosed with epilepsy, the first thing they often ask is “can it be cured?”. It’s a completely natural reaction after receiving news that is possibly life changing to hope that there is a cure and life can continue as normal. However, at present there is no medical cure for epilepsy.  For…

Category: Treatments

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has published their initial decision to not recommend the use of cannabidiol/CBD (Epidyolex) for people who have Lennox-Gastaut or Dravet syndrome.  This is an initial decision and not yet classed as final NICE guidance, which means that although they are not initially backing it as a…

Category: Treatments

For many people with epilepsy, this may mean taking lifelong medication, also known as AEDs. In many cases, this requires taking the medication consistently at regular times of the day. After all, a missed dose or accidentally taking an extra dose can potentially lead to a seizure. Keeping track of medication can be a challenge…

Category: Treatments

13 UK healthcare bodies have combined to provide new guidance on the prescription of sodium valproate medications for women of childbearing age. These medications include those under brand names such as Epilim, Epival, Episenta, Convulex and Orlept. The risks of prescribing sodium valproate The prescription of sodium valproate to women of childbearing age has long…

Category: Treatments

On November 1st 2018, cannabis-based medicines became legal in what was a momentous turning point for many families who had fought for legality. A young boy named Billy Caldwell and his family made national news as a result of their plight and campaign to have cannabis-based medicines made available after it had shown effectiveness in…

Category: Treatments