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Epilepsy Blog Relay: Reasons for Working with Your Epilepsy Specialist

This post is part of the Epilepsy Blog Relay™

This blog post was submitted by Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Inc., the Founding Sponsor of the November 2019 Epilepsy Blog Relay.  Dr. Blanca Vazquez is a paid consultant of Sunovion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Dr. Blanca Vazquez

Managing epilepsy is a full-time job. But you don’t have to do it alone. There are healthcare professionals who have the knowledge and expertise to help make managing your epilepsy easier.

Whether you are newly diagnosed or have been living with epilepsy for years, it is always easier when you have a team you can trust in your corner. There are many neurologists who are very good at treating epilepsy. If you’ve found one that is helping you control your epilepsy, stick with them. But, if you’re having breakthrough seizures, experiencing medication side effects, or are dealing with other conditions, such as mood disorders on top of your epilepsy, you may want to consider finding a neurologist who specializes in the treatment of epilepsy.

Regardless of who you’re working with to manage your epilepsy, open and honest communication with your healthcare team is a priority. They need to know what is going on in your life so that they can offer you the treatment that will best fit your needs. Everyone wants to be seizure-free with no side effects, but since everyone’s epilepsy affects them differently, that isn’t always possible. That’s why you need to work with a specialist. They can help you find the treatment that works best for you and your circumstances.

Taking Medication

One of the biggest challenges I see in my practice is patients not taking their medication as they’re supposed to. There are a lot of reasons why patients are not compliant with their medication, but I think they come back to a couple important reasons: Their expectations for seizure freedom without any side effects are too high or they aren’t tolerating the medication well. There are ways that epileptologists can help you manage those. We can explain how no medication is without side effects and offer solutions for how to manage them. We can start you off at a lower dose and build your dose up, allowing you to possibly tolerate it better. We can prescribe a medication that is once a day so that it is easier to work into your daily routine. We just need to know more about you, your expectations, and your habits/routines so we can personalize your care to treat your epilepsy.

A Specialist You Trust

At the core of your epilepsy team, you should have a specialist who you trust. Having the right person on your team affects the information you are given, the treatments that are recommended, and the resources that are presented to you. Your epilepsy specialist is the hub for your care, and coordination of care can make the difference in getting treatment that gives you control of your seizures.

 

Our goal is always seizure freedom because one seizure can be one too many.

 

© 2019 Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Inc. All rights reserved. 12/19 NPC-APT-US-00014-19

This blog post was submitted by Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Inc., the Founding Sponsor of the November 2019 Epilepsy Blog Relay.


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  1. Lynsey
    | Reply

    A great post. I see my neurologist frequently and my epilepsy nurse is on hand when i ever have any problems. it is important to communicate with them.

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