
You’ve just received an epilepsy diagnosis. Now what?
If you have epilepsy, there are some lifestyle changes you can make to help keep your seizures under control. An epilepsy expert at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center explains.
Controlling or eliminating seizures is typically the biggest treatment goal for people with epilepsy. However, epilepsy frequently occurs along with other learning, mood or behavior challenges. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, is commonly associated with epilepsy.
People with epilepsy struggle with ADHD more frequently than the general population.
What these statistics reveal is if you, your child or another loved one struggles with both epilepsy and ADHD, you’re not alone.
The experts at Ohio State’s Comprehensive Epilepsy Center can offer effective treatments and daily strategies that work.
ADHD may look slightly different for everyone, with individuals being either mostly inattentive, mostly hyperactive and impulsive or a combination of both.
A person who has inattentive ADHD has difficulty focusing on details, struggles to listen or is easily distracted. Hyperactive and impulsive ADHD behavior includes difficulty sitting still, interrupting others or fidgeting.
While it’s common to worry that stimulant medications often used to treat ADHD may increase the number or severity of seizures, this is not a typical occurrence.
Some research shows ADHD medications may not work as well for people with epilepsy, so adjustments may be needed.
We’ll work together with you to carefully monitor any effects on behavior and seizures to adjust treatment as needed for best outcomes of your epilepsy.
At the Ohio State Wexner Medical Center, we’re familiar with the challenges of treating both conditions at once. Our goal is to address your epilepsy and to work with your provider that's treating you for your ADHD.
Our epilepsy team works hand-in-hand with behavioral and mental health experts to:
We work to facilitate open communication and partnership with each family to find the best ways to improve daily quality of life. This may lead to one or more recommended ADHD treatment strategy, along with your epilepsy treatment, including: