Medication in epilepsy should not be discontinued without consulting a doctor

Medication in epilepsy should not be discontinued without consulting a doctor

Temporal Lobe Epilepsy (TLE), which came to the agenda with the death of Mesut Yılmaz's son Yavuz Yılmaz, is a resistant form of epilepsy. Pointing out that the way the disease is perceived can lead to mood disorders, experts warned that medication should not be discontinued without a doctor's recommendation.
Neurology Specialist Prof. Dr. Sultan Tarlacı gave important information about Temporal Lobe Epilepsy.

Stating that epilepsy is a chronic disease characterized by involuntary movement and disturbances of consciousness caused by uncontrolled electrical currents originating from certain parts of the brain, Prof. Dr. Sultan Tarlacı said that the disease is a disease that requires long-term medication.

THE WAY THE DISEASE IS PERCEIVED AFFECTS MOOD

Stating that mood disorders or depressive moods are very common in epilepsy patients, Prof. Dr. Sultan Tarlacı said, "Especially in patients with temporal epilepsy or in general, epilepsy patients may have suicide rates about 5-6 times higher than normal healthy people, or sometimes there may be other factors that determine this. The first is the burden of the disease, that is, the way the person perceives that disease. In other words, thinking that the disease is an incurable disease or affecting their social life because due to the characteristics of epilepsy, seizures can occur in unexpected places. This can create social withdrawal and increase depressive mood in the person."

ONE THIRD OF EPILEPSY PATIENTS MAY HAVE MOOD DISORDERS

Stating that the scientific mechanisms that cause epilepsy also cause mood disorders in the same way, Prof. Dr. Sultan Tarlacı said, "In other words, some substances increase and decrease in the brain in epilepsy. Similar substances increase and decrease in depression and mood disorders. Therefore, there may be a close relationship between epilepsy and depressive mood. Almost 1 in 3 epilepsy patients may have mood disorders and depression."

LABELING AFFECTS THE PATIENT

Stating that the disease can also cause labeling in the society, Prof. Dr. Sultan Tarlacı said, "In some diseases, a situation called labeling occurs, this situation is more common in epilepsy. When there is heart disease, there is not a very negative attitude towards the patient, but when epilepsy is mentioned, there is a negative attitude and something we call labeling the patient. The patient is viewed negatively. This is also reflected in the patient's view of their own disease. Therefore, it can cause a depressive state that we call social withdrawal, loneliness, isolation, and a decrease in human relations."

UNSCIENTIFIC COMMENTS AFFECT THE COURSE OF THE DISEASE

Drawing attention to the problems related to the perception of epilepsy, Prof. Dr. Sultan Tarlacı stated that some people make comments that are incompatible with science, such as that these patients are possessed or bewitched, and that these negatively affect the treatment process, and noted that epilepsy can sometimes be considered as a mental illness. Tarlacı said, "These situations also change the patient's perception. When panic disorder is present, the patient does not feel so bad, for example, they excitedly say that they have panic disorder. Therefore, since it causes such labeling, it creates a social withdrawal and a negative emotional state in the patient. They cut off their social relations, they want to stay at home, they don't want to go out. He stays away from entertainments, activities and friends, and this time depression increases."

TLE IS A RESISTANT TYPE

Stating that uncontrolled electrical discharges can occur anywhere in the brain in epilepsy, Prof. Dr. Sultan Tarlacı said, "Temporal Lobe Epilepsy accounts for almost 7 to 10 percent of normal epilepsy patients and originates from the depths of the temporal region of the brain, which we call the temporal region of the brain, which will coincide with the side area when you put your hand. The characteristic of seizures in this region is that they are a bit resistant, that is, they are a bit more resistant to treatment than other regions. At the same time, mood disorders may occur more frequently in such patients due to the type of seizure. Of course, not only seizures, but also some epilepsy medications can cause mood disorders and even depression or depression severe enough to lead to suicidal tendencies. Behind this situation; the genetic structure of the person, the perception of the disease, compliance with the treatment and the effect of the medication can be counted."

80 PERCENT SUCCESS RATE IN SURGERY

Stating that surgery can also be an alternative if seizures in the temporal region are resistant, Prof. Dr. Sultan Tarlacı said, "In surgery, we find and remove the focus in the temporal region of the brain. Or we plan appropriate surgical treatment for the patient. The success rate in such surgical methods is close to 80 percent, but in some cases, low-dose medication may still be required."

MEDICATIONS SHOULD NOT BE DISCONTINUED WITHOUT DOCTOR'S RECOMMENDATION

Drawing attention to the importance of the use of medication in the treatment of the disease, Prof. Dr. Sultan Tarlacı emphasized that medications should not be discontinued unless recommended by the doctor and said:

"Some medications improve mood disorders and some epilepsy medications are used by psychiatrists for depression. But on the contrary, some epilepsy drugs can also cause side effects that can cause mood disorders, but we never want epilepsy patients to stop their medication on their own because there are certain conditions for stopping medication. If the medication is discontinued after those conditions are not fulfilled, frequent seizures, repeated seizures, or even large seizures without regaining consciousness and seizures up to death may occur. The cause of the most frequent seizures and recurrent seizures is drug withdrawal. In other words, the patient stops the medication by himself/herself. Discontinuing epilepsy medications quickly, discontinuing them suddenly, causes seizures to occur one after the other."

EPILEPSY DOES NOT CAUSE PARALYSIS

Referring to the allegations in the newspapers that the disease may have consequences that may lead to paralysis, Prof. Dr. Sultan Tarlacı said, "This information should be corrected. Normally, we do not expect a complication in the form of paralysis in epilepsy patients. What we call paralysis is muscle weakness or similar loss of function caused by bleeding in the brain or vascular occlusions. Such permanent paralysis cannot be expected in patients with epilepsy, there is no such thing, in other words, there is no such paralysis due to frequent seizures. Only temporary loss of consciousness or perception disorders or sometimes behavioral disorders, especially in Temporal Lobe Epilepsy, behavioral disorders that we call psychosis may occur."

PREJUDICES SHOULD BE OVERCOME, PRECAUTIONS SHOULD BE TAKEN

Stating that unnecessary and exaggerated pressures may arise from time to time against epilepsy patients, Prof. Dr. Sultan Tarlacı said, "There may be prejudices such as they cannot get married or have children. Under normal conditions, a patient whose seizures are under control can live as a normal person would live, but what should they pay attention to? For example, if he/she is swimming, he/she should swim in a place that does not exceed knee level, someone should be with him/her because drowning can occur during seizures. If he/she is going to take a walk in nature, someone must be with him/her. But there is no requirement for someone whose seizures are under control to have someone with them at home all the time. However, if the seizure control is bad, if the patient has frequent seizures, of course, there should be an observer or someone with him during the seizure because there will be loss of consciousness."

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CreatorNP Istanbul Hospital Editorial Board
Updated At05 March 2024
Created At21 January 2021
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