Epilepsy may be treated with drugs, surgery, or a special diet. Of these treatments, drug therapy is by far the most common, and is usually the first to be tried. A number of medications are currently used in the treatment of epilepsy. These medications control different types of seizures.

People who have more than one type of seizure may have to take more than one kind of drug, although doctors try to control seizures with one drug if possible. A seizure preventing drug (also known as an antiepileptic or anticonvulsant drug) won’t work properly until it reaches a certain level in the body, and that level has to be maintained.

It is important to follow the doctor’s instructions very carefully as to when and how much medication should be taken. The goal is to keep the blood level high enough to prevent seizures, but not so high that it causes excessive sleepiness or other unpleasant side effects.

Is epilepsy ever contagious?

No, epilepsy is never contagious. You cannot catch epilepsy from someone else and nobody can catch it from you.