I am the mother of a four year old and she was recently diagnosed with epilepsy. She has absence seizures and over the last four weeks my husband and i have been on a whirlwind. Neither of us have had an previous experience with epilepsy and really just feel lost. Her neurologist want to put her on Zanrontin but her dad and I don't feel comfortable with the side effects. We are just trying to ensure that we make the best decisions for her. We were told that she has a 95% chance of outgrowing the seizures. it breaks my heart every time i see her have a seizure.
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epileric
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Welcome indymom
I've had seizures all my life and I've been on medication pretty well all my life.
What you have to realize is that all AEDs have their possible side-effects. That does not mean your child will get them. Even Aspirin has a huge list of possible adverse effects yet it is not something most people are very reluctant to use.
Everybody reacts differently to anti-epileptic medications and I have to admit the side-effects can be hell. Sadly you won't know if or what side-effects it will have or how well it will work until your daughter tries it. Also be aware that side-effects do often go away once ones body adjusts.
The ketogenic diet and the modified atkins diet have been shown to work but they should be done with the care of a medical professional.
I've had seizures all my life and I've been on medication pretty well all my life.
What you have to realize is that all AEDs have their possible side-effects. That does not mean your child will get them. Even Aspirin has a huge list of possible adverse effects yet it is not something most people are very reluctant to use.
Everybody reacts differently to anti-epileptic medications and I have to admit the side-effects can be hell. Sadly you won't know if or what side-effects it will have or how well it will work until your daughter tries it. Also be aware that side-effects do often go away once ones body adjusts.
The ketogenic diet and the modified atkins diet have been shown to work but they should be done with the care of a medical professional.
julie wishes
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Welcome Indymom.... this must be a very difficult time for you and your husband. Hang in there. There are lots parents of children with seizures posting at CWE. If you search around a little you can read some posts and see many parents feel exactly like you, and you will find some really good advice. This site has helped me so much, I hope it does the same for you. Everyone is so nice and really cares. 
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Hi indymom, welcome!
The meds can seem a little scary, and in some ways are "blunt instruments" in terms of how they affect the brain and body. For many, they work fine -- something you can't know until you try them, unfortunately. If you don't feel comfortable with them though, do ask your doctor about taking the dietary approach mentioned by Eric. The Modified Atkins Diet has been shown to be particularly effective with absence seizures. http://www.atkinsforseizures.com/
Best,
Nakamova
The meds can seem a little scary, and in some ways are "blunt instruments" in terms of how they affect the brain and body. For many, they work fine -- something you can't know until you try them, unfortunately. If you don't feel comfortable with them though, do ask your doctor about taking the dietary approach mentioned by Eric. The Modified Atkins Diet has been shown to be particularly effective with absence seizures. http://www.atkinsforseizures.com/
Best,
Nakamova