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jeffgordonfan24

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my neurologist told me i can get a EEG if i want to see if im still epileptic or not but i cannot afford it at this time.
Could i get this done at an ER. if so how would i go in and ask them
 
Usually they only do an EEG at the ER if you show up having an unexplained seizure. You might want to skip the EEG. When I first tried going off meds (under the supervision of my neurologist), that's what I did. I figured the proof would be in whether or not I remained seizure-free. Keep in mind that EEGs aren't always reliable -- they can show both false positives and false negatives.
 
oh ok so its not that big of a deal to get it. He said if i wanted it i could get it to see if i still need my meds and to see if i was still epileptic, But he didnt say i had to get it down and my family dr told me dont worry about it just keep taking my meds
 
Usually they recommend that you stay on meds for 2 to 5 years before trying to taper off. And if you have an EEG done while you're still on meds, it wouldn't necessarily show anything anyway (since the meds would be suppressing any abnormal brainwaves.)
 
ok thank you
its been a long time since i have had a seizure i take phenytoin 400mg and on tuesday and thursday 500mg
 
There are no 100% guarantees with seizures. But the odds are on your side: Statistics for going into med-free remission favor those who have had the fewest seizures over the briefest amount of time, and who have remained seizure-free for at least 2-5 years. Given the long-term side effects of many seizure medications, it can be worth trying going off them. If you decide to go med-free, tapering should be done slowly, under your doctor's supervision.
 
Jeffgordonfan24,

Here is my story. I've been seuzure free for 15 years. I had that seizure because I came off my meds. I told my neuro that I was tire of taking the meds every day. She developed a plan to taper me off the meds slowly. I had a seuzure with in a week of starting the plan. I know she did that to help me see that I was stuck taking the meds for the rest of my life. I agree with Nakamove that that the EEG while taking the meds probably will probably deliver a false positive. Imo the only way to know is to come off the meds. If you decied to do this please do it under the close supervison of you doctor.
 
Your seizure threshold can go up and down throughout your life in repsonse to various internal and external triggers, so in that sense there are no guarantees, and no way to state for sure that you are “home free.” For some folks, seizures can come back many years after withdrawing from AEDs.

What is clear is that most of the risk of having a seizure is within the first two years of stopping medicines, and most of that risk is probably within the first few months. The longer you go without a seizure, the smaller the chances that they will return.
 
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