Medically Intractable Seizures

A seizure occurs when the brain receives a surge of electricity that affects a person's movements and feelings for a short period of time. There are many different types of seizures, and they are symptoms of disorders that affect the brain. One type of seizure is a medically intractable seizure. This means that there is no known cause for it and there is also no medication to prevent it.

Identification

• A medically intractable seizure is one that medication can't control. It is also called "uncontrolled" or "refractory." Although there is debate over the word "uncontrolled," Epilepsy.com suggests that about 1/3 of epilepsy cases are intractable. The seizures would have to be severe and often enough to interfere with a person's quality of life and be unresponsive to medicines to be considered intractable, yet there is no common standard for frequency.

Causes

• There are three reasons that a seizure may be intractable: either the diagnosis is wrong, the treatment is wrong or the seizures just don't respond to any form of treatment. A number of conditions mirror epileptic seizures but aren't really seizures. They include fainting spells, mini-strokes, sleep disorders, movement disorders and panic attacks. When the diagnosis is wrong, the seizures will obviously not respond to medication. The wrong medicine or dosage can also produce no relief for seizures, making them seem intractable. True intractable seizures may be too strong to control with medicine. Also, some medication may have side effects that prevents a person from taking it.

Treatment

• When a person has intractable seizures and medication will not work, there are other approaches to treating the seizures. A doctor can perform surgery if the condition originates in the brain and it is located in one area that can be safely removed. Stimulation of the vagus nerve (from neck to chest to abdomen) can reduce the frequency of seizures, but usually doesn't completely eliminate them. A ketogenic diet, which is high in fat and protein and very low in carbohydrates, alters brain chemistry and can also reduce seizures.

Prognosis

• It is possible for a person with intractable seizures to eventually get rid of them, making them not intractable. Even though specific medications may not work to reduce the severity and frequency of the seizures, the alternative treatments can prove effective in helping control them.

Statistics

• According to Epilepsy.com, even without medication and lifestyle changes, "5 percent of people (1 out of 20) with refractory epilepsy get better each year." Therefore, it is important not to lose hope when in comes to medically intractable seizures, because there is always a chance of them getting better on their own.