Learn what a typical Epilepsy prognosis is at Consumer Reports Health.

Epilepsy

What will happen?

If you or your child has been diagnosed with epilepsy, you may feel upset and afraid about what's going to happen. Many people worry that they'll have less control over their lives and that the epilepsy will take over.

Some things will change if you have epilepsy. It's possible you won't be allowed to drive, for example. But most people with epilepsy lead a full, healthy and active life. There is very little that epilepsy stops them from doing.

Source:
Jacoby A.
Epilepsy and the quality of everyday life: findings from a study of people with well-controlled epilepsy.
Social Science & Medicine. 1992; 34: 657-666.

There are treatments that can reduce the number of seizures you or your child has, or stop them altogether. Medications work for about 3 out of 4 people who take them. Surgery also may be an option. (To learn more, see What treatments work for epilepsy?)

It's hard to say exactly what will happen to you or your child. A lot depends on how often the seizures happen, how bad they are and how well medication works. But here are some things we know from the research.

Will I (or my child) have another seizure?

If you've had only one seizure, you may not have another. Some seizures aren't caused by epilepsy and happen only once. (To learn more, see Non-epileptic seizures.) Nearly 2 out of 3 people don't have another seizure in the two years after their first.

Source:
Berg AT, Shinnar S.
The risk of seizure recurrence following a first unprovoked seizure: a quantitative review.
Neurology. 1991; 41: 965-972.

²
But if you've had two or three seizures, you are very likely to have more. In fact, 3 out of 4 people who've had two or three seizures will have another seizure within four years.

Source:
Hauser WA, Rich SS, Lee JR, et al.
Risk of recurrent seizures after two unprovoked seizures.
New England Journal of Medicine. 1998; 338: 429-434.

³
Some kinds of epilepsy, such as benign childhood epilepsy or childhood absence epilepsy, usually go away as children get older. (To learn more about these conditions, see Epilepsy syndromes.)

Will the seizures stop?

If you or your child has had two or more seizures, it's unlikely that the seizures will go away without treatment. About 3 out of 4 people who've had two seizures will have more.
But with medication, there's a good chance that you or your child will have fewer seizures, or that the seizures will stop completely.
Many people stop having seizures for several years. In one study, 7 in 10 people with epilepsy stopped having seizures for five years. Sometimes they were using a treatment during this period, and other times they were not.

Source:
Cockerell OC, Johnson AL, Sander JW, et al.
Remission of epilepsy: results from the National General Practice Study of Epilepsy.
Lancet. 1995; 346: 140-144.

⁴

Source:
Annegers JF, Hauser WA, Elveback LR.
Remission of seizures and relapse in patients with epilepsy.
Epilepsia. 1979; 20: 729-737.

⁵

Will I (or my child) always need to take medication?

You or your child may be able to stop taking medication if the seizures stop. But if the seizures don't stop, you may need to take medication for the rest of your life. Most doctors won't stop a patient's medication until the person has been seizure-free for at least two years. To learn more, see Should someone who no longer has seizures stop taking epilepsy medication?
About 2 out of 3 people who stop their medication don't have another seizure in the next two years.

Source:
Medical Research Council Antiepileptic Drug Withdrawal Study Group.
Prognostic index for recurrence of seizures after remission of epilepsy.
BMJ. 1993; 306: 1374-1378.

⁶

Source:
Medical Research Council Antiepileptic Drug Withdrawal Study Group.
Randomised study of antiepileptic drug withdrawal in patients in remission.
Lancet. 1991; 337: 1175-1180.

⁷

Can epilepsy hurt me (or my child)?

Most seizures aren't harmful. But they can increase your chances of having an injury, drowning or falling.

Source:
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.
Seizures and epilepsy: hope through research.
October 2008. Available at http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/epilepsy/detail_epilepsy.htm (accessed on 6 November 2008).

⁸
Very rarely, people with epilepsy can have a bad seizure that lasts a long time, or one bad seizure after another. This is called status epilepticus. It can be dangerous. These seizures put your heart and lungs under a lot of stress, and your brain may not get enough oxygen. People having these kinds of seizures need emergency treatment with drugs and oxygen. Call 911 if you see anyone having a seizure that lasts longer than five minutes.

Source:
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.
Seizures and epilepsy: hope through research.
October 2008. Available at http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/epilepsy/detail_epilepsy.htm (accessed on 6 November 2008).

⁸
People with epilepsy are more likely to die suddenly than people who don't have it.

Source:
Ficker DM, So EL, Shen WK, et al.
Population-based study of the incidence of sudden unexplained death in epilepsy.
Neurology. 1998; 51: 1270-1274.

⁹ Doctors call these deaths sudden unexplained deaths in epilepsy. We know very little about why these deaths happen, although they might have something to do with the effects of epilepsy on breathing and the heartbeat. But we do know that many of these sudden deaths could be prevented, by people getting the right kind of care. It helps to have as few seizures as possible.

Source:
Langan Y.
Sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP): risk factors and case control studies.
Seizure. 2000; 9: 179-183.

¹⁰ So be sure to take your medication at the right time and at the right dose.

Can I have children?

Most women with epilepsy can get pregnant, and they have more than a 90 percent chance of having a normal, healthy baby. If you're planning to get pregnant, you should discuss your epilepsy and your medication with your doctor first.

Source:
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.
Seizures and epilepsy: hope through research.
October 2008. Available at http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/epilepsy/detail_epilepsy.htm (accessed on 6 November 2008).

⁸ See Epilepsy and pregnancy to read more about taking medication while you are pregnant.

Can I drive?

If you don't get seizures when you take medication, you should be able to drive. The rules for driving with epilepsy vary from state to state.

Sources for the information on this page:

Jacoby A.Epilepsy and the quality of everyday life: findings from a study of people with well-controlled epilepsy.Social Science & Medicine. 1992; 34: 657-666.

Berg AT, Shinnar S.The risk of seizure recurrence following a first unprovoked seizure: a quantitative review.Neurology. 1991; 41: 965-972.

Hauser WA, Rich SS, Lee JR, et al.Risk of recurrent seizures after two unprovoked seizures.New England Journal of Medicine. 1998; 338: 429-434.

Cockerell OC, Johnson AL, Sander JW, et al.Remission of epilepsy: results from the National General Practice Study of Epilepsy.Lancet. 1995; 346: 140-144.

Annegers JF, Hauser WA, Elveback LR.Remission of seizures and relapse in patients with epilepsy.Epilepsia. 1979; 20: 729-737.

Medical Research Council Antiepileptic Drug Withdrawal Study Group.Prognostic index for recurrence of seizures after remission of epilepsy.BMJ. 1993; 306: 1374-1378.

Medical Research Council Antiepileptic Drug Withdrawal Study Group.Randomised study of antiepileptic drug withdrawal in patients in remission.Lancet. 1991; 337: 1175-1180.

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Seizures and epilepsy: hope through research.October 2008. Available at http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/epilepsy/detail_epilepsy.htm (accessed on 6 November 2008).

Ficker DM, So EL, Shen WK, et al.Population-based study of the incidence of sudden unexplained death in epilepsy.Neurology. 1998; 51: 1270-1274.

Langan Y.Sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP): risk factors and case control studies.Seizure. 2000; 9: 179-183.

This information was last updated on Dec 04, 2008

This information is for educational use only, and is not a substitute for prompt professional medical advice. Readers should always consult a physician or other professional for advice and treatment.
© BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2009. All rights reserved.

The information on ConsumerReportsHealth.org should not be viewed as a substitute for a consultation with a medical or health professional. The information is meant to enhance communication with your doctor, not replace it. Consumers Union can not be liable for any loss, injury, or other damages related to your use of this information.

Your use of this information is subject to our User Agreement available at www.ConsumerReportsHealth.org.