Visiting your doctor

Last Updated:

16 Jul 2009

Review Due Date:

16 Jan 2010

If you’re having any problems with your epilepsy or you think you’re having side-effects from your anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs), don’t ignore them or hope that they’ll go away. Speak to your family doctor who will try to sort these out for you. If they can’t help, they’ll usually refer you to an epilepsy specialist.

Should I see a doctor on a regular basis?

(this information is relevant to England and Wales)

There are some guidelines for doctors, produced by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE). This is an independent organisation responsible for providing national guidance on treatments and care for people using the NHS in England and Wales.

The NICE guideline for epilepsy recommends that if you are an adult with epilepsy, you should have a review of your epilepsy and AEDs at least once a year. This should be with your GP or epilepsy specialist. If you continue to have seizures or side effects, you should be referred to an epilepsy specialist by your GP.