Epilepsy facts

• Nearly half a million people in the UK have epilepsy.
• Epilepsy is a tendency to have recurring seizures (fits).
• Epilepsy can start at any time of life.
• Epilepsy can start for no apparent reason – or as a result of damage to the brain.
• There are many different types of seizures.
• Seizures can affect one part of the brain (partial seizures) - or they can affect all, or most, of the brain (generalised seizures).
• Many people who have seizures do not completely lose consciousness, but may have their consciousness disrupted in some way.
• In some types of seizure, the person is aware of what is happening.
• Memory problems are more common in people with epilepsy than people without epilepsy.
• Most people with epilepsy take epilepsy medicine, known as anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs).

This information is for prison staff dealing with prisoners with epilepsy. Further information on the treatment of epilepsy is on our website.

Important things to know about anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs)

• AEDs are designed to stop seizures before they happen. They don’t cure epilepsy. And they don’t stop a seizure once it’s happening.
  There are lots of different AEDs available.
• If one AED doesn’t control seizures, or is causing a lot of side effects, another AED might be more suitable.
• Sometimes someone may need to change the dosage of the AED they take.
• Sometimes people might need more than one AED.
• AEDs must be taken exactly as prescribed by the doctor and never stopped suddenly.