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What is it like to have Epilepsy?

Common symptoms	How bad it is	What people are taking for it
Severity Severe Moderate Mild None
Fatigue	567 (15%) patients experienced severe severity 1249 (34%) patients experienced moderate severity 1159 (32%) patients experienced mild severity 687 (19%) patients experienced no severity	Modafinil, Vitamin B Complex, Amphetamine-Dextroamphetamine
Memory problems	747 (21%) patients experienced severe severity 1211 (34%) patients experienced moderate severity 983 (28%) patients experienced mild severity 596 (17%) patients experienced no severity	Journal Writing, Donepezil, Cannabis
Problems concentrating	615 (17%) patients experienced severe severity 1198 (34%) patients experienced moderate severity 1092 (31%) patients experienced mild severity 635 (18%) patients experienced no severity	Methylphenidate, Amphetamine-Dextroamphetamine, Lisdexamfetamine
Pain	369 (10%) patients experienced severe severity 767 (21%) patients experienced moderate severity 862 (24%) patients experienced mild severity 1631 (45%) patients experienced no severity	Hydrocodone-Acetaminophen, Ibuprofen, Gabapentin
Excessive daytime sleepiness (somnolence)	503 (14%) patients experienced severe severity 1030 (29%) patients experienced moderate severity 1075 (30%) patients experienced mild severity 931 (26%) patients experienced no severity	Modafinil, Armodafinil, Naps
Headaches	434 (12%) patients experienced severe severity 860 (24%) patients experienced moderate severity 1050 (30%) patients experienced mild severity 1212 (34%) patients experienced no severity	Ibuprofen, MRI, Topiramate
Depressed mood	347 (10%) patients experienced severe severity 926 (25%) patients experienced moderate severity 1200 (33%) patients experienced mild severity 1164 (32%) patients experienced no severity	Sertraline, Citalopram, Fluoxetine
Insomnia	436 (12%) patients experienced severe severity 746 (21%) patients experienced moderate severity 904 (25%) patients experienced mild severity 1521 (42%) patients experienced no severity	Zolpidem, Trazodone, Clonazepam
Anxious mood	322 (9%) patients experienced severe severity 947 (26%) patients experienced moderate severity 1170 (32%) patients experienced mild severity 1184 (33%) patients experienced no severity	Clonazepam, Lorazepam, Diazepam

What do patients take to treat Epilepsy and its symptoms?

Treatments reported by members	Perceived effectiveness	Overall rating of side effects	# of Evaluations
Levetiracetam (Keppra, Keppra XR)	166 (43%) experienced major perceived effectiveness 116 (30%) experienced moderate perceived effectiveness 42 (11%) experienced slight perceived effectiveness 24 (6%) experienced no perceived effectiveness 40 (10%) could not tell	71 (18%) experienced severe side effects 124 (32%) experienced moderate side effects 120 (31%) experienced mild side effects 73 (19%) experienced no side effects	388
Lamotrigine (Lamictal ODT, Lamogine, Lamictal XR, Lamictal Starter Kit (Orange))	110 (41%) experienced major perceived effectiveness 76 (28%) experienced moderate perceived effectiveness 35 (13%) experienced slight perceived effectiveness 18 (7%) experienced no perceived effectiveness 31 (11%) could not tell	34 (13%) experienced severe side effects 83 (31%) experienced moderate side effects 88 (33%) experienced mild side effects 65 (24%) experienced no side effects	270
Carbamazepine (Teril, Carbamazepine XR, Karbamazepine, Tegretol CR)	80 (40%) experienced major perceived effectiveness 50 (25%) experienced moderate perceived effectiveness 30 (15%) experienced slight perceived effectiveness 17 (9%) experienced no perceived effectiveness 22 (11%) could not tell	43 (22%) experienced severe side effects 62 (31%) experienced moderate side effects 51 (26%) experienced mild side effects 43 (22%) experienced no side effects	199
Topiramate (Topictal, Topamax Sprinkle, Topamax, Toprel)	50 (27%) experienced major perceived effectiveness 67 (36%) experienced moderate perceived effectiveness 32 (17%) experienced slight perceived effectiveness 15 (8%) experienced no perceived effectiveness 21 (11%) could not tell	42 (23%) experienced severe side effects 65 (35%) experienced moderate side effects 35 (19%) experienced mild side effects 43 (23%) experienced no side effects	185
Phenytoin (Dilantin Infatabs, Phenytoin liquid, Epamin, Dilantin Kapseals)	61 (40%) experienced major perceived effectiveness 38 (25%) experienced moderate perceived effectiveness 22 (14%) experienced slight perceived effectiveness 18 (12%) experienced no perceived effectiveness 15 (10%) could not tell	46 (30%) experienced severe side effects 42 (27%) experienced moderate side effects 35 (23%) experienced mild side effects 31 (20%) experienced no side effects	154
Divalproex sodium (Divalproex sodium ER, Depakote Sprinkles, Valtas OD, Divalproex DR)	60 (41%) experienced major perceived effectiveness 46 (31%) experienced moderate perceived effectiveness 13 (9%) experienced slight perceived effectiveness 20 (14%) experienced no perceived effectiveness 9 (6%) could not tell	56 (38%) experienced severe side effects 40 (27%) experienced moderate side effects 32 (22%) experienced mild side effects 20 (14%) experienced no side effects	148
Lacosamide (Vimpat)	32 (35%) experienced major perceived effectiveness 21 (23%) experienced moderate perceived effectiveness 9 (10%) experienced slight perceived effectiveness 14 (15%) experienced no perceived effectiveness 16 (17%) could not tell	14 (15%) experienced severe side effects 23 (25%) experienced moderate side effects 31 (34%) experienced mild side effects 24 (26%) experienced no side effects	92
Zonisamide (Zonegran)	25 (29%) experienced major perceived effectiveness 26 (30%) experienced moderate perceived effectiveness 18 (21%) experienced slight perceived effectiveness 7 (8%) experienced no perceived effectiveness 11 (13%) could not tell	18 (21%) experienced severe side effects 24 (28%) experienced moderate side effects 22 (25%) experienced mild side effects 23 (26%) experienced no side effects	87
Oxcarbazepine (Trileptal, Oleptal)	23 (30%) experienced major perceived effectiveness 24 (32%) experienced moderate perceived effectiveness 10 (13%) experienced slight perceived effectiveness 8 (11%) experienced no perceived effectiveness 11 (14%) could not tell	23 (30%) experienced severe side effects 21 (28%) experienced moderate side effects 21 (28%) experienced mild side effects 11 (14%) experienced no side effects	76
Clonazepam (DOM-Clonazepam, Paxam, Klonopin Wafer, Clonotril)	21 (29%) experienced major perceived effectiveness 21 (29%) experienced moderate perceived effectiveness 15 (21%) experienced slight perceived effectiveness 6 (8%) experienced no perceived effectiveness 10 (14%) could not tell	11 (15%) experienced severe side effects 12 (16%) experienced moderate side effects 24 (33%) experienced mild side effects 26 (36%) experienced no side effects	73
Vagus Nerve Stimulation (VNS) (GammaCore)	16 (40%) experienced major perceived effectiveness 11 (28%) experienced moderate perceived effectiveness 2 (5%) experienced slight perceived effectiveness 5 (13%) experienced no perceived effectiveness 6 (15%) could not tell	2 (5%) experienced severe side effects 9 (23%) experienced moderate side effects 22 (55%) experienced mild side effects 7 (18%) experienced no side effects	40
Gabapentin (DOM-Gabapentin, APO-Gabapentin, Gabatin, Gralise)	4 (13%) experienced major perceived effectiveness 12 (39%) experienced moderate perceived effectiveness 5 (16%) experienced slight perceived effectiveness 4 (13%) experienced no perceived effectiveness 6 (19%) could not tell	10 (32%) experienced severe side effects 5 (16%) experienced moderate side effects 12 (39%) experienced mild side effects 4 (13%) experienced no side effects	31
Phenobarbital (Luminal)	13 (45%) experienced major perceived effectiveness 6 (21%) experienced moderate perceived effectiveness 3 (10%) experienced slight perceived effectiveness 4 (14%) experienced no perceived effectiveness 3 (10%) could not tell	6 (21%) experienced severe side effects 10 (34%) experienced moderate side effects 7 (24%) experienced mild side effects 6 (21%) experienced no side effects	29
Pregabalin (Lyrica)	5 (18%) experienced major perceived effectiveness 14 (50%) experienced moderate perceived effectiveness 4 (14%) experienced slight perceived effectiveness 4 (14%) experienced no perceived effectiveness 1 (4%) could not tell	8 (29%) experienced severe side effects 9 (32%) experienced moderate side effects 6 (21%) experienced mild side effects 5 (18%) experienced no side effects	28
Lorazepam (Sandoz Lorazepam, Temesta, APO-Lorazepam, Tranquipam)	20 (71%) experienced major perceived effectiveness 3 (11%) experienced moderate perceived effectiveness 3 (11%) experienced slight perceived effectiveness 0 (0%) experienced no perceived effectiveness 2 (7%) could not tell	3 (11%) experienced severe side effects 6 (21%) experienced moderate side effects 9 (32%) experienced mild side effects 10 (36%) experienced no side effects	28

These charts show data from Epilepsy patients' latest treatment evaluations

Who has Epilepsy at PatientsLikeMe?

7,804 patients have this condition
32 New patients joined this month
7,034 say Epilepsy is their primary condition

<20	20s	30s	40s	50s	60s	70+
Current Age
457 patients	1332 patients	1712 patients	1636 patients	986 patients	318 patients	62 patients

Distribution of females vs. males
Gender
69%	Females
31%	Males

Age at first symptom
Age at first symptom	# of patients	Proportion
0-19 years	2,838	2838
20-29 years	804	804
30-39 years	455	455
40-49 years	256	256
50-59 years	77	77
60-69 years	23	23
70+ years	7	7

Diagnosis status
Diagnosis status	# of patients	Proportion
Not Diagnosed	193	193
Diagnosed	4,480	4480

These charts show data from Epilepsy patients who have completed their condition history

Find patients just like you Patients with Epilepsy

Where do I talk to patients with Epilepsy?

Epilepsy Forum

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Last updated: May 24, 2013