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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	569 (15%) patients experienced severe severity 1267 (34%) patients experienced moderate severity 1158 (31%) patients experienced mild severity 703 (19%) patients experienced no severity	Handicap/Disability Parking Permit, Modafinil, Vitamin B Complex
Memory problems	749 (21%) patients experienced severe severity 1231 (35%) patients experienced moderate severity 987 (28%) patients experienced mild severity 598 (17%) patients experienced no severity	Journal Writing, Donepezil, Torsemide
Problems concentrating	622 (17%) patients experienced severe severity 1202 (34%) patients experienced moderate severity 1104 (31%) patients experienced mild severity 641 (18%) patients experienced no severity	Amphetamine-Dextroamphetamine, Methylphenidate, Lisdexamfetamine
Excessive daytime sleepiness (somnolence)	511 (14%) patients experienced severe severity 1039 (29%) patients experienced moderate severity 1085 (30%) patients experienced mild severity 933 (26%) patients experienced no severity	Modafinil, Armodafinil, Lamotrigine
Headaches	440 (12%) patients experienced severe severity 860 (24%) patients experienced moderate severity 1057 (29%) patients experienced mild severity 1228 (34%) patients experienced no severity	Ibuprofen, Butalbital-acetaminophen-caffeine, Topiramate
Pain	376 (10%) patients experienced severe severity 766 (21%) patients experienced moderate severity 873 (24%) patients experienced mild severity 1648 (45%) patients experienced no severity	Hydrocodone-Acetaminophen, Ibuprofen, Gabapentin
Depressed mood	348 (9%) patients experienced severe severity 942 (26%) patients experienced moderate severity 1205 (33%) patients experienced mild severity 1175 (32%) patients experienced no severity	Sertraline, Citalopram, Fluoxetine
Insomnia	443 (12%) patients experienced severe severity 752 (21%) patients experienced moderate severity 918 (25%) patients experienced mild severity 1528 (42%) patients experienced no severity	Zolpidem, Trazodone, Clonazepam
Anxious mood	329 (9%) patients experienced severe severity 964 (26%) patients experienced moderate severity 1175 (32%) patients experienced mild severity 1187 (32%) 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 41 (11%) could not tell	71 (18%) experienced severe side effects 125 (32%) experienced moderate side effects 121 (31%) experienced mild side effects 72 (19%) experienced no side effects	389
Lamotrigine (Lamictal ODT, Lamogine, Lamictal XR, Lamictal Starter Kit (Orange))	111 (41%) experienced major perceived effectiveness 77 (28%) experienced moderate perceived effectiveness 34 (12%) experienced slight perceived effectiveness 18 (7%) experienced no perceived effectiveness 33 (12%) could not tell	36 (13%) experienced severe side effects 82 (30%) experienced moderate side effects 86 (32%) experienced mild side effects 69 (25%) experienced no side effects	273
Carbamazepine (Teril, Carbamazepine XR, Karbamazepine, Tegretol CR)	80 (40%) experienced major perceived effectiveness 52 (26%) experienced moderate perceived effectiveness 30 (15%) experienced slight perceived effectiveness 17 (8%) experienced no perceived effectiveness 23 (11%) could not tell	41 (20%) experienced severe side effects 64 (32%) experienced moderate side effects 53 (26%) experienced mild side effects 44 (22%) experienced no side effects	202
Topiramate (Topictal, Topamax, Topamax Sprinkle, Toprel)	53 (28%) experienced major perceived effectiveness 65 (35%) experienced moderate perceived effectiveness 32 (17%) experienced slight perceived effectiveness 15 (8%) experienced no perceived effectiveness 21 (11%) could not tell	43 (23%) experienced severe side effects 64 (34%) experienced moderate side effects 35 (19%) experienced mild side effects 44 (24%) experienced no side effects	186
Phenytoin (Dilantin Infatabs, Phenytoin liquid, Epamin, Dilantin Kapseals)	63 (40%) experienced major perceived effectiveness 40 (25%) experienced moderate perceived effectiveness 22 (14%) experienced slight perceived effectiveness 18 (11%) experienced no perceived effectiveness 16 (10%) could not tell	46 (29%) experienced severe side effects 45 (28%) experienced moderate side effects 36 (23%) experienced mild side effects 32 (20%) experienced no side effects	159
Divalproex sodium (Divalproex sodium ER, Depakote Sprinkles, Valtas OD, Divalproex DR)	60 (40%) experienced major perceived effectiveness 48 (32%) experienced moderate perceived effectiveness 11 (7%) experienced slight perceived effectiveness 20 (13%) experienced no perceived effectiveness 10 (7%) could not tell	55 (37%) experienced severe side effects 41 (28%) experienced moderate side effects 32 (21%) experienced mild side effects 21 (14%) experienced no side effects	149
Lacosamide (Vimpat)	30 (33%) experienced major perceived effectiveness 20 (22%) experienced moderate perceived effectiveness 11 (12%) experienced slight perceived effectiveness 14 (15%) experienced no perceived effectiveness 17 (18%) could not tell	15 (16%) experienced severe side effects 23 (25%) experienced moderate side effects 27 (29%) experienced mild side effects 27 (29%) experienced no side effects	92
Zonisamide (Zonegran)	29 (33%) experienced major perceived effectiveness 27 (31%) experienced moderate perceived effectiveness 18 (20%) experienced slight perceived effectiveness 5 (6%) experienced no perceived effectiveness 9 (10%) could not tell	19 (22%) experienced severe side effects 26 (30%) experienced moderate side effects 21 (24%) experienced mild side effects 22 (25%) experienced no side effects	88
Oxcarbazepine (Oxtellar XR, Trileptal, Oleptal)	22 (29%) experienced major perceived effectiveness 24 (32%) experienced moderate perceived effectiveness 10 (13%) experienced slight perceived effectiveness 8 (11%) experienced no perceived effectiveness 11 (15%) could not tell	23 (31%) experienced severe side effects 19 (25%) experienced moderate side effects 22 (29%) experienced mild side effects 11 (15%) experienced no side effects	75
Clonazepam (DOM-Clonazepam, Clonex, Paxam, Klonopin Wafer)	22 (29%) experienced major perceived effectiveness 21 (28%) experienced moderate perceived effectiveness 15 (20%) experienced slight perceived effectiveness 7 (9%) experienced no perceived effectiveness 10 (13%) could not tell	11 (15%) experienced severe side effects 12 (16%) experienced moderate side effects 25 (33%) experienced mild side effects 27 (36%) experienced no side effects	75
Vagus Nerve Stimulation (VNS) (GammaCore)	17 (43%) experienced major perceived effectiveness 10 (25%) 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 (Gabatin, DOM-Gabapentin, APO-Gabapentin, 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)	6 (21%) experienced major perceived effectiveness 14 (48%) experienced moderate perceived effectiveness 4 (14%) experienced slight perceived effectiveness 4 (14%) experienced no perceived effectiveness 1 (3%) could not tell	8 (28%) experienced severe side effects 9 (31%) experienced moderate side effects 7 (24%) experienced mild side effects 5 (17%) experienced no side effects	29
Lorazepam (Ativan SL, Sandoz Lorazepam, Temesta, APO-Lorazepam)	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?

7,870 patients have this condition
82 New patients joined this month
7,086 say Epilepsy is their primary condition

<20	20s	30s	40s	50s	60s	70+
Current Age
458 patients	1335 patients	1725 patients	1663 patients	1017 patients	328 patients	63 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	2,839	2839
20-29 years	805	805
30-39 years	455	455
40-49 years	256	256
50-59 years	78	78
60-69 years	23	23
70+ years	7	7

Diagnosis status
Diagnosis status	# of patients	Proportion
Not Diagnosed	193	193
Diagnosed	4,471	4471

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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26k+ posts | 3k+ topics

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Last updated: June 19, 2013