Common Questions
About Epilepsy
What is epilepsy?
Epilepsy is a condition in which a person has seizures that happen again and again. A seizure is an excited flood of impulses from the brain's nerve cells. It can cause a temporary upset of motor, sensory, or mental function.
What causes epilepsy?
In most cases, the cause of epilepsy is unknown. But it may be caused by:
- Genetic metabolic defects
- Head trauma
- Nervous system infections such as meningitis
- Down's syndrome
- Cerebral palsy
- Brain tumors
- Stroke
- Alzheimer's disease
- High blood pressure
- Multiple sclerosis
- Depression
Epilepsy can begin at any age. Often the first signs show up before the age of 20.
What is a partial seizure?
A seizure is the way the body reacts to nerve cells that are overexcited and fire too many signals to the rest of the body. When the flood of signals starts in a small part of the brain, it is called a partial seizure.
Are there different kinds of partial seizures?
Yes. In general, there are 2 kinds of partial seizures: simple and complex.
In a Simple Partial Seizure, a person:
- Stays alert
- Can answer questions and follow commands
- Can recall what happened during the seizure
In a Complex Partial Seizure, a person:
- Loses or has a change in consciousness
- May not be able to answer questions or follow commands
- Often cannot recall what happened during part or all of the seizure
What are the signs of a simple partial seizure?
They vary. It depends on what part of the brain is involved. (An “aura” is a term used to describe the signs and symptoms that may happen at the start of a seizure.)
Some signs and symptoms include:
- Odd muscle movements, like stiffening, twitching, or jerking (these may affect one part of the body or can spread)
- Change in the senses, like feeling pins and needles, having a bad taste in the mouth, smelling something bad, seeing flashing lights, or hearing buzzing or a person's voice
- Changes in heart rate or breathing rate
A person can also feel:
- As if he or she is in a dream
- Fearful, anxious, or depressed
- As if time is slowing down or speeding up
- That well-known things seem strange or that strange things seem well known
A person stays alert and can recall what happened during the seizure.
After the seizure, the person may feel weak in the part of the body affected. He or she may also have problems seeing or talking. These problems can last from minutes to hours.
What are the signs of a complex partial seizure?
A loss of consciousness or change in consciousness is one sign of a complex partial seizure. Most often a person just stares. He or she does not answer questions or follow commands.
A simple partial seizure may come before a complex partial seizure. For example, some people may have an odd taste in their mouths or smell an odor. Other people may feel that they have already gone through what is happening.
Other signs may include:
- Smacking lips, chewing, or swallowing
- Making a face
- Making the same movement over and over, like picking at clothes or walking in a circle
- Making sounds, like grunts, or repeating a group of words
Often the person cannot recall all or part of what happened. He or she may be confused after the seizure. Most often, it lasts less than 15 minutes. Some symptoms, such as being tired, can last for hours.
How are partial seizures treated?
Antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) are medicines used to control seizures. But, even with treatment about 40% of people will still have some seizures, according to the Epilepsy Foundation. Many people need 2 or more AEDs to improve seizure control. In some cases, people have surgery. Others try what is called nerve stimulation therapy.
LYRICA® (pregabalin) capsules CV is a drug approved by the FDA to treat adults with partial seizures who take 1 or more AEDs but still have seizures.
In studies, up to 51% of people treated with LYRICA had a 50% or greater drop in how often they had seizures.
I want to learn more about epilepsy. What should I do?
The best thing to do is talk to your doctor.
These Web sites can be helpful as well:
Epilepsy Foundation of America (EFA)
Epilepsy.org
About LYRICA
What is LYRICA?
LYRICA (LEER-i-kah) has been proven effective in clinical trials as an add-on therapy for adult patients with Partial Onset Seizures. Talk to your doctor. Together, you can decide if LYRICA is right for you.
How is LYRICA thought to work?
Seizures begin in the brain, which is made up of millions of nerve cells. The nerve cells communicate with each other by releasing electrical signals. These signals carry information from one nerve cell to another. In people with epilepsy, overexcited nerve cells release too many electrical signals. This can cause seizures.
Although the exact mechanism of action is unknown, results from animal studies suggest that LYRICA is believed to work by reducing the number of "extra" electrical signals that are sent out from damaged or over-excited nerves.
For what uses is LYRICA approved by the FDA?
LYRICA is a prescription medicine approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and is used together with other seizure medicines to treat partial seizures in adults. It is also used to treat the pain from damaged nerves that happens with diabetes or the pain following the healing of shingles. In addition, it is used in adults to treat fibromyalgia (pain all over the body).
When can I expect relief?
Some patients start to feel relief in as soon as 1 week. But everyone is different. Some people may have to give LYRICA more time to work.
Can I take LYRICA with other medicines?
Tell your health care provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and nonprescription medicines, vitamins, or herbal supplements.
In studies, LYRICA was shown to have a low potential for certain types of drug interactions.
However, LYRICA and a few other drugs may affect each other, causing side effects:
- You may have a higher chance for swelling and hives if you take angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors with LYRICA
- You may have a higher chance of weight gain or swelling of your hands or feet if you take certain diabetes medicines with LYRICA
- You may have a higher chance for dizziness and sleepiness if you take LYRICA with alcohol, narcotic pain medicines, or medicines for anxiety
Know the medicines you take. Keep a list of them with you to show your health care provider and pharmacist each time you get a new medicine. Do not start a new medicine without talking with your health care provider.
How do I take LYRICA?
Your doctor will tell you how much LYRICA you need and when to take it.
- Take LYRICA exactly as prescribed. Take LYRICA at the same times each day
- LYRICA may be taken with or without food
- Your doctor may change your dose. Do not change your dose without talking to your doctor
- Do not stop taking LYRICA without talking to your doctor. If you stop taking LYRICA suddenly you may have headaches, nausea, diarrhea, or trouble sleeping. If you have epilepsy and you stop taking LYRICA suddenly, you may have seizures more often. Talk with your doctor about how to stop LYRICA slowly
What if I miss a dose?
- If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for your next dose, just skip the missed dose. Take the next dose at your regular time. Do not take 2 doses at the same time. If you take too much LYRICA, call your doctor or poison control center, or go to the nearest emergency room right away
How many people have been prescribed LYRICA?
Over 5 million people have been prescribed LYRICA in the United States.
What should I tell my doctor before I start taking LYRICA?
Before taking LYRICA, tell your doctor about all your medical conditions, including if you:
- Have or have had depression, mood problems, or suicidal thoughts or behavior
- Have kidney problems or get kidney dialysis
- Have heart problems, including heart failure
- Have a bleeding problem or a low blood platelet count
- Have abused prescription medicines, street drugs, or alcohol in the past
- Have ever had swelling of your face, mouth, tongue, lips, gums, neck, or throat (angioedema)
- Plan to father a child
- Are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. If you become pregnant while taking LYRICA, talk to your doctor about registering with the North American Antiepileptic Drug Pregnancy Registry. You can enroll in this registry by calling 1-888-233-2334. The purpose of this registry is to collect information about the safety of antiepileptic drugs during pregnancy
- Are breastfeeding
What about side effects?
Like other medicines, LYRICA may cause side effects, especially when you start treatment.
LYRICA may cause serious, even life-threatening, allergic reactions. Stop taking LYRICA and call your doctor right away if you have any of these signs of a serious allergic reaction:
- Swelling of your face, mouth, lips, gums, tongue, or neck
- Trouble breathing
- Rash, hives (raised bumps), or blisters
Like other antiepileptic drugs, LYRICA may cause suicidal thoughts or actions in a very small number of people, about 1 in 500. Call a health care provider right away if you have new or worsening depression, suicidal thoughts or actions, or unusual changes in mood or behavior.
LYRICA may cause swelling of your hands, legs, and feet. This swelling can be serious for people with heart problems.
LYRICA may cause dizziness and sleepiness. Do not drive a car, work with machines, or do other dangerous activities until you know how LYRICA affects you. Ask your health care provider about when it will be okay to do these activities.
LYRICA may cause problems with your eyesight, including blurry vision.
The most common side effects are:
- Dizziness
- Blurry vision
- Weight gain
- Sleepiness
- Trouble concentrating
- Swelling of hands and feet
- Dry mouth
- Feeling "high"
For a complete list of side effects, see the Medication Guide for LYRICA.
