Once upon a time it was believed that epilepsy was forever. In those olden days, only fifteen to twenty years ago, physicians were taught never to discontinue anticonvulsant medicine. They were taught not to discontinue the drugs before puberty, because seizures might increase in frequency at puberty, and you were never sure when puberty might start or when it would end. After puberty came driving, and you wouldn’t want to stop medication before that, because the child might never be able to get a driver’s license. Then physicians were urged not to discontinue medication because the individual was driving. In those days, it was said: “Eventually people will stop taking medicine on their own. Then, if they have a seizure, it will not be the doctor’s fault.”

NONE OF THOSE OLD TEACHINGS WERE TRUE!

With this old philosophy, many people were kept on medicine for many years, and some are still taking it.

Now we know that:

• Most children outgrow their epilepsy;

• Most children who are free of seizures for two years gradually can be taken off medicine by their physician and will remain seizure-free;

• Many adults do not need to take medicine forever.

Now we know that 75 percent of children who have been free of seizures for four years will remain seizure-free as the medicine is slowly

discontinued. Seventy-five percent will also remain free of seizures if they are taken off medicine after being free of seizures for only two years. Now we can even predict which of these children are likely to remain free off medicine and which are likely to have recurrent seizures if the medication is discontinued.

Remember: Before you begin to worry about having your physician discontinue medication, your child must be seizure-free for at least two years.

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