Since symptoms of seizures can easily be confused with other medical and neurological problems, it's important to see your general doctor first to check your overall health and all possible causes of the symptoms. If seizures are suspected, a neurologist is recommended to diagnose the problem and recommend treatment.

Take notes of what has happened to all appointments, including what happens during an event, when it occurs, how long it lasts, and if any specific triggers or patterns were present. Your doctor will want to review this information, learn more about your medical history, and may plan additional testing.

If seizures continue despite treatment, or if someone is having bothersome side effects of treatment, neurologists who specialize in treating epilepsy should be consulted. These doctors, called epileptologists, may recommend more testing to make sure the diagnosis is correct, find out where the seizures are coming from, look for the cause(s) of seizures, and consider other medications or non-medical treatments to control seizures.

You may be referred to many different health care professionals along the way, depending on how the seizures are affecting your life and where you receive your care. For example, people who are referred to comprehensive epilepsy centers may see a number of people, such as epilepsy nurses, neuropsychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, and neurosurgeons in addition to their epileptologist.

To help you keep track of who you are seeing and why, visit My Resource Kit and download a copy of My Health Care Team. Use this to help you organize your health care team and let others know who you are seeing as well. Your health care team may include organizations or professionals in the community, in addition to medical personnel - whoever helps you and your family.

For more information:

• For help finding a doctor
• For help finding an epilepsy center
• Physical exam
• Neurological exam
• My Health Care Team

Continue to Importance of Preventing Seizures and Other Problems

Topic Editor: Steven C. Schachter, MD and Patricia O. Shafer, RN, MN.
Last Reviewed:5/25/07