If anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs) don’t control your seizures well, your doctor might talk to you about other ways to help. These include vagus nerve stimulation and brain surgery.
Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS). A small device, a bit like a pace-maker, is implanted under the skin below your left collar bone. This device is called a generator. It stimulates the vagus nerve in your neck at regular intervals and sends impulses to your brain. This helps to prevent any electrical activity that causes seizures. The aim of VNS is to reduce how many seizures you have, how long they last and how severe they are.
There are different types of brain surgery available to try and stop seizures. This kind of treatment is only suitable for a small number of people. The type you could have would depend on the type of seizures you have and where they start in your brain.
Brain surgery and VNS are only considered when people have already tried several AEDs that haven’t worked.
Some people find that complementary treatments, such as aromatherapy and acupuncture, are helpful. However, there’s no scientific proof that these treatments work. It’s really important to keep taking your AEDs, even if you take a complementary treatment that seems to help. If you want to take any herbal remedies, such as ginseng, talk to your doctor first. Some herbal remedies are not suitable for people with epilepsy, and can make your AEDs work less well.