Is there a total cure for seizures?

Hi Susan,
Welcome to Connect, where you can meet others living with seizures and epilepsy. You'll notice that I removed your personal phone number from your message. I did this because Mayo Clinic Connect is a public website and we don't want you to get unwanted phone calls. See the Guidelines on using Connect Safely here: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/page/about-connect/tab/community-guidelines/

Should you wish to inquire about treatment for petit mal seizures, please contact Mayo Clinic at one of our 3 campuses in AZ, FL or MN mayocl.in/1mtmR63

Susan, are the petit mal seizures a recent development for you?

Susan.....What type implant did you get?

Oops....I meant Vagus Nerve Stimulator

Some people like my sister out grew her seizures only when she became older she had a stroke she was a smoker and a drinker this is what caused her to have a stroke she was 4 years old when she acquired seizures due to a fall at 4 years old.

HI My Name is Br Jude Vo. I am 39. I have had seizures since I was 7. I am on topamax 200, Keppra xr 750, & Tegretol xr 400. I have been on this combination now for almost 6 years. It has stopped my seizures but the side affect is that I have really bad memory. I would like to go back to college But I am hoping I can have the surgery & get off of the meds so I can go back to school. any suggestions? Help!!! does the Vagus Nerve Stimulator work in place of meds?

Every person I have talked to either in person or on a forum whether here in the USA or abroad with Epilepsy, ALL have complained about memory problems whether caused by seizures or meds. Mine are quite severe, I have no memory of my first 15 years caused by Retrograde Amnesia as a result of Convulsive Status Epilepticus. So unfortunately In my unprofessional opinion your memory issues are very likely here to stay. I use to be a very active Scrabble player which I hope helped and try to do other word games and memory exercises as well. Wishing you the best of health and memory.

The Vagus Nerve Stimulator in my opinion has to many side effects. I have known many people who had it and over the years turned it off due to side effects or not helping their seizures. I had a very dear friend who who had one and he felt it helped although he continued to have seizures. He died of Convulsive Status Epilepticus. There is a lot of information on the “VNS message Board” although not very active now there is much information there including death, malfunctions, injures, removal and failure to remove and personal experiences both good and bad. I knew the lady who started the VNS Board and have the utmost respect for her for her diligence in exposing both the good and bad. Please do very thorough research on this and any product being offered.
Best of luck to you.

First, seizures are very individualized and what works for one may not work on another. There are at least 49 types of Epileptic Seizures, some controllable some not.
The Vagus Nerve Stimulator in my opinion has to many side effects. I refused having it implanted primarily because I wasn’t comfortable having a wire wrapped around a vital nerve and the time not being able to remove it. Even today there are risks to its removal if it can be removed at all. I have known many people who had it and over the years turned it off due to side effects or not helping their seizures. I had a very dear friend who who had one and he felt it helped it helped although he continued to have seizures. He died of Convulsive Status Epilepticus. Obviously didn’t him as much as he thought. There is a lot of information on the “VNS message Board” although not very active now there is much information there including death, malfunctions, injures, removal and failure to remove and personal experiences both good and bad
I knew the lady who started the VNS Board and have the greatest respect for her diligence in obtaining the truth about it, both good and bad. Be sure to throughly research any implant before going forward with any device.
Best of luck to you.

I've had seizures from the left temporal lobe that were complex partial since age 2 that we know of. A neurologist said I was born with them from a lesion I got when my mom was sick and had a fever when she was pregnant with me. It depends on what type it is, where it comes from, meds taken, surgeries done. I don't recommend Tegretol because it can hurt your liver is what a neurologist once told me, but everyone is different

It's not just the meds that can influence your memory. Mine came from the left temporal lobe as a result of a lesion formed during my mom's pregnancy when she was sick from a fever. The left temporal lobe handles short term memory, reasoning, and sequencing, After I had several thousand seizures I had a lobotomy in 2011that removed the lesion and the entire left hippocampus both handle short term memory, reasoning, and sequencing. I don't think I would be able to do it now but in 1998 I got a bachelor's with a concentration in social studies to teach elementary school. However, you can take classes online to individualize lessons you want to take. Good luck and let Jesus take the wheel