Epilepsy and Partial Seizures
In people with epilepsy, nerve cells in the brain may become overexcited and fire too many signals. This flood of signals can cause seizures.
When a flood of signals starts and stays in a small part of the brain, the result is a partial seizure. 57% of all seizures are partial seizures. They are the most common type of seizures.
There are 2 kinds of partial seizures: simple and complex.
Here are some facts about each type of partial seizure:
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
Seizures can affect a person’s daily life. Many people with epilepsy worry that a seizure will happen at any time or place. They may stay home more than they would like for fear of having a seizure in public. Epilepsy can also make it hard for a person to work or drive.
An Effective Treatment Option for Partial Seizures
There are drugs that can help control seizures. But many people who take 1 or even 2 or more of these medicines still have seizures.
Fortunately, there is an effective medicine that can help. LYRICA® (pregabalin) capsules CV is an adjunctive (ad-JUNK-tive) treatment. This means that it is used along with other medicines that control seizures. LYRICA is the first new drug to be approved for epilepsy in more than 5 years.
