As a result, there is not a set of well defined epilepsies, but rather a landscape in which the various peaks represent neurologically identified types like infantile spasms while individual symptoms merge into one another as imperceptibly as the hills in a landscape. These are a particularly harmful form of epilepsy, which can result in mental and physical retardation unless brought under control rapidly. The ketogenic diet appears to be a valuable form of treatment for infantile spasms. The children suffer frequent fits of many different types, and experience gradual mental deterioration. The ketogenic diet appears to be a valuable form of treatment for Lennox-Gastaut syndrome.
Drugs are the usual first line of treatment for epilepsy.
These drugs necessarily affect the operation of the brain, and can often have undesirable side effects. The main aims of drug therapy are, therefore, to reduce fits while minimising the side effects of the drugs. The doctor tries to reach a balance between the need to control fits and the undesirable health problems that arise from the drug itself. The internet has a large amount of information about epilepsy - which means that it can be difficult to find what you need. This page provides a route into Aladdin's cave.