Our team at the Epilepsy Center is committed to working with our patients to help them become seizure free. We offer consultations for people who are newly diagnosed with epilepsy, those whose seizures are not yet controlled and those looking for a second opinion, as well as patients who want to transition their care to Johns Hopkins to explore new treatment options such as epilepsy surgery, neurostimulation or dietary therapy.

What to Expect During a Consultation

The consultation lasts about an hour. It may be longer or shorter depending on your needs. You will meet with an epileptologist — a neurologist who specializes in epilepsy. We strongly encourage you to bring a family member or other loved one.

During this appointment, you and your doctor will:

• Review your medical history, including previous test results and medications
• Discuss how you are currently feeling and what triggers your seizures
• Talk about how epilepsy is affecting your life and about your general concerns
• Decide if more tests are needed to identify your epilepsy type — these tests may include imaging (such as MRI), neuropsychological assessment, genetic testing or electroencephalogram (EEG) monitoring — outpatient or in an epilepsy monitoring unit at the hospital (sometimes, a test can be performed during the visit)
• Discuss treatment options, which could include medications, diet changes or surgery
• Create a treatment plan that aims to keep you as seizure free as possible while considering your overall health and future goals such as pregnancy, career and travel
• Address your questions

Preparing for Your Appointment

• If possible, send your medical records to our team before your appointment — you will be instructed how to do that after you schedule the appointment. This will allow the doctor to review your records before seeing you, leaving more time to talk.
• If you are not able to send records before the appointment, please bring all relevant documents with you to the appointment. These include:
  • Past test results
  • Notes from relevant visits with a primary care doctor, or an emergency doctor or other specialist
  • A list of treatments you have had in the past, including all medications you have tried, with dose and frequency
  • Personal log of seizures or a diary of symptoms
  • Video recording of a seizure episode
• Bring a loved one. A person who lives with you or is otherwise close to you may offer a view on your condition that will be useful to the doctor.

Treatment and Follow-ups

Each person with epilepsy is different and needs a custom treatment plan. Whether you have just been diagnosed or have lived with epilepsy for a while, our team can help you find treatments that work for you.

• Medications: Antiseizure medications are usually the first line of treatment for many forms of epilepsy. It can take time to find a medication or a combination of medications that effectively eliminates seizures with minimal side effects.
• Surgery: Various minimally invasive and traditional open surgery procedures can help patients with drug-resistant epilepsy by removing or disconnecting areas of the brain that cause seizures. For some people, epilepsy surgery can dramatically reduce the frequency of seizures or completely eliminate them.
• Diet: A ketogenic diet helps adults and children who have certain types of epilepsy.
• Neurostimulation devices can be surgically implanted to help detect, control and, in some cases, prevent seizures.