How can i deal with my boyfriend's epilepsy?

My name was diagnosted with epilepsy about 3 yrs ago after a fall he took while playing basketball. He fell and hit his head on the court. He has been having seizures ever since. I receiving found out he had epilepsy when he had a seizure at my house. When he has them, im scared to death. He takes medication but it doesnt seem to work. He has them while he sleeps and thats the only time. Any tips on how i can deal with it?How can i deal with my boyfriend's epilepsy?
You Can Help Your boyfriend to Feel Less Alone





If someone under your care has epilepsy, it is important that you talk to that person about how she or he is feeling. Many people with epilepsy worry about having a seizure in public and may stay at home more often than they would like. You can help loved ones with epilepsy feel less isolated by reaching out to them and letting them know that they don鈥檛 have to deal with their epilepsy all by themselves.





You Can Help Make Living with Epilepsy More Manageable for Your boyfriend:





Epilepsy can affect your loved one鈥檚 everyday life. Simple things such as going to work or driving a car may not be possible. Your loved one may be constantly worried that another seizure will come on at any time.





There are other things you can do that may help make living with epilepsy more manageable for your loved one.





Encourage that person to join an epilepsy support group. It may help your loved one to hear from others who are going through similar experiences with epilepsy and who understand how your loved one is feeling


Help all members of the family learn more about epilepsy. This will enable the family to provide the support your loved one needs


If the person attends school, discuss this with the doctor as well as the teacher. The more informed the school is about epilepsy, the better prepared it will be to respond to the student's needs


If the person is employed, discuss the best way to approach this situation in the workplace, given the specific circumstances of your loved one's job


Make sure he or she wears a medical alert necklace or bracelet. These items provide important information that can help others know what to do and who to call if the person is experiencing a seizure


Encourage the use of public transportation. Just because epilepsy prevents some people from being able to drive shouldn't mean they have to sit at home. Many areas have convenient, affordable public transportation options that can help your loved one get out there and get on with everyday life


There are many other things you can do to make it easier for your loved one to live with epilepsy. Talk to your loved one and to the doctor to find out additional ways you may be able to help.





You Can Help Your Friend or Loved One Find the Right Treatment





You may be the key to helping those under your care get the right treatment that may finally help get their epilepsy under control. You may want to think about speaking directly with a health care professional who understands your situation and who can give you advice on treatment and ongoing care.





You can help your loved ones get the treatment that is right for them. You can also encourage them to take their medication in the way their doctor has prescribed.





LYRICA is an effective medication that helps reduce seizures in people who are taking other drugs to treat this condition. You may want to ask the doctor if LYRICA could be right for your loved one.





Where to Find Support





There are Places to Turn for Help





You should know that there is support out there. The following Web sites offer helpful information and support tools.





These Web sites are neither owned nor controlled by Pfizer. Pfizer is not responsible for the content or services on these sites.





National Family Caregivers Association





http://www.nfcacares.org





Epilepsy.com





http://www.epilepsy.com





Epilepsy Foundation of America





http://www.efa.orgHow can i deal with my boyfriend's epilepsy?
I have Epilepsy with sudden death seizures,actually he doesn't have Epilepsy-because epilepsy is when you only have seizures when you are awake.I know-I have had these seizures for over 30 years.Your boyfriend is a Narcoleptic -meaning he only has seizures while he sleeps.If he just recently started having seizures,what kind of medicine is he on? Maybe it is the wrong kind of medicine,my medicine has changed 3 times already.Also,do not be afraid of him,that is the worst thing that you can do-it sends a message to him,that you don't care enough know,trust me-it happened to me.Just stay with him,and make sure he doesn't bang his head on anything,and let the seizure run it's course.Also,does your boyfriend have a neurologists? If not,he should,he can get more help from a neurologist than any other doctor.
Really, the only thing YOU can do to deal with it is be there for him and don't let him see your fear or sadness. He needs you as a support as this is probably very embarassing to him. If you're around him when he's seizing, just keep him safe; remove objects from around him that can hurt him and keep yourself safe by staying back as there's nothing you can do for him physically at this point. And, remember to remind him to avoid playing video games and flashing lights or anything which can trigger a seizure. As for the medication not working, he may want to talk to his MD about increasing his current dose or trying something else if they're occurring frequently.
It's not easy... my ex-husband has seizures that were basically uncontrolled by medicine, and also had them primarily in his sleep. The best thing I can say is to stay calm while its happening, and while it looks painful and like they might die, he really won't and he is not aware at all about what's going on. It looks much scarier than it is. Keep that in mind as you witness the event. Don't treat him differently.





He should try to take his medication about 3 hrs before he goes to sleep (I am not a dr, just talking from personal experience - please ask a dr!!!) so that an adequate amount is in the bloodstream for when he goes to bed. Sometimes they think if they take it right before bed, they are ';covered.'; Also, have him ask his Dr about newer meds, like Lamictal that have worked wonders with my ex.





I can't tell you don't be scared, they are scary to watch, but get educated about basically leaving them alone (remove sharp objects, don't stick anything into the mouth, loosen clothing that may be around the neck and if you can, nudge him to his side so the blood that comes out of his mouth~usually from biting his tongue~drains out the side) Always tell him he just had a seizure. You can pat his back, and just say something like ';baby, it'll be okay'; while he is seizing... it really helped me, I guess threw me into caregiver mode which took the focus off of my fears.





Again, look at the situation differently~ he won't die, he doesn't feel a thing, he won't remember it, and it only lasts a very short time (seems like eternity to you, but most don't even last 2 minutes).





He'll be okay.





Go to his dr. or try another one...some kind of seizures are best helped with a ';cocktail'; of meds...





Note: Please don't feel like you have to stay with him in the event you don't like him anymore (not necessarily because of the seizures.) The best thing is to treat him like everyone else. He is a regular person!
Support him....and tell him that he has seizures in his sleep...it's important that his doctors know this.