When do epileptic patients need treatment? Starting and stopping medication

Decisions about when to start and stop antiepileptic treatment have important implications for patients with epilepsy. Clinical practice varies and is determined more by dogmatic teaching than by knowledge of either the clinical course of epilepsy or the influence of the drugs. A review of the available evidence shows the need for further studies on the effects of starting and withdrawing treatment on the clinical course and prognosis of epilepsy.