Approximately one in 26 people in the United States will develop epilepsy during their lifetime, with 150,000 new cases of the condition reported each year, says the Epilepsy Foundation. The neurological disorder is common in both adults and children. At least half of the cases begin during childhood, and the condition becomes increasingly common among those aged 65 and older. Epilepsy patients of all ages are prescribed drugs to eliminate and reduce the occurrence and intensity of the seizures, as the neurological condition causes a disturbance in nerve cell activity in the brain. Valproate, the anti-seizure drug approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, is viewed as an effective treatment for epilepsy patients of all ages with all seizure types to help them lead normal lives, says New York University’s Langone Medical Center. While the multi-purpose drug can also treat migraine headaches, pains, and bipolar disorder, its side effects can end up doing more harm than good in the immune systems of adults and especially children.
