Epilepsy can affect anyone at any time and currently affects 1 in 103 people in the UK. Up to 70% of people diagnosed with epilepsy can become seizure free on anti-epileptic medicines, however, it can take some time to find the right medication for you. This webpage is designed to support people with a diagnosis of epilepsy and provide you with some more information to help you.
What we do
Our team provides specialist epilepsy care and advice for people in Leeds and the wider Yorkshire region. As well as the medical treatment of epilepsy we also run an epilepsy surgery pathway, undertake research and offer specialised treatments.
Our team provides specialist epilepsy care and advice for people in Leeds and the wider Yorkshire region. As well as the medical treatment of epilepsy we also run an epilepsy surgery pathway for people with difficult to treat epilepsy, have specialist brain tumour and Vagal Nerve Stimulation clinics, we undertake research and can offer specialist treatments. We also support the obstetrics team in providing a service for people who are pregnant and have epilepsy.
The epilepsy nurses also provide support and advice on the telephone.
The Epilepsy Team at Leeds Teaching Hospitals
In Leeds we have a team of specialists designed to support a diagnosis of epilepsy these include:
- Neurologists are specialist epilepsy doctors in Leeds, however, all our neurologists can care for people with epilepsy. They will review you in the out patient department or over the telephone and may organise various tests to diagnose epilepsy.
- Neurophysiologists are the neurophysiology consultants who have a team of neurophysiology technicians that perform and interpret EEGs (Brain wave tests) to support a diagnosis of epilepsy.
- Neuropsychologists support the team by conducting neuropsychology tests. These help to test brain function and memory to show the effect of epilepsy on the brain.
- Neuroradiologists interpret CT and MRI scans (brain scans) to help support a diagnosis of epilepsy.
- Epilepsy Specialist Nurses provide information and advice to people with epilepsy over the telephone and in nurse-led or consultant led clinics.
- There is a large team of administrative staff that support the service but the consultant secretaries are named under our Contact information.
Epilepsy and Pregnancy
Ideally if you are thinking about having a baby it would be better to discuss this with your Neurologist or Epilepsy Nurse so that you can be as prepared as possible. Some anti-epileptic drugs increase the chance of having a baby with a major congenital malformation. This can include having small fingers, spina bifida, cleft palate or heart problems. We would therefore discuss the risks of your particular medication and what we can do about it.
You should never just stop taking your medication as this will put you at risk.
It is no longer recommended that women of childbearing age (under 55) take Epilim due to significantly increased risk of major congenital malformations and 30-40% risk of a child with developmental issues.
Anyone with epilepsy considering pregnancy, even if they are not on medication, should start folic acid 5mg prior to conception and until the 13th week of pregnancy. This is a dose that needs to be prescribed by your GP as it is a higher dose that pregnant people usually take. The folic acid you buy over the counter is not strong enough to reduce your risk of having a baby with problems.
There is a UK Epilepsy and Pregnancy Register which collects information about pregnancies and births in those with epilepsy. If you become pregnant and you have epilepsy we recommend that you ring them so that they can add your details to the register. Their free number is 0800 389 1248.
The epilepsy service provide a combined Epilepsy and Antenatal clinic for anyone with epilepsy who becomes pregnant. Your midwife or GP can refer you into this service.
During pregnancy
When you find out you are pregnant you should make an appointment to see your GP who can refer you to a midwife. There is a combined pregnancy and epilepsy clinic with a pregnancy specialist, epilepsy nurse and neurologist to provide advice and support during pregnancy.
It is important to continue to take your medication throughout your pregnancy. If you stop taking your medication suddenly you could have more seizures and this could put your life at risk. Most women’s epilepsy either stays the same or improves during pregnancy.
There is a very small risk that you or your baby could be harmed if you have frequent tonic-clonic seizures. This risk increases with the length and frequency of seizures. There can be more risk due to morning sickness. If you do have morning sickness that makes it difficult to take your anti-epileptic medication you should speak to your midwife or GP and you may be prescribed an anti-sickness medication.
You will have the usual dating and 20 week scans. You may need growth scans later in the pregnancy. This will be decided by your obstetrician.
Birth and pregnancy
There is a very small risk of seizures during labour, these are usually triggered by stress, tiredness and missed medication. It is important that you take your anti-epileptic drugs into hospital with you. Your obstetrician will discuss suitable pain relief with you.
Breastfeeding and epilepsy
Most mothers with epilepsy are able to breastfeed. A small amount of epilepsy medication does pass into the breast milk but this helps the baby to wean off the medication it had in the womb and is usually harmless. When breastfeeding, your night time sleep can be disrupted which can trigger seizures. We therefore suggest that you get help for overnight feeds where possible. If this is not possible try to get as much sleep as you can, so when baby has a nap during the day we would recommend that you try to have a nap.
Childcare and epilepsy
Most people with epilepsy successfully care for babies. If you are continuing to have seizures there are certain measures that can be taken to ensure safety.
When feeding baby (whether this is breastfeeding or bottlefeeding), sit on the floor preferably on a thick rug with your back well supported to ensure that the baby does not fall far if you have a seizure.
Changing baby should also take place at floor level to reduce the risk of injury if you have a seizure. This is especially important when baby is able to move independently.
When carrying baby around, especially up and down stairs, it is recommended that you carry baby strapped into a car seat. This reduces the risk to baby if you have a seizure when carrying them.
When baby is on solid foods, it is best to feed them in a chair on the floor to reduce the risk of injury.
Never bathe your baby when on your own, someone else should be in the bathroom with you. A safer alternative is a strip wash using water in a shallow bowl.
When picking a pram use one that has a brake that comes on if the handle is released. this prevents the pram from rolling into the road if you have a seizure in the street.
Frequently asked questions
Contact us
Neurologists
The specialist epilepsy doctors in Leeds are Dr Melissa Maguire, Dr Zeid Yasiry and Dr Ana Garcia, however, all our LTHT neurologists can care for people with epilepsy.
Dr Melissa Maguire can reached via her secretary Lynette Silverwood by telephoning 0113 3928118 or by email at [email protected].
Dr Zeid Yasiry can be reached via his secretary Sue Jackson by telephoning 0113 3928127 or by email at [email protected].
Dr Ana Garcia can be reached via her secretary Lisa Farley by telephoning 0113 3928132 or by email at [email protected].
Referrals to see the epilepsy doctors can be made via your GP.
Any correspondence may be addressed to the relevant Consultant at
F Floor, Martin Wing,
LGI, Calverley St
LS1-3EX
Epilepsy Nurses
The epilepsy nurses’ remit means that they can only speak to patients that are already under the care of a neurologist at Leeds Teaching Hospitals and have a diagnosis of epilepsy. LTHT has three epilepsy nurses. These are:
Their office is available from Monday to Thursday 8.30 am to 4.30 pm and Friday 8 am to 3 pm. However there is an answering machine on their telephone number and a message can be left at all other times.
Neurophysiologists
There are a team of neurophysiology consultants and neurophysiology technicians that perform and interpret EEGs (brain wave tests) to support a diagnosis of epilepsy.
The Neurophysiology department can be contacted on 0113 3926855. Any referrals should be made by your GP or consultant.
Neuropsychologists
The Neuropsychology service at St James’s Hospital offers outpatient specialist neuropsychological assessment and short-term psychological therapy to patients with any neurological or neurosurgical presentation, and to people with medically unexplained neurological-like symptoms. They also offer specialist neuropsychological assessments to patients with complex psychiatric presentations.
They can be found at:
The Department of Clinical and Health Psychology,
Fielding House, STJUH,
Beckett St, Leeds,
LS9 7TF
Your consultant will refer you if they feel this would beneficial.