Announcement: Clinical Trials at University of California, Irvine

There are two clinical trials going on at the University of California, Irvine Epilepsy Center.

The first is for a new drug called Lacosamide and will last for about 34 weeks.  People 17-65 years old with partial-onset seizures are eligible.

If you are interested, click here to find out more.

Second is the Clobazam study which I alluded to in my previous post about women and epilepsy.  It is targeted for women 15-45 years old with partial seizures who are interested in getting rid of their catamenial seizures.  There are many other requirements to qualify for the study, so if you are interested, please click here.

I hope these clinical trials may help some people achieve seizure freedom!

http://www.ucirvinehealth.org/clinical-trials/brain-and-nerve/lacosamide-as-first-add-on-anti-epileptic-drug-treatment-in-subjects-with-partial-onset-seizures/

http://www.ucirvinehealth.org/clinical-trials/brain-and-nerve/10-month-trial-to-predict-the-treatment-response-to-clobazam/

Purple Day, March 26

Today is Purple Day for Epilepsy Awareness, created by Cassidy Megan on March 26, 2008.  A year later, the Epilepsy Association of Nova Scotia and the Anita Kaufmann Foundation helped launch an international epilepsy awareness initiative through Purple Day.

Their website www.purpleday.org is a great place to get educated about epilepsy.

Take a look at it!

Women and Epilepsy—Catamenial Seizures

I have procrastinated in writing about this particular topic.  Epilepsy in women—specifically, catamenial seizures.  It was one of the topics of interest at the “Talk to the Docs” seminar which I reported on earlier.  However, I did not write anything more in-depth afterwards.

Until now.

Epilepsy Walk 4/25/2015—Sonic Seizure Stoppers!

Hello everyone!

I am participating in the annual Epilepsy Walk of the Epilepsy Support Network of Orange County (ESNOC) in California.  It will take place in Costa Mesa, California, on Saturday, April 25, 2015. 

I have a team called the “Sonic Seizure Stoppers” and am excited to walk for epilepsy awareness and raise money to provide free access to programs and services to people with epilepsy, such as educational seminars and emotional support groups. 

Talk to the Docs Report

Last week (3/5/15), I attended the “Talk to the Docs” seminar hosted by the University of California, Irvine (UCI) Epilepsy Center.  It was an informative evening for adults with epilepsy.  It began with a buffet dinner and time for socializing among peers, a good opportunity to connect with other adults with epilepsy. 

Epilepsy Summit Early Bird Registration Extended!

Due to popular demand, the “early bird” registration fee for the upcoming Epilepsy Summit in Manhattan Beach, California on March 28 has been extended to March 20, 2015.  If you still want to attend and haven’t registered yet, here is your chance to do so for $50/person.  Fees will go up after that.

Also, partial scholarships are available.  

For more information, you can call 800-564-0445 or 310-670-2870.

Visit: http://epilepsysummitla.org and select the ADULTS TRACK event

Register: http://epilepsysummitla.org/registration-community/

These are some of the topics that will be covered:

·         Diagnosis and Treatment Advances—Medications, Surgeries, Neuromodulation

·         Diet Therapies and Epilepsy Nutrition

·         CBD Oil (Medical Marijuana)

·         Healthcare Insurance and Financial Planning

·         Women and Epilepsy

It should be a good program!

Reminder—Epilepsy Summit, Manhattan Beach Early Bird Registration

Today, I received this reminder email from Nathan Jones of the Epilepsy Foundation of Greater Los Angeles regarding the upcoming Epilepsy Summit in Manhattan Beach, California.  I am passing along what he wrote, including a link to a video of a man having a seizure while sky diving.

Early Bird Registration ($50/person) is available until March 10.  You can also apply for partial scholarships to attend.  See below under "Don't Forget!"

Announcement: Talk to the Docs for Adults with Epilepsy 3/5/2015

This Thursday, March 5, 2015, from 6-9 pm, there will be an informational session at the University of California, Irvine entitled “Talk to the Docs” in which they will address questions about epilepsy.  The event is specifically for adults with epilepsy. 

It is will take place at:

City Tower Building
333 City Tower West, 2nd floor, Suite 260
Orange, CA 92868

To RSVP, call 714.456.7200 or email bd-ucirvinehealth@uci.edu.

For more, go to http://epilepsysupportnet.org/assets/UCI_Talk_to_the_Docs.pdf or

http://epilepsysupportnet.org/html/events.html.