Myth: If antiseizure medication stops the seizures, the epilepsy has been cured.
Fact: Seizure control is not the same thing as cure. Antiseizure medicines can suppress seizures very effectively while the underlying tendency to have seizures remains.
Treatment can control epilepsy without removing it
Many people become seizure-free while taking medication. That is an important treatment success, but it does not by itself show that epilepsy has disappeared. Seizures may recur if medication is withdrawn, particularly when recurrence risk remains high.
Remission, seizure freedom and resolved epilepsy are different ideas
The ILAE practical definition uses the term resolved in specific circumstances, including people who have remained seizure-free for at least 10 years and off antiseizure medicines for at least the last 5 years, or who have outgrown an age-dependent epilepsy syndrome. The ILAE explicitly notes that “resolved” is not necessarily the same as cure.
Why the distinction matters
Calling seizure control a cure can encourage unsafe medication withdrawal or create unrealistic expectations. Decisions about reducing or stopping treatment are individual and depend on factors such as epilepsy type, syndrome, EEG findings, structural causes, seizure history and the consequences of recurrence.
Sources
ILAE official report — practical clinical definition of epilepsy
The Untold Side — Remission, Seizure Freedom and ‘Resolved’ Epilepsy
The Untold Side — Stopping Antiseizure Medication After Seizure Freedom
Do not stop antiseizure medication suddenly. Treatment changes should be discussed with the clinician responsible for epilepsy care.