Long-term effects of AED's and seizures

 
I'm sure there are dozens of studies about the long-range effects of seizures and anti-convulsants have on a person that I'm not aware of but I do know of one case that qualifies - mine.  I began having nocturnal grand mal seizures, generalized tonic clonics, when I was 16.   Soon after I started having seizures in my sleep I began to have them when I was awake.   I was having seizures, grand mal and petit mal seizures 24 hours a day.  Now, 32 years later I’m only having petit mals 1 or more times a day with occasional clusters of 10 or more at a time.  Of those 32 years I've been taking anti-convulsants for 32 years.  How many, I can’t remember.  That would be due to the 32 years of taking AED’s and having seizures.    All that to say that at some level I qualify as a person that can talk about what the long range effects of having seizures and taking anti-convulsants has on a person.  
There so many different factors that are going to determine the long-term effects that seizures and AED’s (anti-convulsant drugs) have on a person that it’s hard to give any definites as to what they are.  It will vary as to what the type and amount of AED one takes, the foci, or origin, of the seizure, the physical, mental, and spiritual shape the person with epilepsy is, the life style they live and many more.   The important thing is you find and keep a very good Epileptologist and a family doctor that’s familiar with epilepsy and that YOU stay informed on what they should know.  An example of what I mean by that is that if a doctor tells you its ok to take two AED’s at the same time do the research on your own to make sure they don’t conflict in anyway or could harm you.  Stay aware of what your body and mind are telling you so you can relay that to your doctor.   If you see that your doctor is wrong tell him/her so and if they don’t listen or adjust your medication then find another doctor. 
Educate yourself on the long-range effects that continual use of AED’s and seizures have on a person and then monitor your own health and be aware of any changes that may be caused by them.
The most important thing is to take care and strengthen your spiritual and mental health.   If you do that, you can overcome any of the long-term effects that AED’s and seizures are going to have on you.