Myth 1: If the EEG is normal, it is not epilepsy. It is internationally recognized that EEG is important for the diagnosis and differentiation of epilepsy and is an essential adjunct to the diagnosis of epilepsy. Some surveys show that 80% of epilepsy patients have abnormal EEG, but there are 5-20% of epilepsy patients with interictal EEG without significant abnormalities, while there are others with abnormal EEG who never have seizures. Therefore, the diagnosis of epilepsy cannot be ruled out clinically just because one EEG is normal, nor can epilepsy be diagnosed because of an abnormal EEG. It must be combined with medical history and clinical seizure manifestations and comprehensive analysis to make a correct diagnosis. Misconception 2: Any patient with convulsions must be epileptic. Tonic clonus, or convulsions as they are called, is one of the main seizure symptoms of epilepsy, but it is not unique to epilepsy. Many diseases can cause convulsions, such as pediatric febrile convulsions, hypoglycemic convulsions, hypocalcemic convulsions, and hysterical convulsions are not epilepsy. Therefore, convulsions may not always be due to epilepsy. Also, some types of seizures do not show convulsions, such as aphasic seizures, complex partial seizures, demented laughing seizures, fallen seizures, etc. Therefore, convulsions should not be equated with epilepsy. Myth 3: Patients have loss of consciousness when having a seizure. The majority of seizures, such as complex partial seizures and generalized seizures, have loss of consciousness. However, some types of epilepsy, such as partial seizures, myoclonic seizures, etc., patients are clearly conscious during seizures, or the loss of consciousness is so short that the patient and family members are too late to realize that the patient has loss of consciousness. Therefore, the diagnosis of epilepsy should not be denied because the patient does not have loss of consciousness, and treatment should not be delayed. Myth 4: Because epilepsy is hereditary, patients with epilepsy should not have children. Although epilepsy is hereditary, the effect on the next generation is not 100%. In general, children with epilepsy have a higher prevalence than the normal population, but only 5% will develop epilepsy, so people with epilepsy can have children. Our laws do not restrict people with epilepsy from having children. However, from a medical point of view, it is best for people with epilepsy to avoid marrying someone with a low convulsive threshold (including epileptics and those with a history of febrile convulsions), and patients should have children after their condition has stabilized and their seizures are largely controlled. (For issues related to fertility in epilepsy, please follow our other related articles). Myth 5: Combinations of multiple antiepileptic drugs must be more effective than single drugs. One of the principles of antiepileptic drug use recommended by the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) is to advocate for a single drug. Several studies have found that the vast majority of patients with epilepsy can be satisfied with an appropriate dose of a first-line antiepileptic drug with regular monitoring of blood levels, and there is no need to take multiple drugs at the same time. Combination medications are prone to drug interactions that can affect efficacy, increase toxicities, lead to more frequent seizures, and increase the financial burden on the patient. If you try one first-line antiepileptic drug and cannot control the seizures, you should analyze the specific reasons and adjust the medication regimen under the guidance of a doctor.