the side-effects of some anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs) are truly non negligible and in the long term some can be detrimental also. so your care in balancing the need/value of medicating vs. not medicating is certainly well-placed.

the best thing is to keep track of things and over time, if there are changes, meds can always be re-evaluated. medicating is a choice, not a must. there are also several natural alternatives - notably B complex and 5-HTP as well as other minerals - some individuals have managed to eradicate (YES, completely!) seizures in this way.

i am wondering as to the "small" not bothersome seizures... IF they were absences, your daughter would only be potentially aware of something odd after the fact... this is why i asked about what she experiences - whether a loss of time, or what. the thing is, if she gets absences and has learned to recognize that something weird happened, still, by the time she is aware again the seizure is over. so if she is having to press a button to record it, at that point, they may catch a smidgeon of slightly abnormal activity, but not the full spike and wave characteristic an absence...

now, absences can be left unmedicated if the person knows they have them and chooses a certain lifestyle - including not driving. absence seizures are not usually bothersome per se. thing is they involve very brief lapses in consciousness and the person has no awareness during the seizure itself. But a few seconds lapse is enough to land a person in a car accident.

hopefully her "mild" spells are very mild simple partials, and then it is another matter - safer - no lapse in consciousness. however i would encourage you to inquire more specifically of your daughter what these "mild" events are like... what she experiences.

i am glad she has already been through some testing, and that you are wanting to be judicious in the use of AEDs.

~ waves ~