Larissa Ryan has lived with epilepsy since she was eight years old. While she has a job and has been able to travel the world, Ms Ryan said her epilepsy remains unpredictable, which can be a problem.

“The frequency of the seizures, the intensity of the seizures and the impact and the uncertainty that has on my daily life is something that can be very scary for my kids, that uncertainty of not knowing what can happen,” she said.

Larissa Ryan says being able to call the new epilepsy phone helpline will be reassuring for her and her family. Credit:Wolter Peeters

Now, a new service aims to help Ms Ryan and the 250,000 other Australians living with epilepsy. Launched on Wednesday, the Epilepsy Nurse Line provides access to nurses trained in epilepsy treatment between the hours of 9am and 5pm, seven days a week.

The director of comprehensive epilepsy services at Sydney’s Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Associate Professor Armin Nikpour said epilepsy is a “very varied disease” and it is hard for patients to get information that is specific to their condition and experiences.