Ok pedants..is there a difference between..

[TsarChasm]

Suffers from epilepsy
and
Suffers with epilepsy

Or maybe they're the same?

The 'epilepsy' bit is just an example. I was reading something that said 'he suffers from..' and was wondering, as you do.

I would say that "suffers from" is the more usual/correct form and simply means that the person has the condition. "Suffers with" doesn't sound quite right to me, but if I heard it I would take it to mean that the person is suffering on account of the epilepsy: in other words it is the suffering that is being emphasised rather than the condition.

Disability awareness campaigners have, for a long time, strongly discouraged the use of the word "suffers" in this context. Also "victim" for similar reasons.

Anyone got a handy copy of Fowler's? If I were being really ridiculously rigorous I would that with is incorrect as it actually means that epilepsy is suffering too

On a very personal level I think with in that context is rather drippy.

Yes, that's much better, littlelapin. I suffer from pedantry, but I don't suffer with pedantry - far from it. I love it.