Epilepsy Medication Options and Safety Tips. Medicines to prevent epileptic seizures are called antiepileptics. The goal is to find an effective antiepileptic medicine that causes the fewest side effects. Although many people experience side effects, medicine is still the best way to prevent epileptic seizures. The benefits of treatment with medicine usually outweigh the drawbacks. There are many antiepileptic medicines (called AEDs, anticonvulsants, or antiseizure medicines). But they do not all treat the same types of seizures. The first step your doctor takes in choosing a medicine to treat your seizures is to identify the types of seizures you have. It may take time and careful, controlled adjustments by you and your doctor to find the combination, schedule, and dosing of medicine to best manage your epilepsy. The goal is to prevent seizures while causing as few side effects as possible. After you and your doctor figure out the medicine program that works best for you, make sure to follow your program exactly as prescribed. Using a single antiepileptic medicine is often better than using more than one medicine. Single medicine use causes fewer side effects and does not carry the risk of interacting with other medicines. The chances of missing a dose or taking it at the wrong time are also lower with just one medicine. When treatment with one medicine doesn't help you enough, your doctor may suggest a second medicine to help improve seizure control. Also, if you have several types of seizures, you may need to take more than one medicine. Medicine choices. What is the ketogenic diet? Who is the diet for? What is involved prior to commencing the ketogenic diet? What happens during the admission for the ketogenic diet? They were first described by Poupart in 1705, and later by Tissot in 1770, who used the term petit access. Many medicines are used to treat epilepsy. Some are used alone, and some are used only along with other medicines. Your medicine options depend in part on what types of seizures you have. The medicines listed below are not the only medicines used for epilepsy, but they are the most common. Medicines used for partial seizures, including those with secondary generalization. Medicines used for primary generalized (tonic- clonic) seizures. Lamotrigine (Lamictal)Levetiracetam (Keppra)Valproate (such as Depakene). Medicines used for atypical absence, myoclonic, or atonic seizures. Lamotrigine (Lamictal) Levetiracetam (Keppra) Valproate (such as Depakene). Absence seizures involve brief, sudden lapses of consciousness. They're more common in children than adults. Someone having an absence seizure may look like he or she. For 70% of patients with epilepsy, drugs can control seizures. However, they can't cure epilepsy, and most people will need to continue taking medications. Medicines used for absence seizures. Continued. Medicines used for atypical absence, myoclonic, or atonic seizures. Lamotrigine (Lamictal)Levetiracetam (Keppra)Valproate (such as Depakene). Other medicines used for seizures include: See information on: Epilepsy: Taking Your Medicines Properly. Many of the medicines listed above control the same types of seizures equally well. Most antiepileptic medicines can cause nausea, dizziness, and sleepiness when you first start taking them. But these effects usually go away after your body adjusts to the medicine. Liver and blood problems are common to many of them. You may need to have regular blood tests to watch for these side effects as long as you are taking the medicines. Aside from these common problems, though, the medicines have different side effects, health risks, and costs. A medicine that works for someone else may not work for you. When the more commonly used medicines fail to control seizures or cannot be used for some other reason, you may still have other medicine options. Many new medicines are being developed and tested in clinical trials but are not in regular use yet. One of these might be an option. People with epilepsy who have not responded to standard therapy sometimes choose to take part in these trials. To learn more about clinical trials, talk to your doctor or visit the National Institutes of Health clinical trials website at www. There are also a few medicines that are only used for certain rare or severe forms of epilepsy in children. Children with infantile spasms, for instance, may respond to a corticosteroid, vigabatrin, or adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH). What to think about. All antiepileptic medicines have some unpleasant side effects. Ideally, medicine works to prevent seizures without causing intolerable side effects. When choosing between medicines that treat the same type of seizure, you and your doctor will think about things such as: How well the medicine works. How well a medicine works usually influences your willingness to take it. Possible side effects of each medicine. Long- term health risks of each medicine. How often each medicine has to be taken. Your age. Side effects may not affect children and adults in the same way. Medicines that can affect memory and thought processes may have a more severe impact on older adults. Your medical history and other health concerns that might affect the use of a medicine. For instance, many antiepileptic medicines can cause rare liver and blood problems and may be very risky if you already have liver disease or a blood disorder. The doctor's own experience in treating people with each medicine. The cost of each medicine. Continued. Building a medicine routine that works can be hard. Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Google+ (Opens in new window) Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Click to share on Pinterest.Finding the correct dosage of a medicine may take months. Some people may have skin rashes, nausea, loss of coordination, and other short- term problems when they first start taking medicine for epilepsy. When the first medicine you try does not prevent seizures or you cannot tolerate its side effects, the doctor may have to start the process all over again with a different medicine. The chances of medicine therapy failure increase as the number of medicines tried increases. If you or your child has epilepsy and needs to begin or change a medicine routine, talk to your doctor about what to expect from treatment with the medicine. You may or may not have a choice between medicines, depending on the types of seizures you or your child has and other factors. Thinking about and asking questions about antiepileptic medicines will help you prepare for the treatment. Pregnancy raises special concerns for women who take antiepileptic medicines. Before you become pregnant, be sure to talk to your doctor about how to handle your treatment. You may think about stopping medicines if you have not had a seizure in several years. About 6 to 7 out of 1. But do not stop taking your medicine without first talking with your doctor. FDA Advisory. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued an advisory on antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) and the risk of suicide. Talk to your doctor about these possible side effects and the warning signs of suicidein adults and in children and teens. Web. MD Medical Reference from Healthwise. This information is not intended to replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated. All Disorders. NINDS Binswanger's Disease Information Page; NINDS Brachial Plexus Injuries Information Page; NINDS Brown-Sequard Syndrome Information Page. Seizure disorder herbs, supplements, vitamins, diet and food, natural ways to prevent or treat, by Ray Sahelian, M.D. February 19 2016 A seizure is the response to an. Surprising Health Benefits of Sex. How would you like a stronger immune system or better sleep? Action between the sheets can help you get all of this and more.
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