Drug Therapy
Finding the right balance
Epilepsy drug side effects
Epilepsy drug interactions
Avoiding epilepsy drug interactions
Finding the right balance
The aim of epilepsy drug therapy is to help improve seizure control, while minimizing side effects.
There are a number of antiepileptic drugs available from which your physician can choose. There is little difference in the effectiveness of most of the antiepileptic drugs, therefore, the side effects and potential drug interactions are major considerations. The choice of antiepileptic drug will depend on:
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Seizure type (different drugs are effective against different types of seizure) |
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Effectiveness |
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Age of the patient (some drugs are not approved to treat children or children of a
certain age) |
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Side effects |
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Potential drug interactions |
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Ease of use |
The dose of epilepsy medication needed is based on:
Body weight
Age
The rate at which the medicine is absorbed into the blood stream
Other drugs being taken
Individual tolerability
If the first antiepileptic drug you try does not provide sufficient control of your seizures, your Neurologist may recommend you try a different one. This is because monotherapy is associated with fewer side effects than adjunctive therapy, and avoids the problem of potential interactions between antiepileptic drugs.
If monotherapy is unsuccessful, your Neurologist may then recommend a carefully selected combination of antiepileptic drugs that is appropriate for the type of seizure you have.
Epilepsy drug side effects
Some antiepileptic drugs can have serious side effects including skin rashes, liver and kidney problems, and adverse effects related to the central nervous system such as dizziness, nausea, and vomitting. Whether you experience troublesome side effects will depend on your individual response and/or how much medication you need.
With some antiepileptic drugs it is necessary to start at a low dose and increase it gradually to avoid side effects that are dependent on the dose of the drug. You may be asked to give a blood sample at regular intervals so that the level of drug in your body can be monitored, or to enable your Neurologist to check for adverse effects of the drug on the function of your body (e.g. the function of your liver).
Epilepsy drug interactions
Some antiepileptic drugs modify the activity of liver enzymes which can affect how the body deals with the antiepileptic drug itself and with other drugs. For example, some antiepileptic drugs may increase the rate at which other antiepileptic drugs are broken down by the body, causing them to be removed from the body more quickly. Antiepileptic drugs may also block other medications, causing them to be removed from the body more slowly.
Avoiding epilepsy drug interactions
Remember to tell your Neurologist and pharmacist about any drug you take so that they can help you to avoid potentially harmful interactions.
When prescribing a medicine to control epileptic seizures, your Neurologist may choose a certain drug on the basis of the other conditions you may have and the medicines you may take.
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