Epilepsy – Medications

Medicines to prevent epileptic seizures are called antiepileptics. The goal is to find an effective antiepileptic medicine that causes the fewest side effects.

Taking only one antiepileptic medicine prevents seizures in up to 7 out of 10 people who have partial seizures. About 8 out of 10 people have complete seizure control when they take more than one antiepileptic medicine.² 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 does not work, adding a second medicine can sometimes improve seizure control. Also, if you have several types of seizures, you may need to take more than one medicine.

Medication Choices

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.

Medicines that may be used first to treat epileptic seizures include:

• Carbamazepine (such as Carbatrol).
• Ethosuximide (Zarontin), for absence seizures only.
• Oxcarbazepine (Trileptal).
• Phenobarbital (Luminal). Phenobarbital is a first-line medicine for newborns.
• Phenytoin (Dilantin, Phenytek) or fosphenytoin (Cerebyx).
• Primidone (Mysoline). The body converts primidone into phenobarbital.
• Topiramate (Topamax).
• Valproate (Depakene, Depakote).

If epileptic seizures continue even though you are being treated, your doctor may prescribe one or more of the following medicines:

• Benzodiazepines (such as Klonopin)
• Felbamate (Felbatol)
• Gabapentin (Neurontin)
• Lamotrigine (Lamictal)
• Levetiracetam (Keppra)
• Lacosamide (Vimpat). This medicine can be used along with other antiseizure medicine to treat partial seizures.
• Phenobarbital (Luminal). Phenobarbital is a first-line medicine for newborns.
• Pregabalin (Lyrica). This medicine is intended to be used along with other antiseizure medicine.
• Primidone (Mysoline). The body converts primidone into phenobarbital.
• Rufinamide (Banzel). This medicine can be used along with other antiseizure medicine to treat seizures caused by Lennox-Gastaut syndrome.
• Tiagabine (Gabitril)
• Topiramate (Topamax)
• Zonisamide (Zonegran)

At the end of the “tweaking” process though the HOPE is that a person diagnosed with epilepsy will only have to take one anti-seizure medication after taking the heavy load that they took before. 

So, if you find yourself in midst of the tappering process remember it is not forever.  Hang in there…  Miracles do happen .

Please continue commenting… It only helps let others know about this horrendous disease!

Feel free to let me know what you think about this blog…

About epilepsy as a whole…

Please FEEL FREE to share your thoughts about not only this blog but epilepsy as a disease and its place in society.

Thanks.

I was able to share my idea of 100% FREE medication for all those affected with epilepsy with one person who had Epilepsy at the event.

There was a story spoken by a former Senator who currently has Epilepsy and how he was the designated driver for friends and ironically, the friends who had been drinking, were the ones who noticed he ran a red light when he did not notice.  He later found out that this was a seizure and was later diagnosed with Epilepsy.  That former Senator also used to take Dilantin, which is, in my opinion, the last resort for all anti-seizure medication. 

I spoke with a woman who currently has Epilepsy and she shared with me her frustration of how little awareness there is about Epilepsy in this world.  I gave her the website for this blog.

Afterward, I scheduled a meeting with my own representative to further discuss Epilepsy topics because she was not in attendance unfortunately

If you have Epilepsy, it is beneficial to attend these types of events to continue support and continue learning about Epilepsy so that one day there will be a cure and medication is not the ONLY solution to stop seizures; though, unfortunately it is the main solution to controlling seizures at this point.

Misercordia, in my opinion, is a state of the art facility and has all the features necessary to help persons with disabilities to succeed in society that other places much like Misercordia do not.

I encourage you to look to see if other residential facilities are in your locale.

This would raise awareness for students, workers, and citizens for employment and for mainstreaming in education… And to reduce discrimination   The unknown can be fearful.

Help us to reach a goal of 100 co-sponsors.

There is no money attached to this resolution… Where sometimes in some resolutions money is attached,

This an awareness and education bill.

Contact your congressperson or legislature and urge him or her to vote in favor of this resolution.

This will benefit 300 persons; however my goal is to help the persons who are CLEARLY SUFFERING from epilepsy NOW!

The raise resolution is a good starting point; alas free medication is personal goal of mine and the raise resolution improves awareness… Reach for the stars!

To give anti-seizure medication 100% FREE for those SUFFERING from epilepsy as there is no forseeable cure.  It as also beneficial in the mean time; because the medication is expensive!

May 1, 2012;  8;00 AM-10;00AM

Mackinac Room, Anderson House Office Building 124 North Capitol Avenue, Lansing, MI 48909

FREE EVENT

The National Legislature will NOT be there, only your state legislature.

You can speak to your legislature about epilepsy public policy.

Hear the Epilepsy Foundation of Michigan’s policy priorities and help spread the word by visiting offices of legislators who did not attend.

I hope to see you there.

              The Walk is a tremendous way to bring awareness about epilepsy, and what a lot of people don’t know is that:

   – 1 out of every 10 people will have a a seizure at some point in there lives.

   – Every 4 minutes someone learns they have epilepsy.

    – Seizures can strike at any time.

                    My sister is participating in this walk.  By supporting her in this walk you would be making a difference in peoples lives of those living with epilepsy. Please make a donation today.  Together, we can provide support that people need.

                   To help reach her fund-raising goal of $500, please make a gift by visiting her donation website:

http://giving.epilepsyfoundation.org/site/TR/Walk/walk?px=1660384&pg=personal&fr_id=1920

         There are many anti-seizure medications.  All of them have side-effects.  You may not experience EVERY  side-effect, though it is likely you will experience at least one.

            The medications if used properly can stop the likelihood of having a seizure if you have been diagnosed with epilepsy.

      Ask your neurologist or epileptologist about the side-effects of specific medications and how they may affect you personally…

      After all…. Everyone is different :-)