Can seizure medication cause more seizures?

Increased seizures can occur for several reasons in patients with epilepsy taking antiepileptic drugs (AEDs). Sometimes the wrong drug is chosen for the patient’s type of epilepsy. For example: Carbamazepine may exacerbate childhood absence or juvenile myoclonic epilepsy.

What happens if you take seizure medication and don’t need it?

Missing doses of seizure medicine is the most common cause of breakthrough seizures. Missed medicines can trigger seizures in people with both well-controlled and poorly controlled epilepsy. Seizures can happen more often than normal, be more intense or develop into long seizures called status epilepticus.

Which drug can increase the risk for seizures in a patient who has epilepsy?

Phenytoin and vigabatrin also have been implicated in worsening of seizures, particularly generalized seizures, whereas gabapentin has been associated repeatedly with precipitation of myoclonic jerks.

When should epilepsy medication be increased?

You usually need to take the medicine every day. Your specialist will start you on a low dose and gradually increase it until your seizures stop. If the first medicine you try does not work, your doctor may recommend trying another type. It’s important you follow any advice about when to take AEDs and how much to take.

Can epilepsy medication make seizures worse?

Not all medications work on all types of seizures. And, sometimes, an epilepsy medication can make seizures worse. If your doctor can’t determine what type of seizures you have, you may be prescribed what’s known as a “broad-spectrum” epilepsy medication. Broad-spectrum means it can work on a wide range of seizures.

What is the primary reason that many patients with epilepsy do not take their medications?

There are several reasons people may not take their medicine as prescribed: They may forget or neglect to take medicine or to refill their prescription. This may be the result of normal forgetfulness, although memory problems or confusion may also contribute to it.

What medications should epileptics avoid?

Medications that may cause seizures:

• Diphenhydramine – the active ingredient in Benadryl and other medications that treat colds or allergies.
• Pseudoephedrine – a decongestant that shrinks blood vessels in the nasal passages.

Can you become immune to epilepsy medication?

Some people with epilepsy find that over time they have to take larger and larger doses of their seizure medicine to achieve the same result. This effect is known as tolerance. Studies in both humans and animals have shown that tolerance is not much of a problem for most of the standard antiepileptic drugs.

What are the most common side effects of anti seizure medications?

The most common side effects include dizziness, nausea, headache, vomiting, fatigue, vertigo, ataxia, blurred vision, and tremor.

What epilepsy drug has the least side effects?

oxcarbazepine (Trileptal): Slightly different from carbamazepine, it is at least as effective, and may have fewer side effects, except for more risk for low blood sodium (hyponatremia). It is more expensive than generic carbamazepine. A typical adult dose is 600 mg twice a day.