Drugs may work well for many people with epilepsy, which allows them to lead full and normal life. Other drugs less easy to find, either because of side effects, or simply because it does not work. Although many drugs have a time to be effective, the truth is that up to 20-30 percent of people with epilepsy do not respond well to drug therapy. If the drugs are proving ineffective, your doctor may try a higher dose, or another drug or a combination of both drugs.

Very rare anti-epileptic drugs can result in more frequent Seizures. If this happens your doctor may check the diagnosis. Doctors usually start patients with epilepsy off the lowest anti-epileptic dose and then build it to reduce the side effects. How much you need depends on various factors such as your build and body, to influence how your body processes the medicine and how easy you are to treat epilepsy. Too high a dose can result in intoxication. Symptoms of intoxication vary from medication to medication. If a person receives too many phenytoin, they often become very unsteady and may have more frequent Seizures. Carbamazepine toxicity usually begins with double vision and drowsi ness. Another reason why the drug can sometimes seem Seizures will increase if a suitable drug for a type of seizure aggravates other types of seizure. Carbamazepine, for example, are effective against tonic-clonic Seizures, but not against absence Seizures.

There have also been some confusion about the brand versus generic drugs. Almost all drugs have two names. The first is the generic name, the scientific name given to a medicine which is recognized internationally. These are brand name drugs with a name created by a pharmaceutical company that manufactured them. The real drug is the same, but problems can arise if you change from one to another - for example, if you go Tegretol (brand) to carbamazepine (generic). This is because sometimes there are small differences in the way it was manufactured the medicine. It is best that you stick to the type of epilepsy that were initially prescribed tablets, either brand or generic. Sometimes the change may precipitate seizures or side effects. A once in a while someone may improve seizure control or side effects diminish.

Modifying drug treatment Before the treatment was changed several questions must be considered: 1 Is it epilepsy? The misdiagnosis rate is estimated to be between 10 and 25 percent. 2 If it is epilepsy, what type of seizure disorder or syndrome? Many people with youth myoclonic epilepsy (tonic-clonic Seizures and myoclonic jerks first thing in the morning) go undiagnosed, as relevant leading questions are not asked about myoclonic jerks or early morning tonic-clonic Seizures. Specific Syn Drome responded extremely well to sodium valproate, but carbamaze pine can create Seizures worse. 3 Are you in an appropriate anti-epileptic drugs? All anti-epileptic drugs appear equally effective (or ineffective!) For Seizures slightly, but in primary and symptomatic generalized epilepsy Seizures respond best to sodium valproate, with lamotrigine as second-line therapy. 4 Is the drug provided an adequate dose? It is amazing how many people have more than one drug, all drugs in inadequate dosages. Results of a clinical audit are provided in London suggested that Seizures can be halved to about a third of the people by reducing the number of drugs in monotherapy and adequate drugs in dosage. Interestingly 10 percent became seizure-free as a result of this simple maneuver. 5 Are you taking medication? If this is a problem that is worth trying to simplify a medication therapy provided a maximum of twice a day. The midday dose was very easy and forget everything but gabapentin has long half-life for them given either once or twice daily.

If all the above evidence reassess unsuccessful then adding a second anti-epileptic needs of, or possibly surgery as an alternative means of therapy.

Tags: Epilepsy

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