Medicinal treatment of epilepsy: effective drugs and medications

Those who have seen seizures of epilepsy know perfectly well how terrible this disease is. It is not easier for those who have relatives or friends with such a diagnosis.

In this case it is necessary to know which medications help against epilepsy, to know how to apply them and to monitor their admission in a timely manner by a sick person.

Depending on how correctly the treatment is selected, the frequency of seizures depends, not to mention, on their strength. It is about antiepileptic drugs, and it will be discussed below.

Principles of drug treatment of epilepsy

The success of help depends not only on the right drug,and on how much the patient himself will carefully follow all the instructions of the attending physician.

The basis of therapy is to choose a medicine that will help to eliminate seizures( or significantly reduce them), while not producing side effects.

If reactions occur, then the main task of the doctor is to correct the therapy in time. Increase in the dose is made in extreme cases, as this can affect the quality of life of the patient.

In the treatment of epilepsy, there are a number of principles that must be fulfilled without fail:

• is primarily assigned to ONE medication from the first row;
• observed and monitored the therapeutic and toxic effects on the patient's body;
• type of the drug is selected depending on the type of seizure( their classification consists of 40 types);
• if monotherapy does not have the proper effect, a specialist has the right to try polytherapy, that is, to prescribe a drug from the second row;
• should never abruptly stop taking medication, while not consulting with a doctor;
• takes into account the interests of the patient, beginning with the effectiveness of the drug and ending with the ability of a person to buy it.

Adherence to these principles allows for effective therapy.

Why is drug therapy often ineffective?

Most epilepsy patients are forced to take antiepileptic drugs( PEP) for life, or at least a very long period.

This leads to the fact that in 70% of all cases, success is still achieved. This is a fairly high figure. But, unfortunately, according to statistics, 20% of patients remain with their problem. Why does this situation arise?

For those on whom drugs for the treatment of epilepsy do not have the proper effect, experts suggest neurosurgical intervention.

In addition, the methods of stimulation of the vagus nerve and special diets can be used. The effectiveness of therapy largely depends on the following factors:

• qualification of the attending physician;
• the correctness of the definition of the type of epilepsy;
• competently selected product of the first or second category;
• quality of life of the patient;
• performing by the patient all prescription of the doctor;
• the difficulty of treating polymorphic seizures, which are often difficult to determine;
• expensive drugs;
• patient's refusal to take medication.

Of course, no one canceled the side effects, but the doctor will never prescribe a drug whose effectiveness will be less than the price of a potential threat. In addition, thanks to the development of modern pharmacology, there is always the opportunity to adjust the treatment program.

Which groups of agents are used in the therapy of

The basis for successful care is the individual calculation of the dose and duration of admission. Depending on the type of seizures, the following groups of medicines may be prescribed for epilepsy:

1. Anticonvulsant .This category contributes to muscle relaxation, so they are prescribed for temporal, ideopathic, cryptogenic and focal epilepsy. They contribute to the elimination of primary and secondary generalized convulsive seizures. Anti-convulsants may also be given to children if tonic-clonic or myoclonic seizures occur.
2. Tranquilizers .Are intended to suppress excitability. Particularly effective in small seizures in children. This group is used with extreme caution, as many studies have shown that in the first weeks of seizures, such remedies only aggravate the situation.
3. Sedative .Not all seizures end well. There is a case when before and after an attack the patient has irritability and importunity, depressive conditions. In this case, he is prescribed sedatives with a parallel visit to the psychotherapist's office.
4. Injection of .Such procedures ensure the removal of twilight states and affective disorders.

All modern medicines for epilepsy are divided into 1st and 2nd series, that is, the basic category and preparations of the new generation.

The choice of modern doctors

Patients with epilepsy are always prescribed one drug. This is based on the fact that the simultaneous use of drugs can trigger the activation of toxins of each of them.

At the initial stages, the dosage will not be significant, so that it was possible to check the patient's response to the drug. If there is no effect, then gradually increase it.

List of the most effective tablets from epilepsy from the 1st and 2nd line of choice.

First-line selection of

There are 5 main active substances:

• Carbamazepine ( Stazepin, Tegretol, Finplexin);
• Benzobarbital ( Benzene);
• Valproate sodium ( Convullex, Depakin, Apilepsin);
• Ethosuximide ( Petunidan, Suksilep, Zarontin);
• Phenytoin ( Diphenin, Epanutine, Dilantin).

These tools have shown the maximum efficiency. If, for one reason or another, this category of drugs is not suitable, then drugs from epilepsy from the second row are considered.

The second round of selection of

Such medications are not as popular as the above ones. This is due to the fact that they either do not have the proper effect, or their side effects are much more destructive than the treatment itself.

Nevertheless, for a short time can be written out:

• Luminal or Phenobarbital - active substance phenobarbital;
• Trileptal is the main component of oxcarbamazepine;
• Lamectal - the composition includes lamotrigine;
• Felbatol or Taloxa is an active component of felbamate;
• Diacarb or Diamox - the effect is achieved due to acetazolamide;
• Topamax - activity manifests topiramate;
• Antelepsin, clonazepam or rivotril - helps clopazepam;
• Neurotin is the main active substance of gabapentin;
• Radedorm or Eunotin - contains nitrosepam;
• Sabril is the main active component of vigabatrin;
• Frisium - is made on the basis of clobazam;
• Seduxen, Diazepam or Relanium - activity is due to the presence of diazepam;
• Hexain, Misolin or Milepsin - helps to fight the primidon.

The list of drugs for epilepsy is quite voluminous. What type of drug to choose, its dosage and duration of admission, can appoint only a specialist. This is due to the fact that each active substance acts on a specific type of seizures.

Therefore, the patient initially has to undergo a complete examination, according to the results of which the course of therapy will be scheduled.

Drug care for seizures of various kinds

Every patient with epilepsy, as well as his close people, should clearly know the form and type of medication. Sometimes, during a seizure, every second can be the last.

Depending on the form of the diagnosis, the patient may be prescribed the following medicines:

1. Acetazolamide .It is prescribed at absences, which are not eliminated by other medications.
2. Carbamazepine, Lamotrigine .Designed to eliminate the generalized and partial types of epilepsy.
3. Clonazep .It struggles with atonic, myoclonic, atypical absences, and it is also acceptable in the treatment of childhood seizures.
4. Valproic Acid .This remedy helps in most cases, because of what her doctors recommend to always carry epileptics with her. Eliminates absences, generalized and partial seizures, febrile convulsions, myoclonic and atonic seizures, and childhood spasms.
5. Ethosuximide .It only helps with absences,
6. Gabapent .It is intended for the treatment of partial seizures.
7. Felbamate .Eliminates absences of an atypical nature and seizures of a partial type.
8. Phenobarbital, Phenitol .It is prescribed to patients with generalized tonic-clinical epilepsies, as well as partial seizures.
9. Topiramate .Has the same help as the previous drug, but in parallel with it can eliminate absences.

To correctly select a medicine, the patient must be fully inspected.

Therapy features are the most popular medicines

Below are the medicines for epilepsy, which are considered the most popular.

Our subjective choice of the best drugs for epilepsy:

• The is an initial dose of 15-20 drops thrice a day, helps with minor seizures;
• Falilepsin - the initial dose of 1 \ 2 tablets once a day;
• Sibazone - is an intramuscular injection;
• Pufemid - 1 tablet 3 times a day, is prescribed for various types of epilepsy;
• Mydocalm - 1 tablet three times a day;
• Cerebrolysin - intramuscular injection;
• peony tincture - sedative, which drink 35 drops, diluted in water, 3-4 times a day;
• Pantogam - 1 tablet( 0.5 g) is taken three times a day;
• Methindione - dosage depends on the frequency of attacks of temporal or traumatic epilepsy.

Each drug has its own duration of admission, as some drugs are addictive, which means that gradually the effectiveness will decrease.

In summary, it should be said that antiepileptic drugs are many. But none of them will have a proper result if it is not taken correctly.

So visit a specialist and pass the diagnosis still have to. Only in this way can you be sure of successful therapy.