Drugs to control seizures, also known as anticonvulsants, are general depressants chosen for the treatment of seizures “because they reduce excessive stimulation in the brain without depressing vital centers (such as the respiratory center) and without sending the patient to sleep. The cause and type of epilepsy must be established before treatment is offered.” Selecting the most suitable drug and dosage for a patient’s individual needs is important and may take several months to find one that is capable of controlling all the patient’s symptoms. It is crucial that patients follow the instructions for taking their prescriptions exactly and any adverse reactions should be noted and reported to the prescribing physician.

As with many prescription drugs, the dosage for the anticonvulsant described may need to be slowly increased over time, as the body will develop a tolerance to it. Unfortunately, however, the toxicity of a drug does not change, and the same amount will harm the system, whether or not the body has built up its tolerance. When the body’s tolerance to the anticonvulsant has reached a level in which prescribing a higher level would have the potential of harming the patient, another drug may be prescribed. The changeover must occur slowly, so as withdrawal symptoms from the anticonvulsant can me minimized, if not avoided completely. These symptoms cannot only be hugely uncomfortable, but also quite dangerous and sometimes deadly. The symptoms include: anxiety, restlessness, trembling, weakness, abdominal cramps, vomiting, hallucinations, delirium, fits and even death. As with any drug that can affect one’s cognitive ability, driving and operating machinery must be avoided if the patient develops drowsiness or other impairing side effects.

“Children require more regular and higher dosing than adults as they break down the drugs more quickly. Multiple drug therapy (combining more than one anticonvulsant) should be considered very carefully as this further complicates monitoring and increases the risk of adverse side-effects from the interaction of drugs.”

Barbiturates, hydantoins, succimides, benzodiazepines are common types of drugs used as anticonvulsants. Phenobarbitone and methylphenobarbitone are barbiturates that have possible side effects which include: confusion when in pain, drowsiness, some dependence, and they may affect the enzymes in the liver. Primidone, a barbiturate-related drug, includes possible side effects such as: drowsiness, ataxia, nausea, vertigo, headache, thirst, visual disturbance and anemia. Ethotoin and phentoin are hydantoins. Their side effects include: possible irritation of the stomach lining (one should always drink plenty of water in hopes to avoid this), dizziness, nausea, skin rashes, double vision and mental confusion. Ethosuximide is a succimide. Its side effects include: headache, nausea, drowsiness, apathy, mood change, loss of appetite, ataxia, skin rashes, parkinsonism and difficulty looking at bright lights. Clonazepam (Rivotril), clobazam (Frisium), diazepam (Valium) and lorazepam (Atican) are benzodiazepines and their side-effects are: drowsiness, fatigue, drooling, difficulty coordinating movement ataxia, dry mouth excitement and aggression, constipation, incontinence, trembling and convulsions. Beclamide (Nydrane) and carbamazepine (Tegretol) are also benzodiazepines. Beclamide has possible side effects of: upset stomach, dizziness, nervousness and skin rash. Carbamazepine’s side effects include: dryness of mouth, nausea, diarrhea, dizziness and double vision. Two other anticonvulsants, which do not fit into the aforementioned categories, are sulthiame and sodium valproate. Sulthiame’s side-effects include; loss of appetite, loss of energy, ataxia, breathlessness (in children), sensation on face, hands and feet, nausea, dizziness, loss of weight, mental changes, abdominal pain, drooling, insomnia, blood disorder and increased fits. Sodium valproate, also known as epilim, has side effects that include: nausea, upset stomach, transient loss of hair, oedema, blood disorders, liver damage and occasional death.