Epilepsy Talk

Epilepsy drug side-effects…  | July 9, 2024

They’re necessary, but not necessarily nice.

And every med has its own side-effects.

Just as different people experience different difficulties.

But here‘s the low-down on some possible side-effects.

I hope you don’t have to suffer any of them. (Or as few as possible.)

Aptiom (eslicarbazepine acetate) — dizziness, drowsiness, nausea, headache, double-vision, vomiting, fatigue and loss of coordination.

Ativan (lorazepam) — behavior changes, drowsiness, sleepiness, fatigue, poor coordination, unsteadiness and addiction.

Banzel (rufinamide) — loss of appetite, vomiting, dizziness, headache, fatigue, irritability, attention difficulty, double vision, itchiness, stomach pain. People who have a heart rhythm irregularity, should not take Banzel.

Briviact (brivaracetam) — mood or behavior changes, anxiety, panic attacks, trouble sleeping, impulsiveness, irritability, agitation, hostility, aggressiveness, restlessness, hyperactivity (mentally or physically), depression.

Carbatrol (extended release carbamazepine) — dizziness, nausea, drowsiness, blurred or double vision, skin rashes, abnormal blood counts (rare).

Depakote (depakene, valproate, valproic acid) — dizziness, nausea, vomiting, tremor, hair loss, weight gain, depression in adults, irritability in children, reduced attention, and a decrease in thinking speed. Over the long-term, the drug can cause bone thinning, swelling of the ankles, irregular menstrual periods. More rare and dangerous effects include hearing loss, liver damage, decreased platelets (clotting cells), and pancreas problems.

Diamox (acetazolamide) — appetite loss, frequent urination, drowsiness, confusion, extremity numbness, kidney stones.

Diastat Acudial (diazepam rectal gel) — drowsiness, sleepiness, fatigue, dizziness, headache, pain, diarrhea, rash, nervousness, slowed speech, poor coordination, unsteadiness, behavior changes.

Dilantin (phenytoin) – moderate cognitive problems, slurred speech, confusion, hallucinations, mood or behavior changes, hyperactivity (mentally or physically), unsteadiness, dizziness, fatigue, gum overgrowth, potential body/face hair growth, skin problems, bone problems (osteoporosis), suicide thoughts or attempts. Plus, Dilantin can cause a rare and dangerous rash called Stevens-Johnson Syndrome.

Felbatol (felbamate) — anorexia, vomiting, insomnia, nausea, headache, dizziness, vision problems, poor coordination, tremor, mood changes, anxiety, depression, liver and blood toxicity. (If you are taking it, have blood cell counts and liver tests regularly.

Frisium (clobazam) – weakness, drowsiness, dizziness, poor coordination, drooling, restlessness, aggressiveness, anxiety, increased heart rate, tremor, addictive. (Not sold in the United States.)

Gabitril (tiagabine) – nausea, dizziness, vomiting, diarrhea, tremor, nervousness, difficulty concentrating, irritability, anxiety, and confusion.

Hp Acthar Gel (acth [adrenocorticotropic hormone]) — insomnia, increased appetite, weight gain, irritability, fluid retention, sleepiness, fatigue, poor coordination, loss of strength, dizziness.

Keppra (levetiracetam) — “Keppra Rage”, dizziness, drowsiness, irritability, sore throat, tiredness, weakness. Abnormal thoughts, decreased coordination, extreme dizziness, drowsiness, fatigue or weakness, hallucinations, memory loss, muscle or neck pain, new or worsening mental, mood, or behavior changes (eg, aggression, agitation, anger, anxiety, apathy, depression, hostility, irritability, panic attacks, restlessness), new or worsening seizures, suicidal thoughts or attempts.

Klonopin (clonazepam), Valium (Diazepam), Xanax (alprazolam) — drowsiness, loss of appetite, poor coordination, unsteadiness, mood and behavior changes, addiction.

Lamictal (lamotrigine) — dizziness, nausea, fatigue, headache, blurred vision, clumsiness. Also, in rare cases, Lamictal can cause Stevens-Johnson Syndrome which poses a dangerous risk if not treated immediately.

Lyrica (pregabalin) — weight gain, swelling of hands and feet, nausea, sleepiness, blurred or double vision, dry mouth, difficulty concentrating, confusion, dizziness, weakness, tremor.

Mysoline (primidone) — clumsiness, unsteadiness, vertigo,dizziness, appetite loss, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, insomnia, irregular eye movements, blurred or double vision, hyper-irritability, depression, hyper-activity (children).

Neurontin (gabapentin) — weight gain, ankle swelling, fatigue, dizziness, clumsiness, twitching.

Onfi (clobazam) — New discovery: The FDA is warning the public that Onfi can result in Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) and toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) at any time during Onfi treatment. However, the likelihood of skin reactions is greater during the first 8 weeks of treatment or when Onfi is stopped and then re-started. All cases of SJS and TEN in the FDA case series have resulted in hospitalization, one case resulted in blindness, and one case resulted in death. Other side-effects include mood or behavior changes, anxiety, panic attacks, trouble sleeping, muscle spasms, irritably, agitation, aggressiveness, restlessness, hyperactivity, depression.

Peganone (ethotoin tablets) — do not use this medication if you have liver disease or a blood cell disorder. Call your doctor at once if you have any unusual bleeding, weakness, or any signs of infection, even if these symptoms first occur after you have been using the medication for several months.

Perampanel (fycompa) — irritability, anxiety, aggression, weight increase, fatigue, weakness, dizziness, balance disorder, loss of muscle coordination, blurred vision, upper respiratory tract infection. NOTE: Just recently the FDA put a black box warning on Perampanel, warning of severe psychiatric and behavioral reactions, including: aggression, hostility, irritability, anger, homicidal ideation and threats.

Phenobarbital (luminal) — drowsiness, dizziness, upset stomach, anemia, rash, fever, vitamin folic acid deficiency, low calcium levels, bone loss, irritability, depression, hyperactivity (children), difficulty concentrating, memory problems, slurred speech, decreased sexual interest, mildly addictive.

Phenytek (extended phenytoin sodium) — constipation, dizziness, headache, nausea, trouble sleeping, vomiting, high blood sugar, decreased coordination, confusion, jerking movements of the eyes, shaking hands, slowed thinking, movement, memory problems, slurred speech, poor concentration, new or worsening mental or mood changes, seizures.

Sabril (vigabatrin) — headache, dizziness, tremor, blurry vision, vision loss, abnormal MRIs, anemia, sleepiness, numbness of extremities, weight gain, swelling, fluid retention, hyperactivity, memory impairment, constipation, diarrhea, urinary tract infection, upper respiratory tract infection, poor coordination, joint pain.

Tegretol (carbamazepine, carbatrol) Tegretol XR (extended release carbamazepine) — dizziness, sleepiness, unsteadiness, blurred or double vision, headache, nausea, skin rashes, abnormal blood counts, bone and liver problems. (You must be tested for toxicity regularly.)

Topamax (topiramate) – weight loss, nausea, sleepiness, dizziness, tingling skin, clumsiness, unsteadiness, confusion, nervousness, difficulty thinking or talking, speech, memory and vision problems, feeling of pins and needles in fingertips and toes, depression, psychiatric disorders.

Tranxene (clorazepate) — sleepiness, fatigue, poor coordination, unsteadiness, behavior change.

Trileptal (oxcarbazepine) — difficulty concentrating, sleepiness, fatigue, dizziness, double vision, nausea, headache, unsteadiness, loss of coordination, rash, low blood sodium.

Viibryd (vilazodone hydrochloride) — do not use Viibryd if you have used an MAO inhibitor. Tell your doctor if you have: liver or kidney disease, a bleeding or blood clotting disorder, seizures or epilepsy, low levels of sodium in your blood (hyponatremia), bipolar disorder (manic depression) or a history of drug abuse or suicidal thoughts. (So, if it’s for depression, just what can you use it for???)

Vimpat (lacosamide) – dizziness, unsteadiness, shakiness, falling, headache, nausea, vomiting, double vision, blurred vision, drowsiness, diarrhea, unintentional rapid eye movement, tremor, memory mood problems. (In rare cases, Vimpat may affect internal organs, blood counts or heart rhythm.)

Xcopri, (Cenobamate), dizziness, tiredness, nausea, vomiting, constipation or weakness, decreased appetite, diarrhea, or weakness may occur. Other serious side effects, include: problems with walking/balance, problems with coordination, vision changes (such as blurred vision, double vision, decreased vision), feeling of spinning (vertigo), trouble reading/speaking/writing.

Zarontin (ethosuximide) — appetite loss, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, weight loss, drowsiness, headache, dizziness, fatigue, double vision, memory, and mood problems.

Zonegran (zonisamide) — sleepiness, dizziness, loss of appetite, headache, nausea, irritability, difficulty concentrating, poor coordination, tremor, speech problems, unsteadiness, fever, itching, vision problems, kidney stones, abdominal discomfort. (Should not be used in individuals allergic to sulfa drugs).

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Resources:

http://www.drugs.com/keppra.html
http://www.drugs.com/dilantin.html
http://www.efwp.org/programs/side_effects.shtml
http://health.nytimes.com/health/guides/disease/epilepsy/medications.html
http://www.drugs.com/sfx/phenytek-side-effects.html
http://www.epilepsyfoundation.org/Medications-Database.cfm
http://www.webmd.com/epilepsy/medications-treat-seizures
http://my.epilepsy.com/epilepsy/seizure_medicines
http://www.rxlist.com/onfi-drug/side-effects-interactions.htm
http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2009/04/10/a-storm-in-the-brain.html
http://www.webmd.com/epilepsy/news/20110613/fda-oks-new-epilepsy-drug
http://www.emaxhealth.com/1275/new-epilepsy-drug-may-significantly-reduce-seizures
http://www.centerwatch.com/drug-information/fda-approvals/drug-areas.aspx?AreaID=10
http://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/archives/fdaDrugInfo.cfm?archiveid=20391
http://secure.medicalletter.org/cannotaccess?ac=1&a=1332b&t=article&n=10742&p=tml&title=Vigabatrin%20(Sabril)%20for%20Epilepsy&i=1332
http://www.drugs.com/news/potiga-approved-adult-epileptic-seizures-31914.html
http://www.drugs.com/mtm/peganone.html
http://www.drugs.com/cdi/rufinamide.html
http://www.drugs.com/mtm/sabril.html
http://www.drugs.com/viibryd.html
http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm325038.htm
http://my.epilepsy.com/medications/b_clobazam_skin?utm_source=Epilepsy+Therapy+Project https://www.webmd.com/drugs/2/drug-179043/xcopri-oral/details

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