The treatment of the first seizure: the risks

Epilepsia
Emilio Perucca

Abstract

The risks associated with prescribing antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) in a person who had a single unprovoked seizure fall into three domains: (1) the risk that treatment will not be effective in preventing seizure relapse, and the consequences thereof; (2) the risks of a person's life being affected by the psychological, social, and legal aspects of receiving treatment for a seizure disorder; (3) the health risks associated with intake of antiepileptic medication. This article with focus on the latter, addressing in particular concerns related to adverse drug effects. Serious or life-threatening adverse reactions are very uncommon in people started on AEDs, although some (e.g., teratogenic effects) can be a major concern in specific patient groups. Nonserious adverse reactions leading to withdrawal of treatment are relatively common, although in most cases these are reversible following removal of the offending agent. Adverse effects associated with prolonged treatment and not leading to drug withdrawal are an important concern, because such effects are often under-recognized and may affect significantly quality of life. Additional risks relate to the occurrence of drug-drug interactions. In all cases, risks can be minimized by car...Continue Reading

References

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Feb 21, 2006·British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology·Emilio Perucca
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Mar 28, 2007·Epilepsia·Gaetano ZaccaraEmilio Perucca

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Citations

Mar 20, 2009·Brain : a Journal of Neurology·Julia JacobsJean Gotman
May 12, 2009·The Neurologist·Jerry J Shih, Juan G Ochoa
Dec 23, 2008·Epilepsia·Robert S Fisher, Ilo Leppik
May 29, 2008·Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics·Svein I Johannessen, Cecilie Johannessen Landmark
Apr 22, 2014·Neurología : publicación oficial de la Sociedad Española de Neurología·J M Mercadé CerdáX Salas Puig

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