Medical Treatment - Antiepileptic Drugs

If you read the package insert of any drug (or read the Physician's Desk Reference / PDR) you might think all medicines are poison. Not so, but the list of all reported side effects is long and confusing. This Table is meant to simplify this task.

Common and/or important side effects (SE) will be listed. Remember, all antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) can cause side effects. Some do not depend on how long and how much you are taking, some do. Some side effects can only be determined with lab work (e.g. hyponatremia - low salt levels in the blood, from carbamazepine and oxcarbazepine). Some can not be determined by lab (e.g. decreased sex drive). People react differently. Blood levels are not a good measure of "too much". All AEDs (even gabapentin) can cause a rash.

Women have special issues regarding AEDs because of pregnancy, birth control pills, and breast feeding. Pregnancy should be planned.

Lastly, there is the economic aspect. Many AEDs are very expensive, and this can also have an adverse effect on the patient.

Finally, it would be remiss of me not to give some links.
The FDA Medical Products Reporting Program (free)
Clinical Pharmacology 2000 (free registration)
Physician's Desk Reference (free registration)

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Brand	Generic	Common Side Effects	Women	Cost
		Sleepy
	bromides	Acne		$
	ketogenic diet	Upset stomach		$$
		Sleepy	May affect unborn baby
	phenobarbital	Rash	Affects birth control pills	¢
		Unsteady	Breast milk makes baby sleepy
		Thick gums
		Facial hair
Dilantin	phenytoin	Rash	Affects birth control pills	$
		Sleepy	May affect unborn baby
		Unsteady
		Upset stomach
		Unsteady	Breast milk makes baby sleepy
Mysoline	primidone	Rash	Affects birth control pills	$
		Sleepy	May affect unborn baby
		Upset stomach
		Confusion
Celontin	methsuximide	Rash	Affects birth control pills	$
		Sleepy	May affect unborn baby
		Unsteady
		Nausea
Zarontin	ethosuximide	Rash	May affect unborn baby	$
		Sleepy
Tegretol		Rash	Affects birth control pills	$$
Tegretol-XR	carbamazepine	Sleepy	May affect unborn baby
Carbatrol		Unsteady
Klonopin	clonazepam	Sleepy	Do not become pregnant on this medicine	$
		Upset stomach
Depakene		Weight gain
Depakote	valproic acid	Feet swell	Do not become pregnant on this medicine	$$
Sprinkles		Hair loss
		Bleeding
Felbatol	felbamate	Fatal anemia	Not recommended if pregnant	$$
Neurontin	gabapentin	Confusion		$$$
		Rash
Lamictal	lamotrigine	Sleepy	Affects birth control pills	$$$$
		Unsteady	May affect unborn baby
		Nausea
		Kidney stones		$$$$
		Weight loss	May affect unborn baby
Topamax	topiramate	Unsteady	Affects birth control pills
		Upset stomach
		Rash
Gabitril	tiagabine	Sleepy		$$$
		Rash		$$$$
Trileptal	oxcarbazepine	Sleepy	Affects birth control pills
		Unsteady
		Nausea
		Rash		$$$$
Zonegran	zonisamide	Kidney stones	May affect unborn baby
		Sleepy
		Nausea
		Rash	Affects birth control pills	$$$$
Keppra	levetiracetam	Upset stomach	May affect unborn baby
		Unsteady