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Best medication?
Mon, 06/13/2005 - 08:45Hello from sunny Ireland! First time caller, so please go easy if I mess something up!!
Basically, I had my first and only Grand Mal seizure three years ago at the age of 28. I did have 'dizzy' spells for a couple of years coming up to that time, which I have since found out were Petit Mal episodes. I never got these checked out, so I suppose it was only a matter of time before the inevitable happenedÂ…
These still continue today (mainly due to a series of bad night's sleep) and I am prescribed 2x Epilim (Sodium Valproate) tablets per day. From what I have read on this website, there is barley a mention of this drug. Is it outdated, or are there better drugs out there? Because I'm still getting the Petit Mal seizures (the most recent was this weekend!), I'm not convinced that this drug is working for me. Then again, without the drug, the seizures may well happen more frequentlyÂ…
Has anyone else been through this situation? Is there currently a 'drug of choice' for the treatment of Epilepsy?
Thanks - any advice greatly appreciated!!
Comments
RE: RE: Best medication?
Submitted by taho on Tue, 2005-06-14 - 11:39
RE: Best medication?
Submitted by grez-monkey on Tue, 2005-06-14 - 13:45
Welcome to the group Deano,
Nothing to worry about the name of Epilim. It it one of the brand names for Valproate. Epilim is only available in Australia, Hong Kong, Ireland, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa, United Kingdom. Source of finding out about this is via the website of http://www.epilepsy.org/Visitors/Centre/AEDs/index.cfm. Where you can search by brand name, generic name, or country.
Do the search in the generic name list and it will lead you to all of the brand names for this medication and in what country they're in. Search results that came up for this is on this website... http://www.epilepsy.org/Visitors/Centre/AEDs/AedDisplay.cfm?request=Generic.
What you're taking may not be effective enough until it is increased in the dosage amount, but if the side effects become more frequent and serious, but still no luck with controlling the seizures, then you'll most likely be switched over and tried on a different medication.
It can take some time to accomplish this but this is what needs to be done.
Bruce J
Welcome to the group Deano,
Nothing to worry about the name of Epilim. It it one of the brand names for Valproate. Epilim is only available in Australia, Hong Kong, Ireland, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa, United Kingdom. Source of finding out about this is via the website of http://www.epilepsy.org/Visitors/Centre/AEDs/index.cfm. Where you can search by brand name, generic name, or country.
Do the search in the generic name list and it will lead you to all of the brand names for this medication and in what country they're in. Search results that came up for this is on this website... http://www.epilepsy.org/Visitors/Centre/AEDs/AedDisplay.cfm?request=Generic.
What you're taking may not be effective enough until it is increased in the dosage amount, but if the side effects become more frequent and serious, but still no luck with controlling the seizures, then you'll most likely be switched over and tried on a different medication.
It can take some time to accomplish this but this is what needs to be done.
Bruce J
RE: Best medication?
Submitted by taho on Tue, 2005-06-14 - 11:37
Hi Deano,I'm interested in your story because I know it is kind of rare to have your first seizure so late, but I had my first at 26--so we have some similarities there...I have heard of Valproate--I think it just might be called something different here...I wan't to say it's depakote but I might be wrong. If you visit the treatments link and search using the technical name, you might see it there...As I am sure you have/will read on other postings, there is no magic bullet for treating epilepsy. I have been on many different combinations. I have changed for many reasons including ineffectiveness and unbearable or dangerous side effects. There are others who have been on the same medicines w/totally different experiences on this site. I recommend that you contact your doc. to ask for a different or additional medicine. There are many add-on drugs that in combination can be more effective. And on an unrelated note, I would love to visit Ireland. In my imagination, it seems that it would be frozen in time--just peaceful and unmarred by so much "progress"...at least in the rural areas...Anyway, if you want to chat about our similarities, you can e-mail me at toniaho_2000@yahoo.com.Toni