Increasing the making of GABA, reducing its breakdown, and increasing its movement, all results in increases its inhibitory effect more GABA means more prevention of messages being sent. Glutamate is a type of amino acid, and is a major excitatory neurotransmitter in the brain. Messages are sent from one neurone to another in excitation, due to the movement of sodium and calcium ions into cells, and potassium out of cells.
This movement of ions through the cell membranes is helped by glutamate, which binds to different receptors on the cell membrane. Drugs that bring about and prevent glutamate uptake antagonists stop glutamate from helping the movement of ions through the cell membrane and so prevent the spread of the messages from one neurone to another.
The AED perampanel works specifically on glutamate receptors, while some other AEDs such as topiramate work on glutamate receptors as well as other targets. Different AEDs use different targets, or a combination of targets. For some it is known which targets they use, but for others it is not yet known. Getting the same version of anti-epileptic drugs AEDs with each prescription may contribute to how well the drug works for that person.
Our 'a closer look' series of information looks at some subjects in greater technical detail. Here we try to answer some of the more common questions about anti-epileptic drugs AEDs. Skip to content. Skip to navigation. Site Navigation About epilepsy About epilepsy What is epilepsy? Epileptic seizures Seizure types Diagnosing epilepsy Epilepsy treatment Anti-seizure medication Medication Sodium valproate First aid for epileptic seizures Information for carers Information for parents Teaching children with epilepsy Personal stories Living with epilepsy Living with epilepsy Travel and holidays What help is available?
How anti-epileptic drugs work. How AEDs get to the brain To work, drugs need to get from where you take them to where they start to work. The route of administration There are various ways medications are taken - by mouth, by injection into the vein, muscle, or just under the skin , or by suppository into the bottom.
Absorption in the stomach Once swallowed, AEDs go into the stomach. Once the medication is absorbed it can act and do the job it is supposed to. However, sometimes the AED may not work as well as before. The following links provide further information about anti-epileptic medication.
Be aware that websites from other countries may have information that differs from New Zealand recommendations. The content on this page will be of most use to clinicians, such as nurses, doctors, pharmacists, specialists and other healthcare providers.
Looking for Where to get medical help A health professional or service Patient portals Newsletters View all. Information for healthcare providers on anti-epileptic medication The content on this page will be of most use to clinicians, such as nurses, doctors, pharmacists, specialists and other healthcare providers. Focal seizures focal aware focal impaired awareness focal to bilateral tonic-clonic seizure. Reducing the chance of your seizures causing you to have accidents or injuries. Reducing your worry that you will have a seizure.
Reducing the chance of getting status epilepticus which are seizures that continue without stopping, or a series of seizures that happen for 30 minutes without you recovering in between.
This can happen with any seizure type. Having side effects from the medicine. Needing to remember to take your medicine regularly. It is recommended to keep a seizure diary to record seizures as this helps monitor effectiveness of medication. The diary can also be used to record missed medication, side effects, illnesses and doctors visits. Some medications require regular blood level monitoring by a simple blood test. These medications include phenytoin, phenobarbitone and sometimes carbamazepine; your doctor will determine if these are necessary.
Teaching children how to swallow tablets and capsules. Concurrent use of antiepileptic medication with hormonal contraceptives the pill may cause the contraceptive to be ineffective. Higher dose oral contraceptives and additional non-hormonal barrier methods are often recommended but you should seek specific advice from your family doctor, neurologist, gynaecologist or Family Planning Centre.
Many complex circumstances exist during pregnancy for women with epilepsy. It is recommended that women taking antiepileptic medication receive pre-pregnancy counselling and discuss their individual circumstances with their doctor. The Australian Centre of Clinical Neuropharmacology has developed a voluntary Australian Epilepsy Pregnancy Register of women who become pregnant whilst taking antiepileptic medication.
The primary aim of the register is to determine the incidence of adverse foetal outcomes resulting from pregnancies in Australian women who were taking antiepileptic medications.
The secondary aims are to identify if certain antiepileptic medications, or combinations of medications, are associated with a higher overall incidence of foetal outcomes or specific types of malformations. As well we will try to identify other risk factors that may increase the risk of malformations occurring.
Some antiepileptic medications can cause drowsiness, sleepiness, incoordination and slowed reaction time, especially when the medication is being introduced or the dose is being increased.
Effects on individuals should be assessed prior to driving or using machinery. If alcohol is taken in combination with antiepileptic medication, extra sedative effects can occur. Also, alcohol increases the likelihood of seizures. For an up-to-date listing of medications permitted in sport, refer to the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority.
The Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne. Antiepileptic medications. Antiepileptic medications General comments How antiepileptic medications work? How do antiepileptic medications reach nerve cells? Which medication and how is it prescribed? A-Z of antiepileptic medications Common antiepileptic drug choices for certain seizure types Side effects General considerations References General Comments This information is provided as general information about the drug treatment of epilepsy.
How antiepileptic medications work? Specifically, they act by either: Altering electrical activity in neurons by affecting ion sodium, potassium, calcium, chloride channels in the cell membrane. Altering chemical transmission between neurons by affecting neurotransmitters GABA, glutamate in the synapes. For some drugs, the mode of action is unknown. General principles that doctors follow when prescribing antiepileptic medications in children include: starting with a low dose and slowly increasing to reach a maintenance dose this helps to reduce or avoid side effects during the introduction phase and is important for some drugs where there is risk of allergic rash aiming for control of seizures with one antiepileptic medication monotherapy where possible giving a medication a good trial period to work before changing recognising that doses and tolerance of antiepileptic medications vary between individuals spacing medication doses appropriately to maintain stable blood levels avoiding combinations of antiepileptic medications that are known to not interact well slowly withdrawing antiepileptic medications if ceasing treatment, especially the barbituate and benzodiazepine medications Always follow your doctors instructions about medication.
This highlights the need for a correct diagnosis, since any single AED may not be effective in all cases. The success rate with AEDs is very promising. Of the children with epilepsy who respond to anti-epileptic drug therapy, up to 70 percent stop experiencing seizures after trying one medication.
An additional 10 to 20 percent no longer experience seizures after trying their second or third AED.
0コメント