Epilepsy
More than 6,000 people are diagnosed with epilepsy every year. Epilepsy is also described as a short circuit in the brain. If you have been given new medication and it was not dispensed by our pharmacies, please notify us immediately! That way we can prevent health damage or discomfort. And we can check to make sure the medicine is working optimally.
Safety
Medication monitoring in epilepsy is very important. This is due to the many interactions between epilepsy medications and other medications. We like to keep your file as complete as possible. On that basis, we monitor your medication.
What is epilepsy anyway?
Epilepsy looks different in everyone. In our brains, billions of brain cells talk to each other. They do this through electrical pulses. This allows us to walk, talk, think, see. In an epileptic seizure, there is a sudden disturbance in the brain. This "short circuit" leaves you momentarily out of control of your body. There is no one type of epilepsy. The most well-known epileptic seizure is when someone falls to the ground, is briefly unconscious and starts jerking their arms and legs. You may also just feel a strange tingling sensation, not be able to make out your words or stare ahead for a moment.
Different types of medications
Medications can usually suppress seizures. Medications cannot cure epilepsy. It may take some time to find out which medications work best (together) for you and what amount (dose) of medication is needed.
- Anti-epileptics affect the transmission of information through nerves in the brain that can trigger seizures. This makes epileptic seizures less frequent and less severe.
- Benzodiazepines affect stimuli in the brain that can trigger seizures. They are therefore used to stop seizures.
- Acetazolamide has been shown to prevent muscle spasms in some forms of epilepsy. It is used when other drugs for epilepsy do not work or work inadequately.
- Verapamil affects stimuli in the brain that trigger seizures. It is used in Dravet syndrome, a severe form of epilepsy in young children.
- Chloral hydrate is sometimes used in people in the last stage of life (in terminal care) with seizures. Chloral hydrate can stop an epileptic seizure.
- In conclusion, the doctor may prescribe cannabis. Exactly how cannabis works in epilepsy is not known. Nor has its action been proven.
Side effects and interactions
We monitor whether you can safely combine your medications! So follow our tips:
- Make sure we have a current record of your medication use.
Anti-epileptics very often cause side effects such as dizziness, problems with coordination and drowsiness. Headaches, dry mouth and problems with vision (accommodation, color vision, double vision) are also common. Sometimes antiepileptic drugs cause diarrhea, nausea and constipation, and neurological symptoms. Medications that interact include antibiotics, the pill and antidepressants. Always report changes in your medication use to us.
- Always obtain your medications from one pharmacy.
This allows us to check if and what interactions may occur.
Epilepsy during breastfeeding
Would you like to breastfeed and are taking drugs for epilepsy? It is wise to contact us about this first. Depending on the type of medication you are taking, you can breastfeed. If necessary, we will also contact your doctor about this at your request.
.Contraceptive pill and epilepsy
How annoying: the reliability of the contraceptive pill is reduced if you take certain antiepileptic drugs. These include carbamazepine, phenobarbital, phenytoin, topimarate, and primidone. The drugs valproic acid, levetiracetam, gabapentin, and pregabalin do not negatively affect the effectiveness of the pill.
So what is the alternative? In consultation with your doctor, you can choose a copper IUD, a hormone IUD, or birth control pills (once every 10 weeks instead of 12 weeks!). Do you have any questions? Ask them to us!
Sports and epilepsy
Seizures during sports are relatively rare. But of course it is wise to make a good risk assessment. What is possible and what risk should you avoid? The epilepsy.nl foundation has published a very clear brochure 'epilepsy and sports'.
Pharmaceuticals and sports also have a link. After all, a number of epilepsy drugs can affect responsiveness. This is relevant, for example, in ball games or other sports where responsiveness is important.
Driving license
If you have epilepsy and have a driver's license, you may only drive if you haven't had a seizure for a while. After a first epileptic seizure, you may not drive for six months. If you have had multiple epileptic seizures, you must be seizure-free for a year before you can drive again. That can have a big impact. Proper medication is one of the factors that can help prevent a seizure. Contact us if you are starting other medications. We will check to see if they can be used together.
On vacation?
Are you going on a trip soon? Then take a medicine passport with you. Check out this website on how to apply for it quickly.