Anticonvulsant Medications Available in Canada
Different people metabolise drugs differently. It is important to keep a stable level of drug in the blood stream by taking medications regularly and on time. Check with your pharmacist or doctor to find out what to do if you miss a dose or wish to take any other medications, prescribed OR over-the-counter. There may be side effects between your AEDs and common medicine-cabinet medications such as acetaminophen (Tylenol) or Aspirin.
Anticonvulsants are typically administered for a minimum of 1-2 years to lifelong. The fewer number of seizures a person had before beginning medication and the longer the seizures are controlled once anticonvulsant therapy is begun, the greater the chance that person will remain seizure free and possibly be slowly taken off the medications.
NEVER abruptly stop taking anticonvulsant medications. This can result in status epilepticus - one seizure occurring immediately after another, and can be life-threatening.
With all medication, you should inform your physician if you are taking any other medication, feeling ill, breast feeding, pregnant or considering becoming pregnant, as well as if you have any allergies or other health conditions. Some antiepileptic medications may also reduce the effectiveness of oral contraceptives by increasing their metabolism by the liver and elimination by the body.
When you first take your medication, you may experience a wide variety of symptoms including nausea and visual disturbances. These should disappear with continued use and are usually not life threatening. As you increase or decrease dosage (as prescribed by your physician) or switch AEDs you may experience some of the same unpleasant symptoms again.
Approved Drugs
| Marketed in Canada as: ATIVAN | Generic Name: Lorazepam |
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| Common Use (Seizure Types): | Status epilepticus. |
| Possible Side Effects: | Excessive drowsiness, weakness, mental confusion. |
| Severe Side Effects (consult a physician or hospital immediately if you experience any of the following): | May intensify feelings of depression. |
| Marketed in Canada as: DEPAKENE | Generic Name: Valproic Acid |
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| Common Use (Seizure Types): | Atonic, myoclonic, infantile spasms, absence, tonic-clonic, simple partial, complex partial. |
| Possible Side Effects: | Nausea/vomiting, indigestion, sedation, dizziness, hair loss, tremor, change in liver function, weight gain, loss of coordination. |
| Severe Side Effects (consult a physician or hospital immediately if you experience any of the following): | Hypersensitivity, allergic reaction, impaired liver function, low blood platelet count, stupor, coma. |
| Marketed in Canada as: DIAMOX | Generic Name: Acetazolamide |
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| Common Use (Seizure Types): | Absence. |
| Possible Side Effects: | Loss of appetite, thirst, headache, drowsiness. |
| Severe Side Effects (consult a physician or hospital immediately if you experience any of the following): | Hypersensitivity to sun, allergic rash, fever, urinary difficulties. |
| Marketed in Canada as: DILANTIN | Generic Name: Phenytoin |
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| Common Use (Seizure Types): | Tonic-clonic, simple partial, complex partial. |
| Possible Side Effects: | Body hair increase, gum overgrowth, tremor, anemia, loss of coordination, double vision, nausea/vomiting, confusion, slurred speech. |
| Severe Side Effects (consult a physician or hospital immediately if you experience any of the following): | Hypersensitivity, allergic reaction |
| Marketed in Canada as: EPIVAL | Generic Name: Divalproex Sodium |
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| Common Use (Seizure Types): | Atonic, myoclonic, infantile spasms, absence, tonic-clonic, simple partial, complex partial. |
| Possible Side Effects: | Nausea/vomiting, indigestion, sedation, dizziness, hair loss, tremor, change in liver function, weight gain, loss of coordination. |
| Severe Side Effects (consult a physician or hospital immediately if you experience any of the following): | Hypersensitivity, allergic reaction, impaired liver function, low blood platelet count, stupor, coma. |
| Marketed in Canada as: FRISIUM | Generic Name: Colbazam, Benzodiazepine |
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| Common Use (Seizure Types): | Adjunctive therapy in broad range of seizures, including atonic, myoclonic, infantile spasms, absence, generalized tonic-clonic, complex parial, simple partial. |
| Possible Side Effects: | Sedation, tiredness, drowsiness, unsteadiness, irritability, muscle weakness, weight gain. |
| Severe Side Effects (consult a physician or hospital immediately if you experience any of the following): | Hypersensitivity, allergic reaction. |
| Marketed in Canada as: KEPPRA | Generic Name: Levetiracetam |
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| Common Use (Seizure Types): | Partial (including secondary tonic-clonic). Somewhat effective against primary generalized tonic-clonic. Also effective against photoparoxysmal response. |
| Possible Side Effects: | Drowsiness, fatigue, asthenia (lack or loss of strength). |
| Severe Side Effects (consult a physician or hospital immediately if you experience any of the following): | Generally well tolerated. Slightly decreased red and white blood cell counts occasionally seen. |
| Marketed in Canada as: LAMICTAL | Generic Name: Lamotrigine |
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| Common Use (Seizure Types): | Simple partial, complex partial, generalized, epileptic syndromes. |
| Possible Side Effects: | Clumsiness, diplopia (blurred vision), sedation, dizziness. |
| Severe Side Effects (consult a physician or hospital immediately if you experience any of the following): | Allergic reaction, severe skin rash. |
| Marketed in Canada as: LUMINAL | Generic Name: Phenobarbital, Barbiturate |
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| Common Use (Seizure Types): | Myoclonic, partial and tonic-clonic. |
| Possible Side Effects: | Lethargy, drowsiness, hyperactivity (in children), mood changes, depression, behavioural/learning problems. |
| Severe Side Effects (consult a physician or hospital immediately if you experience any of the following): | Hypersensitivity, allergic reaction. |
| Marketed in Canada as: MOGADON | Generic Name: Nitrazepam |
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| Common Use (Seizure Types): | Myoclonic and infantile spasms such as West’s Syndrome. |
| Possible Side Effects: | Drowsiness, fatigue, dizziness, mental confusion and lack of co-ordination. |
| Severe Side Effects (consult a physician or hospital immediately if you experience any of the following): | Hypersensitivity, allergic reaction. |
| Marketed in Canada as: MYSOLINE | Generic Name: Primidone |
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| Common Use (Seizure Types): | Tonic clonic, simple partial, complex partial. |
| Possible Side Effects: | Drowsiness, appetite loss, irritability, nausea, dizziness, loss of coordination, hyperactivity, mood or personality changes, depression. |
| Severe Side Effects (consult a physician or hospital immediately if you experience any of the following): | Hypersensitivity, allergic reaction. |
| Marketed in Canada as: NEURONTIN | Generic Name: Gabapentin |
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| Common Use (Seizure Types): | Simple partial, complex partial, secondarily generalized tonic clonic. |
| Possible Side Effects: | Drowsiness, dizziness, fatigue, clumsiness, weakness, trembling, increased appetite/weight gain. |
| Severe Side Effects (consult a physician or hospital immediately if you experience any of the following): | (Rare) CNS toxicity, vision disturbances, rhinitis, pharyngitis. |
| Marketed in Canada as: RIVOTRIL | Generic Name: Clonazepam, Benzodiazepine |
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| Common Use (Seizure Types): | Adjunctive therapy with atonic, myoclonic, infantile spasms, absence. |
| Possible Side Effects: | Lethargy, dizziness, nausea/vomiting, increase in salivation, increase in bronchial secretions, weight loss, slurred speech. |
| Severe Side Effects (consult a physician or hospital immediately if you experience any of the following): | Hypersensitivity, allergic reaction. |
| Marketed in Canada as: SABRIL | Generic Name: Vigabatrin |
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| Common Use (Seizure Types): | Simple partial, complex partial. |
| Possible Side Effects: | Blurred vision, drowsiness, weakness/tiredness, increased appetite, hyperactivity, depression, dizziness, headache. |
| Severe Side Effects (consult a physician or hospital immediately if you experience any of the following): | Allergic reaction, partial loss of vision. |
| Marketed in Canada as: TEGRETOL | Generic Name: Carbamazepine |
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| Common Use (Seizure Types): | Tonic-clonic, simple partial, complex partial |
| Possible Side Effects: | Drowsiness, dizziness, blurred vision, double vision, lethargy, nausea/vomiting, change in liver function, hyponatremia (low blood sodium). |
| Severe Side Effects (consult a physician or hospital immediately if you experience any of the following): | Hypersensitivity, allergic reaction, impaired liver function, low white blood cell count. |
| Marketed in Canada as: TOPAMAX | Generic Name: Topiramate |
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| Common Use (Seizure Types): | Adjunctive therapy with partial and secondarily generalized seizures. Also effective with absence, tonic/atonic and Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome. |
| Possible Side Effects: | Difficulty concentrating, drowsiness, dizziness, loss of coordination, weight loss, numbness of the extremities. |
| Severe Side Effects (consult a physician or hospital immediately if you experience any of the following): | Allergic reaction, 1.5 % incidence of kidney stones. |
| Marketed in Canada as: TRILEPTAL | Generic Name: Oxcarbazepine |
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| Common Use (Seizure Types): | Partial seizures (including secondary generalized tonic-clonic). |
| Possible Side Effects: | Drowsiness, fatigue, hyponatremia (low blood sodium), diplopia (blurred vision). |
| Severe Side Effects (consult a physician or hospital immediately if you experience any of the following): | Allergic reaction. |
| Marketed in Canada as: VALIUM | Generic Name: Diazepam, Benzodiazepine |
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| Common Use (Seizure Types): | Acute and status epilepticus. |
| Possible Side Effects: | Drowsiness, fatigue, ataxia, also: confusion, slurred speech, blurred vision, tremors, headache, nausea, depression. |
| Severe Side Effects (consult a physician or hospital immediately if you experience any of the following): | Allergic rash, hallucinations, rage, anxiety, haematological effects, respiratory depression. |
| Marketed in Canada as: ZARONTIN | Generic Name: Ethosuximide, Succinimide |
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| Common Use (Seizure Types): | Absence. |
| Possible Side Effects: | Drowsiness, hyperactivity, nausea/vomiting, sleep disturbance. |
| Severe Side Effects (consult a physician or hospital immediately if you experience any of the following): | Hypersensitivity, allergic reaction. |
| Not available in Canada: ZONEGRAN | Generic Name: Zonisamide |
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| Common Use (Seizure Types): | Partial seizures (including secondary tonic-clonic), primary generalized tonic-clonic. Somewhat effective against absence, myoclonic and tonic/atonic seizures. |
| Possible Side Effects: | Drowsiness, fatigue, gastrointestinal upset (nausea/vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite), depression, reduced sweating, difficulty with concentration and speech. |
| Severe Side Effects (consult a physician or hospital immediately if you experience any of the following): | Kidney stones, allergic rash. |
(Completed with the help of Vanessa Stephenson (PhD Student), Dr. Weaver, and Dr. Burnham)