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Suggest Treatment For Febrile Convulsions
Question: hello
my son is four and half year he had fabrile convulsion at age of one year during high fever since then we use to give fresium (1,5-benzodiazepin) half tab while he has fever, now before one moth back he had seizures without fever during school time, as per our pediatrician suggestion we gone through EEG and CT Scan all are normal Blood profile was normal except hemoglobin was 10. so he prescribed hematinic. for seizures he prescribed Valparin 200 (Sodium Valproate) 5ml BD and b complex sirup,
my question is
1. how long we have to give valparin
2. what are the side effect of valparin (he is already impulsive and short tempered)
3. is there any eye weakness or colour blindness type of side effect with anti convulsive medicines
4, what precaution we have to take
5. is my child will live a normal life.
kindly suggest me and help to recover my worries
my son is four and half year he had fabrile convulsion at age of one year during high fever since then we use to give fresium (1,5-benzodiazepin) half tab while he has fever, now before one moth back he had seizures without fever during school time, as per our pediatrician suggestion we gone through EEG and CT Scan all are normal Blood profile was normal except hemoglobin was 10. so he prescribed hematinic. for seizures he prescribed Valparin 200 (Sodium Valproate) 5ml BD and b complex sirup,
my question is
1. how long we have to give valparin
2. what are the side effect of valparin (he is already impulsive and short tempered)
3. is there any eye weakness or colour blindness type of side effect with anti convulsive medicines
4, what precaution we have to take
5. is my child will live a normal life.
kindly suggest me and help to recover my worries
Brief Answer:
A single episode of seizure is not Epilepsy.
Detailed Answer:
Hello, thanks for posting in Healthcaremagic. I am a consultant pediatrician and neonatologist. We come across these type of cases quite a lot. Dont be too anxious.
Firstly the febrile convulsion that your child is suffering from is not a disease, it goes away with time. Simple febrile convulsion goes away by 5-6 years of age. Prescribing Fresium for every episode of fever to prevent convulsion is also not recommended for simple febrile convulsion ( convulsion associated with fever occuring not more than 15 mins, no after effect of the convulsion)
The second problem that you faced is an episode of Convulsion without fever. But we generally dont prescribe anticonvulsants after the first episode of seizure. Seizure in a child can be due to a variety of causes but prescribing drug after a single episode is not recommended particularly when EEG and CTscan is normal.
If you ask me I would suggest to stop all drugs - valparin and Fresium.
To control febrile convulsion give paracetamol whenever temperature crosses 100. Fresium dose is 1mg per kg body weight. I think you are taking a non recommended medicine in a below dose, which has no use.
Secondly after the first episode of seizure where no abnormality is detected in EEG valparin has no role. Repeat a EEG after 2 weeks.
1. Once Valparin is started for Epilepsy we have to give it for 2 years.
2.There are several side effects of valparin but the most important is liver involvement.
3. Yes there are these sideeffects but not so common with Valparin.
4. Get a liver function test done every 2 monthly till valparin is stopped. Dont allow him to swim or cycle in main road where sudden seizure can expose him to immediate danger.
5. If the repeated EEG reports are normal and there is no family history of epilepsy in the family I dont think the child will face any problem after 6 years of age.
Take the child to a pediatric Neurologist and have a second opinion. I think your child is being overtreated.
Hope this helps.
A single episode of seizure is not Epilepsy.
Detailed Answer:
Hello, thanks for posting in Healthcaremagic. I am a consultant pediatrician and neonatologist. We come across these type of cases quite a lot. Dont be too anxious.
Firstly the febrile convulsion that your child is suffering from is not a disease, it goes away with time. Simple febrile convulsion goes away by 5-6 years of age. Prescribing Fresium for every episode of fever to prevent convulsion is also not recommended for simple febrile convulsion ( convulsion associated with fever occuring not more than 15 mins, no after effect of the convulsion)
The second problem that you faced is an episode of Convulsion without fever. But we generally dont prescribe anticonvulsants after the first episode of seizure. Seizure in a child can be due to a variety of causes but prescribing drug after a single episode is not recommended particularly when EEG and CTscan is normal.
If you ask me I would suggest to stop all drugs - valparin and Fresium.
To control febrile convulsion give paracetamol whenever temperature crosses 100. Fresium dose is 1mg per kg body weight. I think you are taking a non recommended medicine in a below dose, which has no use.
Secondly after the first episode of seizure where no abnormality is detected in EEG valparin has no role. Repeat a EEG after 2 weeks.
1. Once Valparin is started for Epilepsy we have to give it for 2 years.
2.There are several side effects of valparin but the most important is liver involvement.
3. Yes there are these sideeffects but not so common with Valparin.
4. Get a liver function test done every 2 monthly till valparin is stopped. Dont allow him to swim or cycle in main road where sudden seizure can expose him to immediate danger.
5. If the repeated EEG reports are normal and there is no family history of epilepsy in the family I dont think the child will face any problem after 6 years of age.
Take the child to a pediatric Neurologist and have a second opinion. I think your child is being overtreated.
Hope this helps.
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Bhagyalaxmi Nalaparaju
Answered by
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