HealthCareMagic is now Ask A Doctor - 24x7 | https://www.askadoctor24x7.com

What Are The Side Effects Of Epilim?

Posted on Sat, 26 Dec 2015

Question: Hi my husband has been put on epilim 800 in the morning and 1000 at night. He has never had epilepsy but has diebetis and high blood pressure which he takes meds for. After a hernia operation and hospital negligence he had 2 seizures. They found nothing wrong with his brain and put him on these tablets, it's now 4 months. The side affects are really bad can he just stop taking them?

Answered by Dr. Neeraj Kumar (10 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
Provide details regarding seizure

Detailed Answer:
Hello,
I have gone through your question and understand your concerns.
Treatment of seizure depends upon cause.
In cases of symptomatic secondary seizures due to metabolic cause like hyponatremia, hypoglycemia, hyperglycaemia, hypocalcemia the drugs can be stopped in less than 6 months.
The second way is to decrease the dose.
What is the weight of your husband?
Sudden stopping may lead to seizure and should be avoided. Slow gradual tapering is recommended.
You can also upload all investigations and prescription of treating doctor for reevaluation.
Hope you found the answer helpful.
Do get back to me for further queries.
Regards
Dr Neeraj Kumar
Neurologist

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Vinay Bhardwaj

Follow up: Dr. Neeraj Kumar (40 minutes later)

Thank you for your speedy reply. He weighs 107kgs after losing 35kgs for hernia operation. His GP says the reason could be his blood pressure went up and his sugar which wasn't monitored after the operation and he wasn't given his meds for either one in the evening or the morning after the operation. The physician on duty and the neurologist couldn't say why he had the seizures because all the relevant tests came back negative. Now he's experiencing terrible headaches, can't sleep at night falls asleep during the day. He wasn't circumsized as a child he's now experiencing bad cracks around the foreskin and feels sick all the time, terrible mood swings. He had major head injury because when he was ready to be discharged he was drinking a cup of tea, shouted, leaped off the bed cutting his head open in two places and had 25 stitches. That was the first seizure he had ever had.

Answered by Dr. Neeraj Kumar (15 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
get some investigations and continue treatment

Detailed Answer:
Hello,
In some patients valproate causes encephalopathy like features. Serum ammonia should be measured along with liver function test.
Though the dose is ok according top his weight but can be decreased or changed to some other anti epileptics drug.
Since the seizure was probably secondary to some metabolic cause it can be tapered and stopped after 6 months of asymptomatic period.
Regards
Dr Neeraj Kumar

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Vinay Bhardwaj

Follow up: Dr. Neeraj Kumar (29 minutes later)

Thank u Doctor.

Will there be bad side effects if he had to stop it now? He's extremely angry and upset with the way it's making him feel and he says he feels terrible all the time.

Answered by Dr. Neeraj Kumar (3 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
DRUG SHOULD BE TAPERED SLOWLY

Detailed Answer:
Hello, Welcome back

Sudden stopping may lead to withdrawal seizure.

Consult a neurologist for changing drug to levetiracetam instead of epilim.

Get investigated to get any abnormality.

Even Tablet LEVETIRACETAM can be taken in 500 to 750 mg twice daily dosing

Regards
Dr Neeraj Kumar

Note: For more detailed guidance, please consult an Internal Medicine Specialist, with your latest reports. Click here..

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Arnab Banerjee