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Is Discontinuation Of Valproate Advisable?
Is there a possibility of living without valproate, especially if a patient has been maintaining on it for the past eight years. What if the patient has had no episodes in the last two years. Can he with the help of his doctor begin to come out of the medication
Mon, 23 Jun 2014
Hello
Antiepileptic drugs may not have to be taken for a lifetime. When seizures have been reliably controlled over a period of time (usually a year or two), there is a good chance that a timed, careful withdrawal from the medication will be successful and that the seizures will remain in remission without further treatment. Studies in children show that 65 to 70% of children who are free of seizures for several years on antiepileptic drugs will remain seizure free after the drugs are withdrawn. However, like so much in epilepsy treatment, the risks vary between individuals and between types of epilepsy.
The major risk associated with discontinuing AED therapy is seizure recurrence. In children, almost half the recurrences occur within 6 months of medication withdrawal, and 60-80% occur within 1 year of stopping the drugs. More than 80% of recurrences occur within the first 5 years.
Discuss this with your doctor and decide
Hope this helps
Take care
Antiepileptic drugs may not have to be taken for a lifetime. When seizures have been reliably controlled over a period of time (usually a year or two), there is a good chance that a timed, careful withdrawal from the medication will be successful and that the seizures will remain in remission without further treatment. Studies in children show that 65 to 70% of children who are free of seizures for several years on antiepileptic drugs will remain seizure free after the drugs are withdrawn. However, like so much in epilepsy treatment, the risks vary between individuals and between types of epilepsy.
The major risk associated with discontinuing AED therapy is seizure recurrence. In children, almost half the recurrences occur within 6 months of medication withdrawal, and 60-80% occur within 1 year of stopping the drugs. More than 80% of recurrences occur within the first 5 years.
Discuss this with your doctor and decide
Hope this helps
Take care
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