Epilepsy medications
Currently, anti-seizure drugs are the mainstay of medical therapy for epilepsy patients. There are a variety of anti-seizure medications on the market; all have been proven to be effective at controlling seizure activity either alone (as mono-therapy) or in combination with other medications (adjunctive therapy). Anti-seizure medications may be more or less effective, depending on the type and exact nature of the underlying seizure disorder. Still, approximately 1/3 of all epilepsy patients do not become seizure free with one or more anti-seizure medications (drug-resistant, medically intractable, or refractory seizures).
Not all anti-seizure drugs work exactly the same way, nor do they all have the same side-effect profile. Some medications have been available for a very long time, whereas others (novel-generation anti-seizure medications) have been available for approximately a decade. Still others are still being researched and are on the forefront of epilepsy drug development.
It is very important to discuss the possible options with your treating epilepsy doctor.
Information on epilepsy medications is provided in the “Epilepsy Information Center”