Carbatrol Uses for Epilepsy
Epilepsy is a brain condition that occurs when there are sudden, brief changes in how the brain's electrical system works. This change in brain activity can lead to a
seizure (see Epilepsy Symptoms). Depending on which part of the brain is affected, a
seizure may affect the person's consciousness, body movements, emotions, or senses (taste, touch, smell, vision, or hearing).
Some people may only have a single seizure during their lives, and one seizure does not mean that a person has epilepsy
(see Seizures and Epilepsy). In fact, the term epilepsy refers to a number of different kinds of unprovoked, recurring seizures that happen for a number of different reasons.
In over half of all cases, the
cause of epilepsy is not known. When the cause is known, it may be one of the following:
There are over 30 different
types of seizures a person with epilepsy may experience. These seizures are generally classified into two main categories: partial seizures (also known as focal seizures) and generalized seizures.
Carbatrol is approved to treat various types of seizures, including:
- Partial seizures, including simplex partial or complex partial seizures
- Generalized seizures, including generalized tonic-clonic seizures (grand mal seizures)
- Mixed seizures.
The medication is generally not considered effective at treating absence seizures (also known as petit mal seizures).
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