Epilepsy Articles A-Z
Valproic acid is often prescribed to treat certain types of seizures in people with epilepsy. This eMedTV Web page further discusses this prescription drug, including information on its effects, dosing guidelines, possible side effects, and more.
Valproic Acid and Breastfeeding
While valproic acid passes through breast milk, the risk of harm to the breastfed infant is probably low. This eMedTV page explores valproic acid and breastfeeding, explaining what to do if you are breastfeeding and your doctor prescribes the drug.
This eMedTV page explains that studies on valproic acid and pregnancy showed that the drug raised the risk of problems such as birth defects. This page also explains that if you become pregnant while taking it, you should tell your doctor right away.
As this eMedTV page explains, valproic acid dosing for complex partial seizures can vary from 10 mg to 15 mg per kg of body weight per day. This page also lists factors besides your weight that can affect your dose (like other drugs you're taking).
Valproic Acid Drug Information
Drowsiness and a coma are among the symptoms you may experience if you take an overdose of valproic acid. This eMedTV page lists other symptoms of a valproic acid overdose, as well as treatment options that are available (such as supportive care).
When taking valproic acid, side effects can include vomiting, shakiness, and weakness. This eMedTV page also lists serious side effects of the drug that may require immediate medical attention (such as signs of pancreatitis).
Abruptly stopping valproic acid can increase the risk of seizures in some people. This eMedTV resource provides more information about valproic acid withdrawal symptoms and what steps your doctor may take to help keep them from occurring.
Anxiety and seizures are among the conditions that diazepam can treat. This eMedTV article describes these diazepam uses in more detail, and also discusses how the drug can be used for off-label purposes (such as for treating agitation or insomnia).
What is epilepsy? As this eMedTV resource explains, epilepsy is a brain disorder that results in seizures. This page offers an in-depth look at epilepsy by providing information on its types, symptoms, and educational implications.
Primidone is used for treating certain epileptic seizures (grand mal and partial) in adults and children. This eMedTV Web page explains how primidone works to treat these conditions and describes some off-label primidone uses.
What Is Valproic Acid Used For?
Valproic acid may be used for the treatment of partial seizures or absence seizures in people with epilepsy. This eMedTV segment further discusses valproic acid uses, including possible off-label uses of the medication (such as treating hiccups).
Zarontin is a medication used to treat certain epileptic seizures called absence seizures. This eMedTV article discusses Zarontin in more detail, including information on how it works, possible side effects, and tips on when and how to take the drug.
Zarontin does pass through breast milk in women. This portion of the eMedTV archives explains what to do if you are taking Zarontin and breastfeeding at the same time, and why many healthcare providers consider the drug to be safe when nursing.
It may not be safe to take Zarontin during pregnancy. This eMedTV article explores Zarontin and pregnancy, explaining how the FDA has classified Zarontin as a pregnancy Category C medicine and outlining some of the complications Zarontin may cause.
The recommended starting Zarontin dosage for adults and children (age six and older) is 250 mg twice daily. This eMedTV page also discusses Zarontin dosing guidelines for children younger than six years old, and offers tips on taking the medication.
Certain antibiotics and seizure medications can cause drug interactions with Zarontin. This eMedTV page describes how these and other Zarontin drug interactions can alter the levels of some drugs in your blood and increase your risk of side effects.
This eMedTV resource covers some of the symptoms of a Zarontin overdose (such as difficulty breathing and vomiting). This page also describes some of the treatment options that are available for a recent overdose or an overdose that was not recent.
Nausea, a loss of appetite, and weight loss are a few of the more common side effects seen with Zarontin. This eMedTV segment also explores some of the more serious Zarontin side effects that you should report to your healthcare provider right away.
Zarontin uses include treating complex and simple absence seizures in adults and children. This eMedTV resource provides information on the types of seizures that the drug can be used to treat, and discusses Zarontin use in children.
Zarontin Warnings and Precautions
Zarontin has been reported to cause lupus and can make liver or kidney problems worse. This eMedTV segment lists other Zarontin warnings and precautions, such as the safety of stopping the drug suddenly or taking it while pregnant or breastfeeding.
Zarontin can increase your risk of seizures if you suddenly stop taking the medication. This page from the eMedTV Web site explains the symptoms of a Zarontin withdrawal in more detail and describes how your doctor may recommend stopping the drug.
Available by prescription, Zonegran is a medication that is used to control partial seizures. This eMedTV segment offers a brief description of the drug, with information on its effects in the brain. Zonagram is a common misspelling of Zonegran.
Zonegran is a drug that is used to control a specific type of seizure. This page of the eMedTV Web site briefly describes the drug and provides a link to more detailed information. Zonagran is a common misspelling of Zonegran.
Used to control partial seizures, Zonegran is a drug that is generally taken once or twice a day. This eMedTV article offers a brief overview of the medication and provides a link to more information. Zonegram is a common misspelling of Zonegran.
Zonegran is a prescription medicine that is used to control partial seizures. This article from the eMedTV Web site offers an in-depth look at the drug, including information on its uses, dosing guidelines, possible side effects, and more.
Drugs that are used as an alternative to Zonegran include Lyrica, Dilantin, and Lamictal. This eMedTV Web page talks about these and other Zonegran alternatives, including an explanation of when they might become necessary.
This eMedTV Web page takes a look at the results of research studies on Zonegran and breastfeeding. It explains that while the drug passes through breast milk in women, it is not known if this causes negative effects in nursing infants.
Occurring in up to 2 percent of patients in studies, dry mouth is a possible side effect of Zonegran. This eMedTV article further discusses Zonegran and dry mouth, including tips on how to relieve this common side effect.
Zonegran is considered a pregnancy Category C medication by the FDA. This eMedTV resource offers a detailed look at Zonegran and pregnancy, including the results of studies that looked at the effects of the drug in pregnant animals.
Weight loss is a common side effect of Zonegran. This eMedTV selection offers a discussion on Zonegran and weight loss, with statistics on how frequently this side effect occurs and what to do if you notice weight loss while taking this drug.
As this eMedTV article explains, the recommended starting Zonegran dosage for partial seizures is 100 mg, taken once daily for the first two weeks. This article discusses Zonegran dosing in detail, with tips on when and how to take the medication.
Luminal, Mysoline, and Epitol are a few of the drugs that can interact with Zonegran. This eMedTV segment features a list of other Zonegran drug interactions, with information on the negative effects that can occur as a result.
Symptoms of a Zonegran overdose include difficulty breathing, slow heart rate, and low blood pressure. This eMedTV segment discusses the effects of a Zonegran overdose and explains some of the treatment options that are available.
Common side effects of Zonegran include headaches, nausea, and drowsiness, among others. This eMedTV segment provides a detailed list of common and uncommon Zonegran side effects, including the ones requiring immediate medical attention.
Zonegran is used for controlling partial seizures in people with epilepsy. This eMedTV selection gives an overview of Zonegran uses, including information on "off-label" uses for the drug, such as treating other types of seizures.
Zonegran Warnings and Precautions
As with all seizure medications, Zonegran should not be stopped suddenly. This segment of the eMedTV Web site presents several Zonegran warnings and precautions, including detailed information on who should avoid the drug.
Suddenly stopping Zonegran can increase your risk of seizures. This selection from the eMedTV archives gives an overview of Zonegran withdrawal, including ways to reduce your risk of seizures and other withdrawal symptoms.