What are the top 3 Anticonvulsant meds available?
Mon Dec 23Today we will help you find the best 3 anticonvulsants available in the medical market. But before that, let us give you a brief about what the terms Convulsions and Anticonvulsant Meds respectively mean.
Convulsions mean the jerking movements of the body generally experienced at the time of anxiety attacks or seizure or epilepsy attack
Anticonvulsant Medicines, now known as Anti Seizure Medicines help in treating epilepsy and other possible causes of seizures. Also used to treat anxiety and neural pain.
Seizure symptoms include unawareness, falling suddenly, uncontrolled movements of muscles.
Epilepsy is one possible cause of Seizures, there can be several other causes.
Convulsions or Seizures at large can bring many hassles to one’s life and daily routine. Worry not, there are some medication treatments available to get rid of the condition and its symptoms.
What is Anticonvulsant Medicine used for?
They are used to treat epilepsy and symptomatic convulsions or seizures at large.
Also prevent convulsions that occur during a brain surgery.
Other than this some specific Anti Seizure Meds are used to treat issues like anxiety, bipolar disorder, migraine headaches, neuropathic pain and Parkinson’s disease.
How Do Anticonvulsant Medications Work on the Human body?
They work in two different ways of EITHER reducing excited movements OR promoting inhibitory movements of processes or neurons that result in the electrical signals in the following manner
- Firstly it can work by altering electrical activity in neurons through affecting Na+, K+, Ca+ or Cl- ion Channel.
- Secondly it can work by altering chemical transmission between neurons by affecting neurotransmitters like GABA.
The top 3 Anticonvulsant Meds Available
Lamotrigine or Lamictal
It is used to treat general seizures (thereby convulsions) as well as focal onset. It treats convulsions by lowering the release of chemicals like glutamate, a chemical messenger that triggers chemical activity in the brain.
Available as Immediate Release (IR) tablets as well as Extended Release (ER) or chewable tablets, generally prescribed once or twice daily.
Keep a note that Lamictal can interact with certain pre prescribed medicines hence before taking the former, consulting your doctor is very important.
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Gabapentin or Neurontin
Neurontin is an FDA approved medicine to treat seizures and convulsion caused by focal onset. It works in similarity to the brain chemical GABA and helps relax and soothe the brain nerves.
Is available in three forms of tablet, oral capsule and also liquid and at several occasions the medicine is used as an additional medicine for patients in whom the seizure is not controlled by one already prescribed medicine.
Phenytoin
A seizure medication that treats focal onset and generalised seizures and hence the convulsion symptoms which works by reducing abnormal brain signals. People who take phenytoin need to get regular lab tests in order to check efficiency regularly. Genetic testing before starting this medication can also be recommended in some cases as Phenytoin can cause a serious condition called Stevens Johnson Syndrome which means extreme rashes.
Phenytoin is also available in three forms of liquid, oral tablets and liquid form also available in IV form in some hospitals and nursing homes.
What could be some Common Side Effects of these Medications?
Some common side effects of these medications can be:
- Blurred Vision
- Stomach Issues
- Memory related issues and more.
Some very serious side effects of such medications could be
- Lowered WBCs count
- Pancreas Problems
- Extreme Rashes.
As soon as you develop any of these symptoms, contact your doctor and get your prescription reset according to your medicine sensitivity.
Conclusion
Here in this article we have listed the most prescribed and trusted top 3 anticonvulsant medicines for you. Keep in mind that these medications react differently to different people and vice versa and hence before starting your prescription doctors may recommend proper checkup and blood monitoring and then find the best anticonvulsant or anti seizure meds for you subject to your body reactivity and sensitivity and also the level of convulsions and seizures you are experiencing.
We recommend you to visit your medical provider soon if you are experiencing such jerks and other seizure symptoms, get checked up properly and then start your treatment journey with the right set of medicines under their guidance. All the very best and thank you.
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