BACKGROUND A cost-sharing drug insurance plan has been implemented among people receiving social assistance who had previously free access to medications. OBJECTIVE To assess the impact of this drug plan on the use of three classes of medications: inhaled corticosteroids, neuroleptics and anticonvulsants. METHODS From the computerized drug databases of the Régie de l'assurance maladie du Qu...

BACKGROUND Chronic antiepileptic therapy has been associated with metabolic bone diseases including osteomalacia and osteoporosis. The object of this study was to assess the effect of first line anticonvulsants on bone density and vitamin D levels in Iranian ambulatory patients. METHODS We conducted a cross-sectional study assessing bone density with dual energy X-ray absorptiometry at the hi...

BACKGROUND The use of anticonvulsant drugs for the prevention of migraine in children and adolescents has been supported in the past. AIMS To evaluate the available evidence for the efficacy and safety of anticonvulsants drugs in the prevention of migraine attacks in children and adolescents. METHODS Studies were selected through a comprehensive literature search. We included all types of s...

Abstract Background Anticonvulsant use has been linked to bone deficits in specific patient populations. We studied the association between anticonvulsant and health a population-based sample of men women. Methods Data from 926 (24-73 yr) 1070 women (21-94 participating Geelong Osteoporosis Study were included. Bone mineral density (BMD, g/cm 2 ) PA-spine total hip was measured using dual-energ...

OBJECTIVE To study the efficacy and safety of newer antiepileptic drugs. SUBJECTS AND METHODS Clinical records of 461 epileptic patients attending the Consorcio General Hospital, Valencia, Spain, were reviewed. Demographic data, adverse reactions and clinical outcome were recorded. RESULTS One hundred and five patients experienced a total of 151 adverse drug reactions to antiepileptic medic...

AIM To evaluate the utility of patch test and cross-sensitivity patterns in patients with adverse cutaneous drug reactions (ACDR) from common anticonvulsants. METHODS Twenty-four (M:F = 13:11) patients aged 18-75 years with ACDR from anticonvulsants were patch tested 3-27 mo after complete recovery using carbamazepine, phenytoin, phenobarbitone, lamotrigine, and sodium valproate in 10%, 20% a...

Vagal nerve stimulation is approved for medically refractory partial epilepsy in children older than 12 years of age. However, it has been shown in the literature that vagal nerve stimulation is also quite efficacious in children younger than 12 with generalized epilepsy and brain malformations. We report a case series of children younger than 12 who responded well to vagal nerve stimulation. A...

The intellectual functions of 64 epileptic patients who had had an initial evaluation between five and 16 years of age, including the WISC, were re-evaluated after a period of at least five years. In general the seizure states had improved, and 50 per cent were in remission for between two and eight years. All but four were still taking at least one anticonvulsant drug. WISC IQ estimates showed...

Anticonvulsant drugs were given to 70 patients suffering from lancinating pains of various clinical aetiologies. Serum drug estimations were used to ensure that an effective dose level was achieved. In about 66% of the cases, treatment produced some diminution in the intensity and/or frequency of the "flashes" of pain. The neurophysiological and pharmacological rationales are briefly explained....

Serum levels and seizure control were investigated in a prospective study when carbamazepine was given as a single drug to 32 patients with a variety of seizures. The patients included 13 previously untreated patients (group 1), and 19 who were unresponsive to other anticonvulsant drugs used in different combinations or as a single treatment (group 2). Thirteen patients (10 from group 1, and th...