Introduction
You may be taking one or more medicines
to prevent
. To get the most benefit from them, you need
to consistently take the right dose of the right medicine at the right time.
This can be difficult. But by following a few key tips, you can do it.
Key points
- Become informed about the medicines you are
taking. Learn their names, their purpose, and their expected side effects. Know
how often you are supposed to take them and what dose you are supposed to
take.
- Make taking your medicine as simple as possible. Plan times
to take your medicines when you are doing other regularly occurring activities,
like eating a meal or getting ready for bed. This will make it easier for you
to remember to take your medicines.
- Take a list of your medicines
with you whenever you visit your doctor. Let your doctor know if you are having
problems with your medicine schedule or if you have any changes in your health
that might affect your medicine needs, such as a sudden increase in seizures,
weight gain or loss, unexpected or intolerable side effects from the medicine,
or another medical condition.
- It may take time and careful,
controlled adjustments by you and your doctor to find the combination,
schedule, and dosing of medicine to best manage your
. The goal is to prevent seizures while
causing as few unwanted side effects as possible. After the most effective
medicine program is determined, be sure you follow it exactly as
prescribed.
More information about epilepsy and seizure disorders can
be found in these topics:
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References
Citations
Liow K, et al. (2007). Position statement on the
coverage of anticonvulsant drugs for the treatment of epilepsy. Neurology, 68(16): 1249–1250.