Anticonvulsants, another name for antiepileptic medicines (AEDs), are prescription medications used to treat epilepsy, a neurological disease marked by recurring seizures. These medications function by preventing or lessening the frequency of seizures by regulating electrical activity in the brain. The following list of popular antiepileptic drugs, along with an explanation of how they work: Phenytoin (Dilantin): Phenytoin reduces neuron excitability by inhibiting voltage-sensitive sodium channels in the neurons. Both partial and tonic-clonic seizures respond well to it. Its limited therapeutic index necessitates close monitoring of blood levels to prevent toxicity. Tegretol, or carbamazepine: Like phenytoin, carbamazepine decreases neuronal excitability by blocking sodium channels. In addition to trigeminal neuralgia, it is frequently used to treat partial seizures. Depakote, also known as valproic acid, acts through a number of methods, such as increasing GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) activity, blocking voltage-gated sodium channels, and modifying calcium channels. It is used to treat several kinds of seizures, such as generalized, partial, and absence seizures. Lamotrigine (Lamictal): Lamotrigine decreases aberrant neuronal activity by mainly inhibiting voltage-gated sodium channels. Both focal and generalized seizures, including absence and tonic-clonic seizures, respond well to its treatment. Levetiracetam (Keppra): Although its precise mode of action is unknown, levetiracetam is thought to control the release of neurotransmitters like glutamate and GABA. It is applied as a focal seizure adjunctive treatment. Topiramate, also known as Topamax, works by a number of methods, including as increasing GABA activity, inhibiting glutamate receptors, and blocking voltage-gated sodium channels. Both focal seizures and generalized tonic-clonic seizures respond well to it. Gabapentin, also known as Neurontin, inhibits the release of excitatory neurotransmitters via modulating calcium channels. It is applied as a supplementary therapy for neuropathic pain and partial seizures. Pregabalin (Lyrica): Pregabalin regulates calcium channels similarly to gabapentin. It is used to treat fibromyalgia, neuropathic pain, and partial seizures. Oxcarbazepine (Trileptal): This medication functions similarly to carbamazepine by obstructing sodium channels. It's applied to partial seizures. Ethosuximide (Zarontin): Ethosuximide acts specifically on absence seizures by decreasing thalamic neurons' calcium currents. The type of seizures the patient has, their age, any underlying medical conditions, and any possible drug interactions are taken into consideration while prescribing these drugs. To effectively manage epilepsy while reducing adverse effects, proper dose and monitoring are essential.
