• Widescreen
    Antiepileptic drugs

    The treatment of epilepsy is aimed at restoring the inhibitory functions in the brain and suppressing seizure activity. Three major mechanisms of drug action are used:

     

     

     

     

    1. Potentiating GABA to enhance the inhibitory control and modulate the abnormal firing by:

    • Activating GABA-receptors (benzodiazepines and barbiturates; yellow drugs)
    • Inhibiting GABA reuptake (tiagabine; black drugs)
    • Inhibiting GABA breakdown (vigabatrin, valproic acid; not shown)

    2. Sodium channel inhibitors to prevent repetitive firing of neurons in a potential seizure focus (white drugs: phenytoin, carbamazepine, lamotrigine, valproic acid)

    3. Calcium channel inhibitors to control bursting of these channels during absences. (blue drugs: ethosuximide, valproic acid)

    1

    When considering stopping antiepileptic drugs the patient should

    2

    A patient is brought to the emergency room in status epilepticus. Which of the following is NOT indicated in the management of his condition?