Do you keep Track of your Medications? It can be life-saving.
Antiepileptic drugs are prescribed to treat the most common type of seizures, but they are far from ideal for older people or people with multiple health issues who may also be taking other prescription medications. Medications interact with each other and with other medicines, and such interactions are common and can be dangerous. Keeping track of your medications can be life-saving.
The effects of interactions between two medications can vary. For example, some seizure medicines can lower or raise the levels of other types of medicines in your blood. Some combinations cause the levels of both medications to fall, some cause one level to fall and one level to rise, and some cause unpredictable effects.
If you have been taking the same combination of medicines for a long time and are doing well, you probably don’t need to be too concerned. If you are just starting one of the medicines or are having problems, check with your doctor.
According to the Epilepsy Foundation, it is important to make sure you are under the care of a doctor who knows about all of the medications you are taking. Also, tell your pharmacist or doctor about all over-the-counter medications you use, including herbs and dietary supplements. Some can affect seizure medicine levels, cause seizures in someone who has never had a seizure, or increase seizure frequency in a person with epilepsy. For more information, visit www.epilepsyfoundation.org.
