Vomiting ethosuximide

The nurse must report symptoms of succinimide overdosage immediately. Symptoms of overdosage in dude confuson, sleepiness, unsteadiness flaccid muscles slow shallow respirations nausea, vomiting, hypotension, absent reflexes nd CNS depression leading to coma. It is important to report symptoms to the primary health care provider immediately. Therapeutic serum blood levels of ethosuximide (Zarontin) range from 40 to 100 mcg/mL... 

Enzyme inducers will enhance the metabolism of ethosuximide and reduce its efficacy while its depressant action will be enhanced by other sedatives. Frequently occurring adverse effects include sedation and gastrointestinal disturbances such as nausea and vomiting. Rarely blood dyscrasias including agranulocytosis and pancytopenia are seen as well as serious skin reactions including Stevens-Johnson syndrome. 

The most common dose-related adverse effect of ethosuximide is gastric distress, including pain, nausea, and vomiting. When an adverse effect does occur, temporary dosage reductions may allow adaptation. Other dose-related adverse effects are transient lethargy or fatigue and, much less commonly, headache, dizziness, hiccup, and euphoria. Behavioral changes are usually in the direction of improvement. 

In one case, isoniazid increased blood concentrations of the antiepileptic drug ethosuximide and caused hiccups, anorexia, nausea, vomiting, insomnia, and an acute psychosis (SEDA-9, 267) (56). This may have been due to inhibition of ethosuximide metabolism by isoniazid. 

Ethosuximide Drug of choice for absence seizures. Mechanism unknown. Therapeutic levels are 40-100 pg/ml. Toxicity headache, nausea/dizziness/vomiting, fatigue, ataxia, convusion, blurred vision, rashes, hepatotoxicity, lupus-like syndrome (rare), blood dyscrasias (rare but serious). Metab Not protein bound. Metabolized by liver to inactive metabolites. 

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