Levetiracetam Valproate

A 4-year-old previously healthy girl presented with new-onset seizures associated with fevers, headache, and malaise. She developed status epilepticus resistant to intravenous tenzodiaz-epines, fosphenytoin, levetiracetam, valproate, pentobarbital, and ketamine. An initial MRI brain scan was unremarkable. Isoflurane was begun, and an MRI scan 14 days later showed hyperintense T2 signals in the cerebellar vermis and cerebellar hemispheres. The isoflurane concentration was reduced to 0.5% and a further scan after 31 days of isoflurane therapy showed improvement in the signal abnormalities. Her isoflurane exposure was 1382% concentration-hours/1257 MAC-hours. She remained minimally conscious. 

Myoclonic Not mentioned Lamotrigine Valproate Valproate Topiramate (children with severe myoclonic epilepsy of infancy) Second-line Clobazam6 Clonazepam Lamotrigine Levetiracetam Piracetam6 Topiramate... 

Phenobarbital Phenytoin Topiramate Valproate Oxcarbazepine Topiramate Second-line Clobazam6 Gabapentin Levetiracetam Phenytoin Tiagabine... 

Carbamazepine, phenytoin, valproate, gabapentin, lamotrigine, levetiracetam, tiagabine, topiramate, zonisamide... 

Specific myoclonic syndromes are usually treated with valproate an intravenous formulation can be used acutely if needed. It is nonsedating and can be dramatically effective. Other patients respond to clonazepam, nitrazepam, or other benzodiazepines, although high doses may be necessary, with accompanying drowsiness. Zonisamide and levetiracetam may be useful. Another specific myoclonic syndrome, juvenile myoclonic epilepsy, can be aggravated by phenytoin or carbamazepine valproate is the drug of choice followed by lamotrigine and topiramate. 

For simple and complex partial seizures and secondary generalized tonic-clonic seizures, the first line drugs are - carbamazepine, valproate and phenytoin. Second line drugs include - acetazolamide, clobazam, clonazepam, ethosuximide, felbamate, gabapentin, lamotrigine, levetiracetam, oxacarbamazepine, primidone, tiagabine, topiramate and vigabactin. 

Atypical antipsychotics and anticonvulsants such as valproate may be safer than levetiracetam during the postpartum period when breast feeding... 

Individual drugs carbamazepine, phenytoin, sodium valproate, lamotrigine, vigabatrin, gabapentin, clonazepam, topiramate, levetiracetam. 

Bromide (1857) was the first drug to be used for the treatment of epilepsy, but it is now obsolete. Phenobarbital, introduced in 1912, controlled patients resistant to bromides. The next success was the discovery in 1938 of phenytoin (a hydantoin) which is structurally related to the barbiturates. Since then many other drugs have been discovered, but phenytoin still remains a drug of choice in the treatment of major epilepsy. Over the past ten years there has been a dramatic increase in the number of new anticonvulsant drugs (vigabatrin, gabapentin, lamotrigine, topiramate, oxcarbazepine, levetiracetam), but none has been shown to be superior to the major standard anticonvulsants (phenytoin, carbamazepine and sodium valproate). 

Complex partial Partial with secondarily Impaired consciousness lasting 30 seconds to 2 minutes, often associated with purposeless movements such as lip smacking or hand wringing. Simple or complex partial seizure evolves into a Carbamazepine, phenytoin, valproate Gabapentin, lamotrigine, levetiracetam, tiagabine, topiramate, zonisamide... 

There is some evidence that the enzyme-inducing antiepileptics (carbamazepine, phenobarbital, phenytoin and primidone) may modestly reduce levetiracetam levels, but this is not thought to be clinically relevant. Levetiracetam does not usually alter the levels of these antiepileptics. However, some studies have found modestly raised phenytoin levels, and cases of possible carbamazepine toxicity have also been reported. There appears to be no pharmacokinetic interaction between levetiracetam and gabapentin, lamotrigine, or valproate. 

Endocrine The effects of levetiracetam and valproic acid monotherapy on sex steroid hormone profiles in prepubertal children have been investigated in 30 subjects [325 ]. Ten took levetiracetam, 10 took valproate, and 10 were healthy controls. Those who took valproate had significantly higher androstenedione concentrations than those who took levetiracetam and controls. All other reproductive endocrine hormones were similar among the groups. 

Varoglu AO, Yildirim A, Aygul R, Gundogdu OL, Sahin YN. Effects of valproate, carbamazepine, and levetiracetam on the antioxidant and oxidant systems in epileptic patients and their clinical importance. Clin Neuropharmacol 2010 33(3) 155-7. 

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