There are no specific or certain ways to know which antiepileptic drugs or medication/s should be used for a single patient. There will be a lot of factors that need to be considered in choosing the right antiepileptic medication. Each antiepileptic drug has its own certain side effects. The patient and the doctor always work hand in hand to choose certain antiepileptic drugs or medication/s that can be most effective in beneficial in the patient’s current condition, patient’s convenience of use, patient’s budget, and the patient’s specific seizure disorder.
Two Classes of Antiepileptic Drugs
There are a lot of different brands and types of medications under each class of antiepileptic medications. Here are the 2 classes of antiepileptic medications:
- Narrow Spectrum Antiepileptic Drugs – This class of antiepileptic drug is most effective in treating specific types of seizure disorders including Partial Seizure, Focal Seizure, Absence Seizure, and Myoclonic Seizure.
- Broad Spectrum Antiepileptic Drugs – Just like Narrow Spectrum Antiepileptic Drugs, Broad Spectrum Antiepileptic Drugs are also effective in treating specific types of seizure disorders including partial seizures, absence seizures, and myoclonic seizures.
Medication Generic Names and (Brand Names) under Narrow Spectrum Antiepileptic Drugs:
- carbamazepine (Tegretol)
- gabapentin (Neurontin)
- lacosamide (Vimpat)
- oxcarbazepine (Trileptal)
- phenobarbital
- phenytoin (Dilantin)
- pregabalin (Lyrica)
- vigabatrin (Sabril)
Medication Generic Names and (Brand Names) under Broad Spectrum Antiepileptic Drugs
- clonazepam (Klonopin)
- lamotrigine (Lamictal)
- levetiracetam (Keppra)
- rufinamide (Banzel)
- topiramate (Topamax)
- valproic acid (Depakote)
- zonisamide (Zonegran)
Antiepileptic Drugs’ Generic Names versus Brand Names
For all medications available in the market, there are always a corresponding brand name and generic name. For most cases, medications that are generic usually are way cheaper. While medications with brand names are way more expensive than generic medications. However, generic medications may not produce the same effectivity with branded medications, since generic medications may not produce the same blood levels as with branded medications. Although you can switch from taking branded medications to generic if you will just make sure that the generic medications you are going to buy are made by the same manufacturer as the branded medication. In every different manufacturer, there will be slight variations with its components, which can produce breakthrough seizures and may cause different side effects. Before switching brand names of antiepileptic drugs, make sure that you will consult your doctor about it to make sure that the antiepileptic substitution will be safe for your present condition.