Drugs that reduce or prevent the severity of an epileptic convulsion or seizure (see EPILEPSY). The nature of the ?t, and the patient’s reaction to it, in?uences the type of anticonvulsant used. Anticonvulsants inhibit the high level of electrical activity in the brain that causes the ?t. Among regularly used anticonvulsants are carbamazepine, sodium valproate, clonazopam, lamotrigine, gabapentin, vigabatrin, and topiramate. Older drugs such as phenytoin and primidone remain useful in some patients. Intravenous anticonvulsants, such as diazepam, are used for rapid control of epileptic status.... anticonvulsants
n. a drug that prevents or reduces the severity and frequency of seizures in various types of epilepsy; the term antiepileptic drug is now preferred since not all epileptic seizures involve convulsions. The choice of drug is dictated by the type of seizure and the patient’s response, and the dosage must be adjusted carefully as individuals vary in their response to these drugs and side-effects may be troublesome. Commonly used antiepileptic drugs include *carbamazepine, *lamotrigine, *phenytoin, *sodium valproate, levetiracetem, topiramate, *gabapentin, pregabalin, and oxcarbazepine. Phenobarbital is no longer commonly prescribed.
Certain anticonvulsants have shown efficacy in treating bipolar disorder and chronic pain, as in postherpetic neuralgia or *peripheral neuropathy, and can be used to prevent migraine and other primary headache syndromes.... anticonvulsant
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