Research Notes on Anticonvulsants
Anticonvulsants, (also called antiepileptics), are a diverse group of drugs used in the control and prevention of epileptic seizures. Certain anticonvulsants work well as mood stabilizers and are also used in the treatment of bipolar disorder and similar behavioral disorders. These drugs may also be used to treat chronic pain conditions including fibromyalgia and multiple sclerosis.
Fast Facts:
- There are many anticonvulsant drugs and it is not unusual to need to try a few to find the one that works best for the patient.
- Anticonvulsants work by suppressing the rapid and excessive firing of neurons.
- Anticonvulsants can cause a variety of side effects so risks versus benefits will need to be considered.
5 Great Resources on Anticonvulsants
- Wikipedia: Anticonvulsant
- UpToDate: Treatment of Seizures in Children
- Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine (via HealthAtoZ): Anticonvulsant Drugs
- Neuro Land: Anticonvulsants Overview
- University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC): Anticonvulsants
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5 Latest Headlines on Anticonvulsants
What is Anticonvulsants?
- Consumer Reports: Anticonvulsants Drugs: Summary of Affordable Alternatives
- CancerWeb: Anticonvulsants Definition
- Answers.com: Anticonvulsants Definition
What Are The Uses for Anticonvulsants?
- Cleveland Clinic (via WebMD): Bipolar Disorder: Anticonvulsant Medication for Bipolar Disorder
- Epilepsy Canada: Uses of Anticonvulsant Medication
- Cochrane Collaboration: Anticonvulsant Drugs for Acute and Chronic Pain
What Are The Side Effects, Interactions and Precautions for Anticonvulsants?
- Healthnotes (via vitacost): Interactions Summary
- Front Range Center for Brain & Spine Surgery: Possible Side Effects of Anticonvulsants
- NeurologyChannel: Side Effects of Anticonvulsant
- HealthCentral: Risk of Suicidal Thoughts Linked to Anticonvulsant Medications
What are the Holistic and Alternatives to Anticonvulsants?
- Cleveland Clinic (via WebMD): Are There Any Alternative Treatments for Epilepsy?
- Wikipedia: Ketogenic Diet
- Native Remedies: Homeopathic Remedy Temporarily Controls Shakes, Tremors, Twitches and Muscle Spasms
- HealthWorld Online: Avoiding Seizures Naturally
Wisdom, Blogs and Message Boards about Anticonvulsants
- Epilepsy Foundation: Personal Page: Eliot5
- HealthBoards: Bi Polar; Epilepsy: OCD
- Epilepsy.com: Medication Issues
Clinical Trials for Anticonvulsants
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Clinical Trials for Anticonvulsants
- CenterWatch: Clinical Trial Listings for Anticonvulsants
Controversy and Lawsuits about Anticonvulsants
- The New York Times: F.D.A. Finds Increase in Suicide Symptoms for Patients Using Seizure Medications (Feb. 1 2008)
- NEJM: The Teratogenicity of Anticonvulsant Drugs
Abuse of Anticonvulsants
- YourTotalHealth: Symptoms of Anticonvulsant Overdose
- Medical Network Inc. (via Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital): Anticonvulsants Overdose
- Micromedex (via Drugs.com): Symptoms of overdose
Scientific and Medical Journal Articles on Anticonvulsants
- PubMed Central: Articles on Anticonvulsants
- Google Scholar: Recent Aticles on Anticonvulsants
- JAMA: Scientific and Medical Journal Articles on Anticonvulsants
User Recommended Links for Anticonvulsants
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About this WisdomCard
- Contributor: Judy Rafferty
- Reviewer: ASandhu
- Supervised by: The OrganizedWisdom Physician Review Team
- Last update: Oct. 1, 2008
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