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Migraine Guidelines: What Works, What Doesn't
Posted 23 Apr 2012 by Drugs.com
MONDAY, April 23 – Dozens of medications are available to prevent debilitating migraine headaches, but most migraine sufferers don't use them, a new study finds. "Approximately 40 percent of people with migraines need preventive treatment, and only about one-third of them are actually getting it," said Dr. Stephen D. Silberstein, co-author of new guidelines developed by the American Academy of Neurology and the American Headache Society. The drugs include prescription, over-the-counter and herbal medications. Which will work best "depends on the patient," said Silberstein, director of the Jefferson Headache Center at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia. The guidelines, published in the April 24 issue of Neurology, were scheduled for presentation at the academy's annual meeting in New Orleans, April 21 to 28. Dr. Brian M. Grosberg, director of the Montefiore Headache Center in ... Read more
Related support groups: Depression, Migraine, Effexor, Lamictal, Metoprolol, Topamax, Depakote, Effexor XR, Ibuprofen, Epilepsy, Naproxen, Migraine Prevention, Venlafaxine, Advil, Propranolol
FDA Medwatch Alert: Valproate Products: Drug Safety Communication - Risk of Impaired Cognitive Development in Children Exposed In Utero (During Pregnancy)
Posted 30 Jun 2011 by Drugs.com
Including valproate sodium (Depacon), divalproex sodium (Depakote, Depakote CP, and Depakote ER), valproic acid (Depakene and Stavzor), and their generics ISSUE: FDA notified healthcare professionals that children born to mothers who take the anti-seizure medication valproate sodium or related products (valproic acid and divalproex sodium) during pregnancy have an increased risk of lower cognitive test scores than children exposed to other anti-seizure medications during pregnancy. This conclusion is based on the results of epidemiologic studies that show that children born to mothers who took valproate sodium or related products throughout their pregnancy tend to score lower on cognitive tests (IQ and other tests) than children born to mothers who took other anti-seizure medications during pregnancy. See the Drug Safety Communication for a data summary and additional information. ... Read more
Related support groups: Depakote, Depakote ER, Divalproex Sodium, Depakote Sprinkles, Valproic Acid, Depakene, Stavzor, Depacon
Fetal Exposure to Common Epilepsy Drugs May Harm Kids' IQ: FDA
Posted 30 Jun 2011 by Drugs.com
THURSDAY, June 30 – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday advised doctors to warn women of childbearing age that fetal exposure to certain drugs used to control seizures or migraines appears to diminish intellectual abilities in offspring. The drugs include so-called "valproate products" – medications such as valproate sodium (Depacon), divalproex sodium (Depakote, Depakote CP, Depakote ER), valproic acid (Depakene, Stavzor), and their equivalent generic formulations, the FDA said in a statement. Children born to women who take these medications during their pregnancy "have an increased risk of lower cognitive test scores than children exposed to other anti-seizure medications during pregnancy," the FDA said. The agency said it based its conclusions on epidemiological studies that showed that fetal exposures to the drugs tended to correlate with lower scores on IQ and ... Read more
Related support groups: Seizures, Depakote, Epilepsy, Depakote ER, Divalproex Sodium, Depakote Sprinkles, Valproic Acid, Depakene, Stavzor, Depacon
Epilepsy Drugs' Risk of Birth Defects May Be Dose-Dependent
Posted 6 Jun 2011 by Drugs.com
SUNDAY, June 5 – Four of the most frequently prescribed epilepsy drugs appear to increase the risk of serious birth defects when taken early in pregnancy, a new study finds. And the higher the dosage, the greater the risk, the international team of researchers reported in the June 6 online edition of The Lancet Neurology. "Our results show that dose selection is as crucial as the choice of drug," the authors said in a journal news release. Their study gives doctors the opportunity to prescribe the safest anti-seizure medication at the safest level for women with epilepsy who want to get pregnant, they said. The drugs studied were carbamazepine (Tegretol, Epitol), lamotrigine (Lamictal), valproic acid (Depakote), and phenobarbital. The rate of birth defects was higher with increased dose for all the drugs, the researchers said, but they emphasized that the vast majority of women in ... Read more
Related support groups: Lamictal, Tegretol, Lamotrigine, Phenobarbital, Carbamazepine, Tegretol XR, Carbatrol, Epitol, Valproic Acid, Depakene, Lamictal Blue, Equetro, Lamictal XR, Stavzor, Luminal
Epilepsy Drugs May Raise Fracture Risk in Older Adults
Posted 11 Jan 2011 by Drugs.com
TUESDAY, Jan. 11 – Epilepsy drugs increase older adults' risk for bone fractures, a new study shows. Canadian researchers analyzed the medical records of 15,792 people 50 and older who'd had non-traumatic fractures between April 1996 and March 2004. Each person was matched with up to three people who'd never had a fracture, for a total of 47,289 people to serve as controls. The researchers also looked at the participants' use of epilepsy drugs, including carbamazepine (Carbatrol, Epitol, Tegretol), clonazepam (Klonopin), ethosuximide (Zarontin), gabapentin (Gabarone, Neurontin), phenobarbital (Luminal), phenytoin (Dilantin, Phenytek) and valproic acid (Depakene, Depakote). All but one of the drugs was associated with an increased risk for fractures. The greatest risk was among people taking phenytoin and carbamazepine. Valproic acid was the only drug not linked with an increased chance ... Read more
Related support groups: Klonopin, Gabapentin, Clonazepam, Neurontin, Tegretol, Dilantin, Phenobarbital, Carbamazepine, Phenytoin, Tegretol XR, Carbatrol, Epitol, Valproic Acid, Klonopin Wafer, Di-Phen
Women Taking Certain Epilepsy Drugs Can Safely Breast-Feed, Study Suggests
Posted 24 Nov 2010 by Drugs.com
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 24 – There's encouraging news for women with epilepsy who want to nurse their babies. Children whose mothers took certain anti-seizure medications while breast-feeding don't appear to suffer any negative cognitive effects by age 3, a new study finds. The multi-center study looked at nearly 200 children whose mothers took one of four common antiepileptic drugs, and found no difference in IQ levels at age 3 among those who were breast-fed versus formula-fed. "For women who have epilepsy, this is one less thing that they as new mothers have to worry about," said lead author Dr. Kimford Meador, a professor of neurology at Emory University in Atlanta. The study was published in the Nov. 24 online edition and in the Nov. 30 print issue of the journal Neurology. The findings are part of the Neurodevelopmental Effects of Antiepileptic Drugs study, an ongoing trial looking at ... Read more
Related support groups: Lamictal, Depakote, Epilepsy, Tegretol, Dilantin, Lamotrigine, Depakote ER, Carbamazepine, Phenytoin, Tegretol XR, Divalproex Sodium, Carbatrol, Depakote Sprinkles, Epitol, Valproic Acid
Teens of Epileptic Mothers May Lag Academically: Study
Posted 4 Nov 2010 by Drugs.com
THURSDAY, Nov. 4 – Teens born to women who took two or more epilepsy drugs while pregnant fared worse in school than peers with no prenatal exposure to those medications, a large Swedish study has found. Also, teens born to epileptic mothers in general tended to score lower in several subjects, including math and English. The findings support earlier research that linked prenatal exposure to epilepsy drugs, particularly valproic acid (brand names include Depakene and Depakote), to negative effects on a child's ability to process information, solve problems and make decisions. "Our results suggest that exposure to several anti-epileptic drugs in utero may have a negative effect on a child's neurodevelopment," said study author Dr. Lisa Forsberg of Karolinska University Hospital. The study was published online Nov. 4 in Epilepsia. The study was retrospective, meaning that it looked ... Read more
Related support groups: Depakote, Epilepsy, Depakote ER, Divalproex Sodium, Depakote Sprinkles, Valproic Acid, Depakene, Stavzor, Depacon
Epilepsy Drugs Don't Raise Suicide Risk, Study Shows
Posted 5 Aug 2010 by Drugs.com
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 4 – In 2008, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration required epilepsy medications to bear a warning label about an increased risk of suicidal behaviors. The move came after an agency review of 199 studies that found patients taking the drugs showed about twice the risk of suicidal behavior. But now a study of more than 5 million patients contradicts the FDA's findings. It suggests that the increased risk of suicide has more to do with the conditions for which these drugs are prescribed than the medications themselves. For the study, researchers in Spain and the United States evaluated the health records of primary care patients in England. They found that people with epilepsy who currently use an antiepileptic drug are at no greater risk of suicide-related events than those who aren't taking the medications. "In our opinion, in the long term, it is not the drugs ... Read more
Related support groups: Lyrica, Gabapentin, Lamictal, Neurontin, Topamax, Depakote, Tegretol, Keppra, Lamotrigine, Trileptal, Depakote ER, Topiramate, Carbamazepine, Pregabalin, Tegretol XR
Epilepsy Drug Linked to Serious Birth Defects
Posted 9 Jun 2010 by Drugs.com
WEDNESDAY, June 9 – The offspring of women who took the epilepsy drug valproic acid during the first trimester of pregnancy are much more likely to have serious births defects affecting the brain, heart and limbs, a new study finds. Babies whose mothers took valproic acid during the first trimester were 12.7 times more likely to have spina bifida, in which the spinal cord and backbone fail to develop or close properly, compared to babies whose mothers did not take the drug. Babies whose mothers took valproic acid were also 2.5 times more likely to have an atrial septal defect (a heart defect); about five times as likely to have a cleft palate (a defect of the upper lip and roof of the mouth) or hypospadias (a penis abnormality); more than twice as likely to be born with an extra digit on the hand (polydactyly); and nearly seven times more likely to have craniosynostosis (premature ... Read more
Related support groups: Valproic Acid, Depakene, Stavzor
Lithium Beats Valproate for Long-Term Bipolar Therapy
Posted 24 Dec 2009 by Drugs.com
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 23 – People with bipolar I disorder will do best over the long term with lithium treatment alone or a combination of lithium and valproate compared to valproate alone, new research suggests. Patients who underwent the lithium or lithium/valproate treatments were less likely to relapse regardless of how severe their conditions were at the beginning of treatment, the study authors reported in the Dec. 22 online edition of The Lancet. But the researchers couldn't say if the combined treatment is better or worse than lithium alone. People with bipolar disorder have trouble regulating their moods and can swing between highs and lows. In most cases, patients have illness that is chronic or recurs over time. Doctors often prescribe combinations of drugs for these patients after single drugs fail to work, according to background information in a news release about the study. ... Read more
Related support groups: Bipolar Disorder, Lithium, Valproic Acid, Depakene, Stavzor, Lithobid, Eskalith, Lithotabs, Eskalith-CR, Lithonate
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Seizures, Schizoaffective Disorder, Mania, Seizure Prevention, Seizure Prophylaxis, Migraine Prevention, Migraine Prophylaxis, Hyperekplexia, Bipolar Disorder