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Vigabatrin

Generic name: vigabatrin
Brand names: Sabril, Vigadrone
Dosage form: oral tablet, powder for oral solution
Drug class: Gamma-aminobutyric acid analogs

Medically reviewed by Philip Thornton, DipPharm. Last updated on Aug 23, 2023.

What is vigabatrin?

Vigabatrin (Sabril, Vigadrone) is an antiepileptic or anticonvulsant drug used to treat epilepsy and infantile spasms.

Vigabatrin is thought to work by stabilizing the electrical activity in your brain and calming it. It does this by increasing the amount of an inhibitory neurotransmitter (chemical messenger) called GABA (gamma aminobutyric acid).

Vigabatrin helps to increase the amount of GABA in your central nervous system by blocking the action of an enzyme called GABA-T (GABA-transaminase), which helps to break down GABA when it is not needed.

Vigabatrin was first approved for marketing under the brand name Sabril by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2009. Since then several generic versions of the drug have come to market, including one which is sold under the brand name Vigadrone.

What is vigabatrin used for?

Important information

Vigabatrin can cause serious side effects, including:

1. Permanent vision loss:

Vigabatrin can damage the vision of anyone who takes it. Some people can have severe loss particularly to their ability to see to the side when they look straight ahead (peripheral vision). With severe vision loss, you may only be able to see things straight in front of you (sometimes called “tunnel vision”). You may also have blurry vision. If this happens, it will not get better.

Tell your healthcare provider right away if you (or your child):

Tell your healthcare provider right away if you think that your baby is:

All people who take vigabatrin:

  • You are at risk for permanent vision loss with any amount of vigabatrin.
  • Your risk of vision loss may be higher the more of this medication you take daily and the longer you take it.
  • It is not possible for your healthcare provider to know when vision loss will happen. It could happen soon after starting treatment or any time during treatment. It may even happen after treatment has stopped.

2. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) changes in babies with infantile spasms:

Brain pictures taken by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) show changes in some babies after they are given vigabatrin. It is not known if these changes are harmful.

3. Risk of suicidal thoughts or actions:

Like other antiepileptic drugs, vigabatrin may cause suicidal thoughts or actions in a very small number of people, about 1 in 500 people taking it. Call a healthcare provider right away if you or your child have any of these symptoms, especially if they are new, worse, or worry you:

Suicidal thoughts or actions can be caused by things other than medicines. If you or your child have suicidal thoughts or actions, your healthcare provider may check for other causes.

How can I watch for early symptoms of suicidal thoughts and actions?

What should I tell my doctor before starting vigabatrin?

If you or your child has complex partial seizures, before taking vigabatrin tell your healthcare provider about all of your medical conditions, including if you or your child:

If you are a parent or caregiver whose baby has infantile spasms, before giving vigabatrin to your baby, tell your healthcare provider about all of your baby’s medical conditions, including if your baby has or ever had:

How should I take vigabatrin?

What should I avoid while taking vigabatrin?

Vigabatrin causes sleepiness and tiredness. Adults taking this medication should not drive, operate machinery, or perform any hazardous task, unless you and your healthcare provider have decided that you can do these things safely.

Dosing information

The recommended dose of vigabatrin in patients with refractory complex partial seizures is:

The recommended dose of vigabatrin in patients with infantile spasms is:

See full prescribing information for further information about vigabatrin dosing.

What are the side effects of vigabatrin?

Vigabatrin can cause serious side effects, including:

The following serious side effects happen in adults. It is not known if these side effects also happen in babies who take vigabatrin.

If you or your child has complex partial seizures, vigabatrin may make certain types of seizures worse. Tell your healthcare provider right away if your (or your child's) seizures get worse.

The most common side effect of vigabatrin in adults include:

The most common side effect of vigabatrin in children 3 to 16 years of age is weight gain. Also expect side effects like those seen in adults.

If you are giving vigabatrin to your baby for infantile spasms:

Vigabatrin may make certain types of seizures worse. You should tell your baby’s healthcare provider right away if your baby’s seizures get worse. Tell your baby’s healthcare provider if you see any changes in your baby’s behavior.

The most common side effects of vigabatrin in babies include:

Tell your healthcare provider if you or your child have any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away. These are not all the possible side effects of this medication.

Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Interactions

Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you or your child take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Vigabatrin and other medicines may affect each other causing side effects.

Especially tell your healthcare provider if you take phenytoin. Your dose of phenytoin may need to be adjusted.

Taking vigabartin with clonazepam, may increase your chances of experiencing clonazepam-associated adverse reactions.

Pregnancy and breastfeeding

Tell your healthcare provider if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Vigabatrin can cause harm to your unborn baby. You and your healthcare provider will have to decide if you should take this medication while you are pregnant.

If you become pregnant while taking vigabatrin, talk to your healthcare provider about registering with the North American Antiepileptic Drug Pregnancy Registry. You can enroll in this registry by calling 1-888-233-2334. Information on the registry can also be found at the website http://www.aedpregnancyregistry.org/. The purpose of this registry is to collect information about the safety of antiepileptic medicine during pregnancy.

Tell your healthcare provider if you are breastfeeding or planning to breastfeed. Vigabatrin can pass into breast milk and may harm your baby. Talk to your healthcare provider about the best way to feed your baby if you take this medication.

Storage

Keep this medication out of the reach of children.

What are the ingredients in vigabatrin?

Active Ingredient: vigabatrin

Inactive Ingredients:

The inactive ingredients in other generic versions of vigabatrin may differ from those listed above. Check the product label for the version of this medication you receive for a complete list of ingredients.

Vigabatrin is marketed under the brand name Sabril by Lundbeck, Deerfield, IL 60015, U.S.A. A number of other companies also market generic versions of this medication.

Popular FAQ

After you take a dose of vigabatrin it is completely absorbed by the body and reaches its maximum concentration after about 1 to 2.5 hours, but it may take about one to two weeks to tell if it’s working to stop infantile spasms and quite a few weeks to tell if it’s working to reduce the frequency of your complex partial seizures. Continue reading

The Vigabatrin Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) Program is a program intended to lessen the risk of vision loss caused by treatment with vigabatrin (Sabril, Vigadone).

The Vigabatrin REMS program requires those prescribing, dispensing and receiving this medication to enroll in the program and comply with certain requirements.

Continue reading

Further information

Always consult your healthcare provider to ensure the information displayed on this page applies to your personal circumstances.