Patient's question:
Does long-term use of antiepileptic drugs damage the brain?Four convulsions with stiffness, head tilted backward, spitting white foam, purple lips, and loud screams, lasting less than one minute. Afterward, the body becomes soft. Currently, it occurs several times a day, with episodes of several days followed by rest periods. From the second day of birth to now, no cause has been identified, and there is no treatment or expected treatment outcome: Does long-term use of antiepileptic drugs damage the brain?
Doctor's answer:
Epilepsy patients take antiepileptic drugs long-term to control seizures and avoid the harm that frequent seizures can cause to the nervous system and body. However, with deeper observation of the side effects of antiepileptic drugs, it has been found that these drugs have a certain toxicity to higher nervous functions, which can lead to various impairments in patients' cognitive functions, emotions, behavior, memory, language, motor skills, and attention. This is particularly true for children who are in their developmental stage, as antiepileptic drugs can affect their intellectual development and their ability to acquire knowledge. There are many reasons why epilepsy patients may have intellectual disabilities, which are closely related to the causes of epilepsy, seizure types, onset age, and frequency of seizures, rather than being significantly related to the use of antiepileptic drugs. Taking medication is safe for patients. Conversely, if antiepileptic drugs are not used, seizures