Patient's question:
The child is eight months old. When they went for a check-up before, they kept crying and fussing, and it took a lot of effort to finish the examination. Could you please tell me if the baby's crying and fussing will affect the epilepsy test?Doctor's answer:
Currently, the most commonly used medications include traditional antiepileptic drugs such as carbamazepine and sodium valproate, as well as newer antiepileptic drugs like lamotrigine, topiramate, and oxcarbazepine. These antiepileptic drugs are safer and have fewer side effects compared to older drugs like phenytoin and phenobarbital, making them a more ideal choice for epilepsy patients. The treatment of epilepsy advocates monotherapy, starting with a low dose. If monotherapy is ineffective, another antiepileptic drug can be added or switched. If it is indeed believed that one drug is ineffective for a particular patient or has excessive side effects, and a change to another drug is necessary, the switch must be gradual.