Patient's question:
Far away in the countryside, my elderly father has suffered from epilepsy for several years. We forcibly took him to the county hospital for examination. The doctor prescribed medication, and after taking it at home, his condition improved significantly. He has been taking the medication for almost half a year, but recently, my mother said that my father's condition has worsened compared to before. Is it possible that the medication is no longer effective? In such cases, should the dosage be adjusted or a different medication be prescribed?Doctor's answer:
If the original decision on antiepileptic drugs is appropriate, it is best to measure the blood drug concentration and adjust the dose individually based on the blood drug concentration.2. If the original antiepileptic drug treatment is ineffective or has significant side effects, switching to another drug is necessary. The new drug must maintain the dose until seizures cease, and then the original drug should be gradually withdrawn.
3. If multiple different drugs were initially used in combination, when discontinuing the original drugs, only one drug should be withdrawn at a time. At least one month should pass after each drug is withdrawn before the next one is started, and if no recurrence occurs, the second drug can then be gradually withdrawn.