Topamax (Topiramate) is effective as an additional treatment for drug-resistant focal epilepsy.
Epilepsy is a disease in which repeated seizures occur due to electrical discharges in the brain. Most seizures can be controlled by a single antiepileptic drug. Unfortunately, some people need more than one antiepileptic preparation to control seizures, especially if they come from one area (focal epilepsy), not the entire brain.
Topamax effects and uses in epileptic seizures
Seizure medication Topamax is used to prevent seizures without neuropsychiatric and somatic side effects and provide pedagogical, professional and social adaptation of the patient. Today, there are two points of view on topiramate for seizures. One of them suggests that antiepileptic treatment, suppressing epileptic neuronal activity, hinders the progression of the epileptic process, and if successful, contributes to its reverse development. The second point of view treats epilepsy as a stable dynamic state of imbalance in neurotransmitter systems with a predominance of neuronal excitation over inhibition, resulting in hypersynchronous discharges that disrupt psychic, sensory and motor processes and manifest clinically epileptic seizures. It turns out that Topamax (Topiramate) do not treat epilepsy but restores the balance of inhibitory and excitatory processes in the brain, blocks epileptic hypersynchronous discharges and affects the very pathogenetic basis of the disease, like replacement therapy with dopaminergic agents in Parkinson’s disease.
Taking into account the above mentioned, we note that Topamax has a unique combination of the main mechanisms of anticonvulsant action, has a wide range of its activity, especially in polymorphic and unclassifiable types of seizures. Thus, people achieve a reliable anticonvulsant effect when choosing pharmacotherapy with Topamax (Topiramate). A fundamentally important point in the action of Topamax is its combined effect on GABA-ergic and glutamatergic systems. Medical scientists believe that the mechanisms of action of individual anticonvulsants predetermine not only the differences between them in terms of eliminating seizures of a certain type but also a wide range of psychotropic effects.
Topamax produces a mixed balanced effect that allows it to be administered to persons with different types of mental disorders.
Due to the combination of the five main mechanisms of anticonvulsant action, Topamax (Topiramate) is effective in the treatment of any type of seizure, including polyfocal and resistant to other therapy, therefore, with Topamax therapy, it is not necessary to determine the nature of epileptic seizures.
Topamax increases the threshold of seizures and prevents their development. The drug is effectively used as a monotherapy, which ensures the absence of drug interaction and reduces the likelihood of pharmacodynamic tolerance. Topamax has a high safety profile for patients.
Topamax provides a protective effect on neurons of the central nervous system and, thereby, prevents or significantly slows the progression of the disease.
Seizure medication topiramate is a unique drug with a mixed profile of psychotropic effects, which anticonvulsant action is effective as a monotherapy in children with partial or generalized tonic-clonic seizures, as well as with accompanying mental disorders – twilight state of mind (night fears, somnambulism), epileptic affective psychoses (computer addiction, drug addiction, alcoholism).
Clinical trials of Topamax for seizures
Preliminary results confirmed the efficacy of seizure medication Topamax as a monotherapy for various types of seizures in children. The low frequency of drug withdrawal due to side effects indicates a good tolerability of the drug in children. Deterioration of cognitive functions during the period of therapy is temporary. The possibility of combined administration with other antiepileptic drugs makes it possible to easily replace them with Topamax (Topiramate), and in severe cases – to use both drugs simultaneously. In 41% of cases, it was possible to achieve the complete absence of seizures and psychotic disorders – dysphoria, twilight disorders of consciousness, mitigation of epileptoid character traits, pathological drives. Thus, Topamax seizure medication not only eliminates convulsive activity but also normalizes the mental state. Topamax cannot be considered only a drug for preventing convulsive conditions, it should be identified as a drug with unique properties that can prevent the progress of the disease itself, and in some cases, achieve the regress of mental symptoms.
Should you use Topamax after the first seizure?
If the first seizure was triggered by lack of sleep, stress, fatigue, severe overexcitation, alcohol withdrawal, then it is necessary to avoid the recurrence of such situations for the future. If the cause is not clear, and if one of the relatives had a history of convulsive conditions, then, as a rule, it is required to start treatment with seizure medication topiramate (Topamax) since in such cases the risk of recurrent seizures is high (more than 30%).