Statements in which the resource exists as a subject.
PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
3
pubmed:dateCreated
1983-6-10
pubmed:abstractText
Sedative-hypnotic antiepileptic drugs have potentially toxic effects, but their removal is often thought to be difficult and dangerous. We completely withdrew all barbiturates and benzodiazepines from 78 patients with intractable epilepsy (48 inpatients and 30 outpatients). Initially, 19 patients had plasma levels of sedative drugs above the therapeutic range; 28 were taking more than one of these drugs. Dosages of nonsedative antiepileptic drugs were adjusted to provide optimal seizure control. After 6 months of outpatient follow-up, 69 patients remained on a nonsedative regimen: 35 (51%) showed improvement in both drug toxicity and seizure control, 13 (19%) in toxicity alone, 8 (12%) in seizure control alone; 12 (16%) were unchanged, and 1 was worse. Of 9 patients restarted on sedative antiepileptic drugs by their private physicians, 4 had more toxic symptoms than at discharge, 1 had more frequent seizures, 3 were unchanged, and 1, who had had a temporal lobectomy after drug withdrawal, had less frequent seizures. Sedative drugs are not necessary for optimal seizure control, even in intractable epilepsy, and they may be safely withdrawn.
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
IM
pubmed:chemical
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:month
Mar
pubmed:issn
0364-5134
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Print
pubmed:volume
13
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
320-4
pubmed:dateRevised
2004-11-17
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed:year
1983
pubmed:articleTitle
Removal of sedative-hypnotic antiepileptic drugs from the regimens of patients with intractable epilepsy.
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article