Skip Navigation

This Article
Right arrow Full Text Freely available
Right arrow FREE Full Text (PDF) Freely available
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in ISI Web of Science
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow Search for citing articles in:
ISI Web of Science (14)
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Disclaimer
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Chadwick, D.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Chadwick, D.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

Brain, Vol. 122, No. 3, 441-448, March 1999
© 1999 Oxford University Press

Article

Does withdrawal of different antiepileptic drugs have different effects on seizure recurrence?

Further results from the MRC Antiepileptic Drug Withdrawal Study

.

David Chadwick and representing the MRC Antiepileptic Drug Withdrawal Study Group*

Correspondence to: Professor David Chadwick, Department of Neurological Science, The Walton Centre for Neurology and Neurosurgery, Lower Lane, Liverpool L9 7LJ, UK

One thousand and thirteen patients, in remission of epilepsy for at least 2 years, were randomized to continued therapy or slow withdrawal over 6 months and were followed up for a median period of 5 years. At the time of randomization 83% of patients were receiving monotherapy with carbamazepine (237 patients), phenobarbitone/primidone (72 patients), phenytoin (184 patients) or valproate (228 patients) in low doses, and plasma levels were below the usual optimal range. The most important factor determining seizure recurrence was continued therapy, which was the case for barbiturates, phenytoin and valproate. There was no significant difference for patients taking carbamazepine at randomization, because of a low rate of recurrence in those withdrawing treatment. The difference between carbamazepine and other drugs was not explained by differences in covariate prognostic factors. There was no evidence that withdrawal of phenobarbitone was associated with withdrawal seizures. These data provide unique evidence for the effectiveness of standard antiepileptic drugs as monotherapy. The results for carbamazepine may be open to a number of interpretations.

epilepsy; antiepileptic drugs; drug withdrawal; seizures

* For affiliations see the Appendix


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Postgrad. Med. J.Home page
S Hadjikoutis and P E M Smith
Approach to the patient with epilepsy in the outpatient department
Postgrad. Med. J., July 1, 2005; 81(957): 442 - 447.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 BMJHome page
R. Kale and E. Perucca
Revisiting phenobarbital for epilepsy
BMJ, November 20, 2004; 329(7476): 1199 - 1200.
[Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 DTBHome page
When and how to stop antiepileptic drugs in adults
DTB, June 1, 2003; 41(6): 41 - 43.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Mayo Clin Proc.Home page
J. W. Britton
Antiepileptic Drug Withdrawal: Literature Review
Mayo Clin. Proc., December 1, 2002; 77(12): 1378 - 1388.
[Abstract] [PDF]


Disclaimer: Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.