Violations of the nervous system in the most negative way affect the functionality of the whole organism. For example, with a disease such as epilepsy, a person gets a lifelong disability. Naturally, such a pathology has to be fought all the time to reduce the frequency or prevent the onset of seizures. The drug āTopiramatā, the instructions for use of which will be described below, is just intended for the treatment of this pathology. In addition, it can be used to combat other diseases. This medication is intended for long-term use.
General description and composition of the drug
"Topiramat", the instructions for use of which must be clearly explained to the patient, is an antiepileptic drug that is used to stop and prevent attacks. Most often, the drug is made in the form of tablets, inside of which a white powder is observed. Orange blister tablets. One of them may contain 25 or 10 mg of the active substance - topiramate. In addition, the product includes calcium hydrogen phosphate dihydrate, magnesium stearate, starch, heavy magnesium hydroxycarbonate. The substance may block the effects of secondary impulses and prevent epileptic seizures.
After the patient has taken the substance, it is very rapidly absorbed in the stomach and intestines. With blood proteins, the main active substance binds only 13-17%. The maximum amount of topiramate in the blood is observed after 120 minutes. Excretion of the drug and its metabolites is carried out mainly with urine. The half-life of the drug is 21 hours. Although this period may increase in case of problems with the liver and kidneys.
Indications for use
If you have been prescribed the drug āTopiramatā, the instructions for use indicate the following indications:
- Seizures provoked by Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (as a maintenance drug).
- Partial or tonic-clonic generalized convulsions (monotherapy).
- Epilepsy in children from 3 years of age and adults (first established).
- For the prevention of migraine in adults.
- Neuropathy.
- Post-traumatic stress.
- Alcoholism syndrome.
- Manic-depressive forms of psychosis.
- Bipolar disorder.
The medicine is able to normalize mood. As you can see, āTopiramatā, the instructions for use of which is always in the package with the drug, has a small range of uses. However, even in these cases it is necessary to be careful with its use, since this medicine is considered strong.
Contraindications and restrictions for use
Despite the effectiveness of this tool, in some cases it is not recommended to prescribe it. Among the contraindications are the following:
- Children's age (up to 2 years). The drug is too strong for the child's body.
- Intolerance to the product or some of its components.
- The period of pregnancy and lactation. The main active substance is able to pass into breast milk through all barriers.
- A tendency to form kidney stones.
- Serious inflammatory processes in the body, severe chronic pathologies.
When prescribing the medicine āTopiramatā for migraine, the doctor needs to be especially attentive to those patients who have problems with the functionality of the kidneys and liver. The elimination of the drug from the body in this case slows down, so unexpected complications may occur.
What side effects can be observed?
If you have been prescribed Topiramat medication, the instructions provide for the appearance of such undesirable reactions:
- Dizziness, headache, vision problems, speech impairment, increased nervousness. Psychomotor inhibition, fatigue, inability to concentrate may appear.
- Drowsiness, emotional lability, depression.
- In rare cases, short-term memory loss, confusion , violation of taste sensations are possible.
- Nausea and vomiting.
- Liver failure.
- Non-infectious hepatitis.
- Weight loss.
- Abdominal pain.
- Chills.
- Sometimes the temperature may rise.
- The absence of menstruation, nosebleeds, a decrease in the level of white blood cells in the blood.
- In extremely rare cases, hallucinations can occur.
- Decreased visual acuity and impaired motor function of the eyelids (they move spontaneously). Conjunctival inflammation may still be observed.
- Gum disease
- Dry mouth.
- Decreased libido in men and women. The former may even impotence.
- Gastritis and stomach ulcer.
- Diarrhea or constipation.
- Bad breath.
- Muscle pain, weakness.
- Noise or ringing in the ears, and sometimes hearing loss.
- Violation of writing and reading in children.
- Numbness of the limbs.
- Slowing growth in children, weakening bone strength.
- Allergic reactions that occur on the skin: itching, rash, wounds.
As you can see, the drug ā Topiramatā for migraines should also be taken very carefully. It is especially difficult for children. Therefore, the dosage must be strictly observed. At the same time, both the doctor and parents should constantly monitor the condition of the baby.
Features of dosage and application
Prescribe the drug presented can only be a doctor. You canāt start taking it yourself, as there is a possibility of deterioration. This medicine is also available as a prescription.
If you have been prescribed Topiramat, the instructions provide for its oral administration, regardless of the form of release. You can drink the medicine with food, especially since it does not affect the effect of the tablets. It is advisable to take the drug at the same time. Do not chew or bite the tablets, as they have a bitter aftertaste. In addition, shredding a drug can adversely affect its effectiveness.
Apply the substance as follows:
- If Topiramat tablets are part of complex anticonvulsant therapy, then the daily rate of the drug can range from 200-400 mg. This norm is usually divided into 2 doses. It is best to start treatment with small doses (25-50 mg), which are taken for 7 days once a day. Further, the dose is gradually increased by 25 or 50 mg over the course of a week or two until the optimal amount is achieved, giving a positive effect. In this case, take the medicine twice a day. The maximum dose that an adult patient can take per day is 1600 mg.
- If the doctor prescribed āTopiramatā for a child older than 2 years old, the use of this medicine is made according to this scheme: you need to start drinking tablets with a dose of 25 mg twice a day. The total amount of the drug per day is 5-9 mg / kg body weight. It is best to use the medicine in the evening, before going to bed, to reduce the risk of side effects. The primary course of treatment is 7 days. If necessary, the dosage over one to two weeks increases by 1-3 mg / kg. Reception is divided into 2 times.
- If the drug will be used for monotherapy, then the doctor should show increased attention to the patient. He should control the incidence of seizures after replacing anticonvulsant therapy with other drugs. You should start taking it with a minimum amount: 25 mg per day once a day. Further, the dose may increase, but this is done gradually, over 1-2 weeks.
- If the patient does not tolerate such therapy, its intensity can be reduced, or the interval of increasing the intake rate can be extended.
In order for the frequency of seizures not to increase, it is necessary to carry out drug withdrawal gradually. Weekly, the dosage of the drug is reduced by 100 mg.
Overdose
If you have been prescribed Topiramate, instructions for use (see analogues later) to avoid the consequences caused by excessive doses of the drug. However, there are cases when the patient, for some reason, takes more tablets than necessary. Then an overdose may occur.
It is characterized by increased seizures, the appearance of drowsiness, impaired vision, coordination and thinking. Possible side effects of an overdose can increase. Naturally, in this case it is necessary to take emergency measures that will help to avoid getting a large amount of the substance into the systemic circulation.
First of all, you should call an ambulance. Next, a gastric lavage procedure is performed. Also, the patient must take absorbent drugs: Enterosgel, activated charcoal. If the situation is too difficult, then the patient is urgently hospitalized. To remove the drug from the blood, the hemodialysis procedure is used.
Features of interaction with other drugs
If you need to take "Topiramat", the instructions for use (synonyms can have the same effect on the body) suggests that it is not compatible with all medicines. For example, it can be combined with valproic acid, Phenobarbital, Carbamazepine. These medications are for the treatment of nervous disorders. Joint administration of the funds does not affect their concentration in blood plasma. However, the dose of Topiramata may be reduced. In any case, when prescribing these drugs for combined treatment, the dosage of all drugs should be adjusted accordingly.
If the doctor decided to prescribe the medicine presented together with Pioglitazone, then it is necessary to monitor the patient's diabetic status. When combining Topiramata with Metformin, a violation of the carbohydrate metabolism in the body is possible. The combined use of this drug with "Acetazolamide" and its analogues increases the risk of kidney stones.
Consider also the fact that it takes several days to cleanse the body of the drug and its metabolites. In people with impaired renal function, this time can double. You need to know this, as you will have to adjust the dosage. The doctor calculates the norm of taking the medicine in each individual case.
special instructions
If you have to use Topiramate, tablets (the instructions for use are the main document that controls the administration of the drug) you need to drink in accordance with the instructions of your doctor. However, there are some specific guidelines that should not be ignored:
- In the case of drug withdrawal, you can not do this sharply. The fact is that there is a possibility that the frequency and intensity of seizures will increase. Therefore, a decrease in the norm of the drug should be done gradually.
- One of the side effects of the drug may be anorexia, which leads to severe depletion of the body due to weight loss. To prevent this from happening, consult a nutritionist. The diet should be adjusted so that all the necessary vitamins and minerals enter the body for its normal functioning.
- During therapy, psychotropic drugs and alcohol should not be consumed.
- The medicine āTopiramatā (instructions, reviews and the availability of analogues is very important information for the patient) has a strong influence on the speed of the reaction, so you should not drive a car or operate complex mechanisms during treatment.
- Do not give tablets to children under the age of 2 years.
- Patients who have impaired renal and hepatic function should be very careful.
- If you forgot to take the pills strictly on time, then try to drink them when you remember. However, if the time has come for the next dose, then to catch up, do not take a double dose. It is better to continue drinking the medicine as prescribed.
- There is no reliable information about the mutagenic effect of the drug on the human body. However, in a study on rats, the drug provoked the appearance of tumors of the bladder. However, this happened when exceeding the permissible norm and in rare cases.
Precautionary measures
If you are taking the drug āTopiramatā, the instructions for use (you will learn more about the drug below) speaks of some precautions that you must follow in order to avoid the appearance of undesirable reactions:
- If the patient is on hemodialysis, then for the effective action of the drug, it is necessary to additionally prescribe half the daily dose before and after the blood purification procedure.
- During the withdrawal of the drug should increase the amount of fluid consumed. This will prevent the deposition of kidney stones.
- If serious weight loss is observed, then you can establish a diet and add biologically active additives to it, which contribute to the absorption of nutrients.
- It is undesirable to take together with "Topiramat" substances that provoke depression of the nervous system.
As you can see, this drug is very serious, therefore you should not self-medicate, since you can make it even worse.
Storage features, analogues and reviews
If the presented remedy does not suit you, you can ask about analogues of such a drug as Topiramat. "Topamax", the instructions for use of which are largely similar to the previous description, is one of them. It has the same active substance. There are other analogues of the drug: Topsaver, Toreal, Maxitopyr. You canāt switch to these drugs on your own. Perhaps they will not give a positive effect, because their composition may vary. Before you start taking the medicines presented, you should consult your doctor. Moreover, itās unlikely that anyone will write them out without a prescription.
It is necessary to keep the substance in a dark place, where the slightest ray of light, moisture, will not penetrate. Do not put the substance near heat sources. The warranty shelf life is 2 years. After this time, the drug should be disposed of. Moreover, this must be done so that children cannot reach him.
As for the reviews, they are different. Patients note the high effectiveness of the drug in the fight against seizures. It helps with migraines. However, the tool has a fairly high cost. For example, the price of one package may be 600 rubles or more. If used correctly, it helps to achieve long-term remission. Although there are other opinions. For example, in some cases, children have a deterioration in memory and attention, developmental delay, and someone does not help the drug at all. Renal impairment is also noted.
It should be noted that in some regions of the country, the medicine presented can be obtained with a free prescription, if there are certain benefits. But before you purchase the product, you must consult a doctor who will give the appropriate permission. Remember, self-medication is fraught with serious complications. We examined the effect of such a drug as āTopiramatā, instructions, reviews for migraines and much more. Consult with doctors and be healthy!