Lécio Figueira Pinto, Lucas Scárdua Silva, Rafael Batista João, Vinícius Boldrini, Fernando Cendes, Clarissa Lin Yasuda
The treatment of epilepsy has advanced over the past 30 years through the development of new antiseizure medications (ASMs). Unfortunately, not all of them have been approved yet in Brazil, and many are still underused. When comparing new ASMs to older ones, they are generally not more effective in treating epilepsy. However, they offer better tolerability, with fewer interactions and long-term side effects, especially for patients with comorbidities or those requiring polytherapy. Enzyme induction caused by older ASMs is associated with increased cholesterol levels, drug interactions with decreased effects of statins and other cardiovascular medications, anticoagulants, chemotherapy, immunosuppressors, anti-infective agents (including HIV treatment), antidepressants, and contraceptives...
June 2024: Arquivos de Neuro-psiquiatria