Seizure Medicines: A Case Study

Possible side effects: “dry mouth, sedation, blurred vision (disturbance of accommodation, increased intra-ocular pressure), constipation, nausea, difficulty with micturition; cardiovascular side-effects (such as ECG changes, arrhythmias, postural hypotension, tachycardia, syncope, particularly with high doses); sweating, tremor, rashes and hypersensitivity reactions (including urticaria, photosensitivity), behavioural disturbances (particularly children), hypomania or mania, confusion or delirium (particularly elderly), headache, interference with sexual function, blood sugar changes; increased appetite and weight gain (occasionally weight loss); endocrine side-effects such as testicular enlargement, gynaecomastia, galactorrhoea; also convulsions (see also Cautions), movement disorders and dyskinesias, dysarthria, paraesthesia, taste disturbances, tinnitus, fever, agranulocytosis, leucopenia, eosinophilia, purpura, thrombocytopenia, hyponatraemia

British seizures were humiliating to Americans because they were much stronger than France. The British added impressment to these incitements. The Royal Navy seized British civilians and forced them into service. They also seized suspicious Royal Navy deserters from American merchant ships. Impressment was upsetting to American

Bouchard et al. (2011) assert that there are no assessments regarding the amount of ATS being produced and the amount of ATS lab seizures stays low. Estimates for ATS use and seizure data suggest that there is an annual surplus of between 1733 kg and 8624 kg of ATS available to be exported from Canada (Bouchard et al., 2011). Bouchard et al. (2011) contend that this indicates that somewhere between 38% and 75% of ATS produced in Canada is exported. Organized crime groups have greatly increased synthetic drug export to foreign countries, such as the United States, Japan, Korea, and Southeast Asia, by transforming legally acquired substances from pharmacies (Morselli et al., 2016). Morselli et al. (2016) state that 62 percent of illicit drug

Some of the side effects are: Loss of appetite, Nausea and vomiting, weakness and fatigue, weight gain, premature menopause and hair loss.

Short-term effects are increased respiration, rapid heart rate, decreased appetite, increased physical activity, irregular heartbeat, increased body temperature, and increased blood pressure (www.drugabuse.gov). The long-term effects include: skin sores, extreme weight loss, and severe dental problems, as well as higher risk of contracting infectious diseases (www.drugabuse.gov).

Some of the immediate physical complaints include constantly feeling cold, bloodshot eyes with dark circles, finger calluses, dizziness, weakness, lackluster hair, moodiness, insomnia, no menstruation, swollen glands, weight loss, sore throat, or dry skin. Some of the long-term effects include extreme weight loss, gastrointestinal pain, diarrhea and/or constipation, malnutrition, loss of tooth enamel,

The increased inhibition of barbiturates leads to depression of the body. It includes depression of smooth muscles (such as lowering of heart rate, respiration, and blood pressure), depression of skeletal muscles, diminished brain function (such as impaired judgement), sedation, and altered emotional responses (9). Some other common side effects, particularly of phenobarbital, includes dizziness, drowsiness, problems with memory/concentration, nausea, and vomiting. (9).

Parents may have anxiety surrounding the nighttime seizures and may want to treat these. However, a study done by Dr. Ruta Samaitiene suggested that behavior problems increase when children are treated with antiepileptic drugs. Treated patients showed increase in anxiousness or depression, attention problems, and aggressive behavior (Samaitiene, 2012). The study also showed that the longer a patient is treated for their BECTS, the worse their behavior issues may be. For example, those on medication longer showed marked decrease in their math grades in school (Samaitiene,

Seizure outcomes following the use of generic versus brand-name antiepileptic drugs: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Retrieved from

In some cases, highly exaggerated side effects will become noticeable. It it life-threatening? Absolutely? Any number of the side effects mention above could put one's life in jeopardy.

In most cases the reactions are mild and if they do occur then first-hand you should consult the medicine box/bottle/DOMAR where it will state any possible side effects on the leaflet or possibly on the main label ir you see on some pain medication ‘’Caution-May make sleepy do not operate heavy machinery’’ etc.

Adverse reactions to this medication are migraine, speech disorders, rhinitis, sinusitis, hyperglycemia, elevated liver function, elevated serum creatinine level, pancytopenia, bronchitis, dyspnea, toxic epidermal necrolysis, anaphylaxis, elevated creatine kinase, generalized pain, and infection. Nursing considerations with this medication is to have the patient swallow the whole tablet and not to chew. Watch for aspiration while watching the patient take the medication. Educate the patient about the medication and inform them to notify a physician if bleeding

patient would have to have two or more seizures. For some people they not only have

As I mentioned the short term effects can be confusion, sedation, being unconscious, and coma. Some other things that can happen can be dry mouth, a heavy feeling in your limbs, nausea, itchiness, and foggy mental functioning. The long term

Other side effects include cloudy urine, proteinuria, irregular heartbeats, and chest pain. Angioedema involving the extremities, face, lips, mucous membranes, tongue, glottis or larynx has been seen in patients treated with ACE inhibitors, including captopril (Capoten, 2014). If these effects happen nurses should be ready to administer epinephrine to reduce swelling. Other adverse effect according to Karch (2014) include, “CV: Tachycardia, angina pectoris, heart failure, MI, Raynouds syndrome, hypotension in salt-or volume depleted patients.”