Tests of liver and kidney function are also recommended. Zarontin should be given to patients with liver or kidney disease only with extreme caution. On July 10, , an advisory panel was convened by the Food and Drug Administration FDA to review data that the FDA had previously collected from drug studies showing an association between many of the antiepileptic drugs AEDs and suicidal ideation and behavior, which together are called suicidality.
Taking antiepileptic medicines may increase the risk of having suicidal thoughts or actions;. Be aware of common warning signs that might be a signal for risk of suicide. Some of these are:. We again urge patients and families to contact their doctor before stopping an epilepsy medication because this may possibly lead to seizures and worsening of mood. Besides childhood absence epilepsy, Zarontin has shown itself to be effective against atypical absence seizures and absence status at high levels.
It is also a useful adjunctive medication for patients with juvenile myoclonic epilepsy and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome. It also has shown efficacy in controlling negative myoclonus, a rare type of partial seizures seen in some epilepsy syndromes in children. Unlike the more common brisk jerks of positive myoclonus, negative myoclonus involves a brief loss of postural tone. This loss occurs at the same time as spike-and-wave complexes in the contralateral cerebral hemisphere.
Patients who are allergic to succinimides should not take Zarontin. Besides ethosuximide, the other common succinimide is Celontin methsuximide. Ethosuximide should be administered with extreme caution to patients with known liver or kidney disease. Zarontin is less likely than many other antiepileptic drugs to interact with other medications. Nevertheless, it's advisable to question patients or family members about the use of prescription and OTC medications, herbal products, vitamins, alcohol, and other substances when prescribing Zarontin.
Usually all necessary medications can be used, but the dosages may need to be adjusted to achieve therapeutic levels. Zarontin has little effect on other medications. It may elevate blood levels of phenytoin Dilantin, Phenytek somewhat, but the clinical significance is unclear. Valproate Depakote, Depakene, valproic acid may slightly increase blood levels of ethosuximide, but it is unclear whether the effect is clinically significant.
The combination of these two medications is often beneficial. Administering ethosuximide along with isoniazid, ritonavir, or erythromycin may elevate serum levels of ethosuximide to a greater extent because of their inhibitory effects on enzymes responsible for its metabolism in the liver. The level of ethosuximide is reduced if it is taken concurrently with enzyme-inducing medications, including:.
Seizure drugs are often affected by drug-drug interactions. Print these informative sheets for practical help. Interaction sheet for ethosuximide Zarontin.
Ethosuximide has been used for many years to treat children with absence seizures. Side effects are usually mild, most often gastrointestinal upsets that can be minimized by taking doses with meals, up to three times a day. The initial dose for patients 3 to 6 years of age is one capsule or one teaspoon of syrup mg per day.
Children over 6 years can start with two capsules or two teaspoons of syrup mg per day. The dose thereafter must be individualized by small increments according to the patient's response. One useful method is to increase the daily dose by mg every 4 to 7 days until control is achieved with minimal side effects. The U. This indicates that caution is advised, but the benefits of the medication may outweigh the potential risks. The babies of women taking antiepileptic drugs AEDs generally are more likely to have birth defects, although a large majority are normal.
The risk of defects is higher for women who take more than one AED and for women with a family history of birth defects. The reasons for these differences are uncertain, since factors other than medication, such as genetics and seizures, also may play a role.
There is little solid evidence indicating whether particular AEDs are more teratogenic than others. We do know that ethosuximide crosses the placenta and plasma levels in neonates are similar to those of the mother. Advise women who are capable of becoming pregnant to take mcg 0. Women at high risk, such as those with a history of a neural tube defect in a previous pregnancy, should take mcg 4 mg daily, beginning before they become pregnant.
Check the blood levels of ethosuximide regularly during pregnancy so that the dosage can be adjusted as needed. Ethosuximide belongs to a class of drugs called antiepileptic drugs AEDs. A class of drugs is a group of medications that work in a similar way. These drugs are often used to treat similar conditions. Ethosuximide works by reducing the number of seizures that cause you to lose consciousness. It does this by preventing your brain from reacting to things that can cause you to have a seizure.
Ethosuximide oral capsule may cause drowsiness. If these effects are mild, they may go away within a few days or a couple of weeks. Call your doctor right away if you have serious side effects. Serious side effects and their symptoms can include the following:.
Disclaimer: Our goal is to provide you with the most relevant and current information. However, because drugs affect each person differently, we cannot guarantee that this information includes all possible side effects.
This information is not a substitute for medical advice. Always discuss possible side effects with a healthcare provider who knows your medical history. Ethosuximide oral capsule can interact with other medications, vitamins, or herbs you may be taking. An interaction is when a substance changes the way a drug works.
This can be harmful or prevent the drug from working well. To help avoid interactions, your doctor should manage all of your medications carefully. Taking this drug with ethosuximide can cause the levels of this drug to increase in your body, which may put you at increased risk for side effects. Your doctor should check your blood levels regularly if you take these medications together. Taking this drug with ethosuximide can increase or decrease the levels of ethosuximide in your body.
However, because drugs interact differently in each person, we cannot guarantee that this information includes all possible interactions. Ethosuximide can cause a severe allergic reaction, which may be fatal. Symptoms of an allergic reaction include:. Taking it again could be fatal cause death. Combining this drug with alcohol can increase your chance of sleepiness or dizziness.
For people with liver disease: Ethosuximide can harm your liver. Use it with caution if you have liver disease. These descriptions apply to the U. Follow the doctor's directions. Call if you have any questions. Ask the doctor what to do if you forget a dose.
The way the medicine is taken depends, of course, on what form the doctor has prescribed. Capsules should be swallowed whole. Don't chew them or break them open. Store them at room temperature, protected from heat and out of the reach of children. For liquid Zarontin, use the same accurate measuring spoon every time so the dose will be correct.
Like the capsules, Zarontin liquid syrup should be stored at room temperature. Be especially careful to protect it from freezing and keep it away from light and out of the reach of children. It's OK to take Zarontin either with food or without food, but many people find that stomach upset is less of a problem if they take it with meals. Be sure to take only the amount that the doctor prescribes. If you think you've taken a little too much such as one or two extra capsules or an extra teaspoon of liquid , call your doctor for advice.
For a larger overdose, call your local poison control center or emergency room right away unless you have special instructions from the doctor. Don't stop taking Zarontin or change the amount you take without talking to the doctor first. Serious problems sometimes occur when people stop taking Zarontin suddenly.
In general, if you forget a dose, take it as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for the next dose, delay that dose for a few hours, instead of taking two doses very close together. Then go back to the regular schedule. If you're not sure about what to do, call the doctor's office for more advice.
If you've been using Zarontin only once a day, you could wait about 12 hours between doses and then resume a hour schedule the next day. Taking the right amount of seizure medicine on time every single day is the most important step in preventing seizures! No one entirely understands exactly how Zarontin works to stop seizures.
It is probably by helping to keep brain cells from working extra fast. Brain cells need to work fire at a certain rate to function normally. During a seizure, brain cells are forced to work much more rapidly than normal. After medicine is swallowed, it must be absorbed into the blood so it can move throughout the body. The process of absorbing, digesting, and excreting a medicine or food is called metabolism.
The way the body metabolizes a particular medicine affects how often it must be taken. It also determines whether it will interact with other medicines or be affected by conditions such as liver disease. Like many other medicines, Zarontin is broken down digested in the liver.
If the person also takes other medicines that are digested in the liver, things can get complicated. How well each medicine works and how quickly it leaves the body may be changed. This is why the doctor needs to know about everything that a person takes—not just prescription medicines but even things like vitamins, herbs, and aspirin!
These things can affect how much Zarontin is prescribed. Zarontin ethosuximide generally is used only for the brief staring spells known as absence seizures formerly known as "petit mal" seizures. Using this medicine with any of the following medicines is usually not recommended, but may be required in some cases.
If both medicines are prescribed together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use one or both of the medicines. Using this medicine with any of the following medicines may cause an increased risk of certain side effects, but using both drugs may be the best treatment for you.
Certain medicines should not be used at or around the time of eating food or eating certain types of food since interactions may occur. Using alcohol or tobacco with certain medicines may also cause interactions to occur.
Discuss with your healthcare professional the use of your medicine with food, alcohol, or tobacco. The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of this medicine. Make sure you tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:. Take this medicine only as directed by your doctor. Do not take more of it, do not take it more often, and do not take it for a longer time than your doctor ordered. This medicine comes with a Medication Guide. Read and follow the instructions carefully.
Ask your doctor if you have any questions. This medicine can be used with other seizure medicines. Keep using all of your seizure medicines unless your doctor tells you to stop. The dose of this medicine will be different for different patients. Follow your doctor's orders or the directions on the label. The following information includes only the average doses of this medicine. If your dose is different, do not change it unless your doctor tells you to do so. The amount of medicine that you take depends on the strength of the medicine.
Also, the number of doses you take each day, the time allowed between doses, and the length of time you take the medicine depend on the medical problem for which you are using the medicine.
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