Anticonvulsants are described as a group of pharmaceutical medicines, that are administered to various patients suffering from epileptic seizures. According to recent information, various anticonvulsants are being used in the treatment of bipolar disorder. These drugs have a mood stabilizing action and the main function of these medicines is to rapid and excessive firing of neurons that lead to epileptic seizures.
Anticonvulsants comprise of large category of medicines that essentially have a common goal of preventing seizure activity in Brain. They do it in various different mechanisms. These medications work by blocking the various neuro transmitters, altering ion channels in the Brain.
Recent research has shown that these medicines are pretty useful for resolving psychiatric disorders as well which include anxiety disorders. However, presently there aren’t any medications that carry FDA recommendation for such use.
In case of a seizure, the medical specialists may administer this medicine as prevents the spread of the seizure within the central nervous system. Thus it offers protection against possible ecotoxic effects that may lead to brain damage.
According to certain studies, it has been revealed that most anticonvulsants have been linked to lowered IQ levels in children. Thus, most medicines are commonly referred to as anti epileptic drugs or anti seizure drugs .
The various anticonvulsive drugs are divided into aldehydes, aromatic allylic alcohols, barbiturates, benzodiazepins, carbamates, fatty acids and GABA analogues. In case the patient is pregnant then the mechanism of action of these would be affected.
There may be an increase in the clearance as resultant decrease on the blood concentration of lamotigine, phenytoid and to a lesser extent carbamazepine may be administered. The drugs would be closely monitored during the entire course of pregnancy. In case the drug is administered by mistake when the woman is pregnant it may lead or hemorrhagic disease in the newborn baby.
