Finding the best dose of a seizure medicine is important to maintain seizure control and avoid side effects. Seizure medicines do not cure epilepsy; rather they help to prevent seizures — but to work for you they need to be in your system in the right amounts. If the amount in your system is too little you could have seizures and if the amount it too high you could have side effects or even more seizures! That’s why it’s so important to work closely with your doctor to find the best dose and how to take it during the day.

What happens if you don’t take your seizure medicine(s)? You could have more seizures, and possibly more severe seizures than you’ve had before, like a convulsion (see information on tonic clonic seizures or see information on secondarily generalized seizures) or even status epilepticus, which may be life-threatening. On the other hand, taking too much medication (which is another form of noncompliance) could cause side effects or even more seizures.

Having more seizures because of medication noncompliance could result in emergency trips to the hospital, being admitted to the hospital, or more visits to your doctor. Having seizures puts you at risk for injuries, which could be serious and potentially life-threatening. If you’ve been legally able to drive, having a seizure could cause an accident, with potentially tragic consequences, not to mention the possibility that you might lose your license.

Developing medication related side effects could affect your thinking, how you walk or your level of alertness, all of which might impair your ability to function at school or work or your ability to drive a car or operate equipment.

Seizures and/or side effects may force you to miss school or could result in your being let go from a job. They could also strain your relationships with significant others.

What about your doctor? Well, if you have seizures or side effects from noncompliance, but your doctor doesn’t know and actually thinks that you’ve been compliant, he or she might change the dose of your medicine or perhaps add another medicine or replace the one you’re on, all in an effort to control your seizures and get rid of your side effects. But these changes might backfire, leading to even more side effects or more seizures, if, for example, you’re switched to a medicine that turns out to be less effective than the one you’re already on, if only you took it according to your doctor’s instructions.

Bottom line: be sure to tell your doctor if you haven’t been taking your medicine as prescribed to avoid unnecessary changes in your treatment and to focus on the more important problem – how to be sure you take your medicine correctly and whether your medicine works for you when you take it the right way.

All in all, medication noncompliance will often lead to a reduction in the quality of your life. So check out Causes and Solutions [link] to see what you can do to give yourself the best possible quality of life.

Topic Editor: Steven C. Schachter, M.D.
Last Reviewed: 6/1/08