Anticonvulsant Medications Treating Tay-Sachs Disease

                 Tay-Sachs Disease cannot be cured, but there are medications out there to help treat the symptoms of this condition and make the patient more comfortable. Many infants that are affected with Tay-Sachs Disease have seizures and there are anticonvulsant medications out there to help these infants avoid having clonic-tonic or grand mal seizures. The prescriptions given to these infants are very similar if not the same for those people affected with epilepsy.

                One of the most common medications given to those that have Tay-Sachs Disease is Tegretol or carbamazepine. This medication comes in chewable tablets of 100 mg, tablets of 200 mg, and extended-release tablets of 100 mg, 200 mg, and 400 mg. This is a common medication given to individuals who have seizures. It helps to prevent seizures before they start and though it works well for this, it does have many precautions and possible side effects. Tegretol should not be used if the individual has allergies to other anticonvulsant medications, has bone marrow problems, or certain blood disorders such as acute intermittent porphyria. This medication often times causes dizziness and drowsiness and makes the patient more sensitive to the sun which may lead to higher chances or severity of sun burns. A serious skin condition can result in using this medication.

                Another anticonvulsant medication used is Dilantin or phenytoin for seizure treatment and prevention. Dilantin only comes in a 100 mg extended oral capsule. This is also a common anticonvulsant medication. As with any drug or medication, there is always the possibility of an extreme allergic reaction, especially if the patient is already known to be allergic to other anticonvulsant medications. This may not be an appropriate treatment for those that use alcohol, have liver problems, have certain blood disorders, have lupus, have a vitamin B-12 deficiency, and/or have diabetes. The most common side effects are dizziness and drowsiness, and also swelling and bleeding of the gums of the mouth.

                Depakine which is known as valproic acid is another medication that may be prescribed to control seizures in Tay-Sachs patients. This medication comes in a 250 mg liquid-filled capsule and also as a liquid solution. This may not be an appropriate drug for those that have liver disease, kidney disease, pancreatitis, and/or certain metabolic disorders and conditions. As with most anticonvulsant medications, drowsiness and dizziness may occur and are common. There are some very serious, possible side effects that may occur and include hepatotoxicity- which has a higher risk of occurring in those patients younger than two years old, teratogenicity effects such as neural tube defects and spina bifida, and pancreatitis.

                These are common medications given to those who have been diagnosed with Tay-Sachs Disease, but there are more and varied anticonvulsant medications that may be more beneficial for a particular patient. You should consult with your doctor about what kind of anticonvulsant medication would be best, in what dosage, for how long, and even if it is a wise decision to start the use of an anticonvulsant medication for an individual suffering from Tay-Sachs in the first place. More information can be found about the medications discussed above, as well as other options, online at http://www.rxlist.com/script/main/hp.asp