Epilepsy medicines available in the United Kingdom

Last updated 21 Nov 2011, review date due 30 Apr 2012

The main way of treating epilepsy is with epilepsy medicines. You may hear these referred to as anti-epileptic drugs.

The following information is taken mainly from British National Formulary (BNF) Number 62 (September 2011). Published by the British Medical Association and the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain, it is updated twice a year. For the most up-to-date information, visit the BNF website.

The medicines listed are those usually prescribed for everyday seizure control. Other medicines, such as diazepam or midazolam, are available for emergency use. We have not included emergency medicines on this list.

Under the heading Indications in epilepsy, the main use of each medicine is given. Sometimes a doctor may prescribe medicines for other seizure types than those listed.

You can find information about side-effects of individual epilepsy medicines on the Medicine Guides website.

Epilepsy medicines are available in a number of different formulations such as tablets, capsules, chewtabs, sugar-free liquid, syrup, dispersible tablets, crushable tablets and sprinkle capsules.

For further information about epilepsy medicines, side-effects, dosages please consult:

your family doctor
your specialist
The Medicine Guides website
The BNF website, or
Contact the Epilepsy Helpline: freephone 0808 800 5050; helpline@epilepsy.org.uk; text 0753 741 0044

Word list

adjunct/adjunctive	used with other epilepsy medicines
atypical	not typical or not usual
monotherapy	used on its own
focal-onset seizures	seizures that start in one part of the brain
refractory seizures	seizures that are difficult to control with epilepsy medicines
secondary generalisation	Focal seizures that spread to the rest of the brain, causing generalised seizures

Clicking on some of the medicine names in either column one (generic name) or two (some brand names) will take you to the Medicine Guide website. This will give you more information about the medicine and its side effects.

Generic name	Some brand names	Indications in epilepsy	Date of UK licence
acetazolamide, acetazolomide modified release	Diamox, Diamox SR	Has a specific role in treating epilepsy associated with menstruation. It can also be used with other anti-epileptics for refractory, tonic-clonic, absence and focal seizures. It is occasionally helpful in atypical absence, atonic and tonic seizures.	1988
carbamazepine, carbamazepine modified release	Tegretol, Carbagen SR Tegretol Prolonged Release	Focal and secondary generalised tonic-clonic seizures, primary generalised tonic-clonic seizures.	1965
clobazam	Frisium	Adjunct in epilepsy.	1979
clonazepam	Rivotril	All forms of epilepsy.	1979
eslicarbazepine acetate	Zebinix	Adjunctive treatment in adults with focal seizures, with or without secondary generalisation.	2009
ethosuximide	Emeside Zarontin	Typical absence seizures; it may also be used in atypical absence seizures. Rarely used for myoclonic or tonic seizures.	1955
gabapentin	Neurontin	Monotherapy and adjunctive treatment of focal seizures with or without secondary generalisation.	1993
lacosamide	Vimpat	Adjunctive treatment of focal seizures with or without secondary generalisation. (NHS Scotland: accepted for restricted use as adjunctive treatment for focal seizures with or without secondary generalisation in patients from 16 years. Restricted for specialist use in refractory epilepsy.)	2008
lamotrigine	Lamictal	Monotherapy and adjunctive treatment of focal seizures and generalised seizures including tonic-clonic seizures; seizures associated with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome; monotherapy of typical absence seizures in children.	1991
levetiracetam	Keppra	Monotherapy and adjunctive treatment of focal seizures with or without secondary generalisation and for adjunctive therapy of myoclonic seizures in patients with juvenile myoclonic epilepsy and primary generalised tonic-clonic seizures.	2000
oxcarbazepine	Trileptal	Monotherapy or adjunctive treatment of focal seizures with or without secondary generalised tonic-clonic seizures.	2000
phenobarbital (phenobarbitone)	N/A	All forms of epilepsy except typical absence seizures	1912
phenytoin	Epanutin	All forms of epilepsy except absence seizures.	1938
pregabalin	Lyrica	Adjunctive therapy for focal seizures with or without secondary generalisation.	2004
primidone	Mysoline	All forms of epilepsy except absence seizures.	1952
rufinamide	Inovelon	Adjunctive treatment of seizures in Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (NHS Scotland: restricted use as adjunctive treatment of seizures associated with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome in patients four years old and above. Also restricted for use when traditional anti-epileptic medicines are unsatisfactory.)	2007
sodium valproate, sodium valproate modified release	Epilim, Epilim Chrono, Epilim Chronosphere, Episenta Epival	All forms of epilepsy.	1973
tiagabine	Gabitril	Adjunctive treatment for focal seizures with or without secondary generalisation not satisfactorily controlled with other anti-epileptics.	1998
topiramate	Topamax	Monotherapy and adjunctive treatment of generalised tonic-clonic seizures or focal seizures with or without secondary generalisation; adjunctive treatment of seizures associated with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome.	1995
valproic acid	Convulex Depakote	All forms of epilepsy.	1993
vigabatrin	Sabril	Adjunctive treatment for focal seizures with or without secondary generalisation. Not to be prescribed unless all other appropriate medicine combinations are ineffective or have not been tolerated. Should be initiated and supervised by appropriate specialist. Monotherapy for management of infantile spasms in West’s syndrome.	1973
zonisamide	Zonegran	Adjunctive treatment for refractory focal seizures with or without secondary generalisation.	2005