It is an unfortunate fact that certain medications can provoke seizures. For some, the provoked seizure will be the only seizure they experience. For those with a history of seizures, certain medications can precipitate another seizure.
Medications That Can Lead to Seizures While the following medications will not cause epilepsy (the condition of spontaneously recurring seizures), they have been proven to provoke a seizure in those with a pre-existing tendency to seize:
- The antibiotics Cipro (ciprofloxacin), Flagyl (metronidazole), Levaquin (levofloxacin) and Amphotec (amphotericin B)
- The antihistamines Benadryl (diphenhydramine), Vistaril and Atarax (hydroxyzine)
- The attention-deficit drugs Dexedrine (dextroamphetamine) and Ritalin and Concerta (methylphenidate)
- A number of psychiatric drugs such as Xanax (alprazolam), Throazine (chlorpromazine), Klonopin (clonazepam) and Valium (diazepam)
- Recreational drugs such as amphetamines and cocaine
- The respiratory drugs Truphylline (aminophylline) and Uniphyl (theophylline)
- The weight loss drug Dexatrim (phenylpropanolamine)
- The multiple sclerosis drug Liorisal (baclofen)
Causes of Seizures Seizures are symptom of brain dysfunction that often reflects a degree of interaction between a person’s seizure threshold and physiological or environmental stressors. Therefore, certain drugs can increase a person’s risk of having a seizure by lowering their threshold. Patient factors (such as a brain injury or genetics) combined with medication factors can contribute the occurrence of seizures.
Stevens-Johnson Syndrome and Medications Stevens-Johnson Syndrome (SJS) is usually caused by a response to a medication within one week or two months of taking that medicine. SJS is a potentially fatal medical condition that affects your skin and mucous membranes. SJS begins with flu-like symptoms, followed by a red rash and blisters in various parts of your body. The rash can be as severe as a burn, with fluids and salts seeping from the raw, damaged areas. In severe cases, victims are susceptible to organ failure and infection at the sites of damaged and exposed tissues.
The most common medicines that may lead to SJS are:
- Anti-seizure medicines (used to treat convulsions)
- Antibiotics (used to treat infections)
- Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medicine (used to treat swelling or fever)
Dilantin and SJS Dilantin (phenytoin) is a widely-prescribed antiepileptic drug. Phenytoin was originally approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1939. Although it has been used in many conditions, phenytoin's only approved use is for the prevention of:
- Tonic-clonic (grand mal) seizures
- Complex partial seizures (psychomotor seizures)
Phenytoin may be used alone or with other anticonvulsant medications.
Some experts believe that a reaction to Dilantin can lead to the development of SJS. Although Dilantin has been recalled numerous times since its introduction, it remains on the market today.
Other Anti-Seizure Medications That Can Lead to SJS
The following anti-seizure medications are also being investigated for potentially causing SJS and the more serious toxic epidermal necrolysis, which can lead to the complete separation of a victim’s epidermis:
- Tegretol (carbamazepine): This anti-seizure medication is prescribed to treat epilepsy.
- Lamictal (lamotrigine): This anticonvulsant drug is used in the treatment of bipolar disorder and epilepsy
- Levaquin (levofloxacin): This antibiotic that belongs to the class of drugs called fluoroquinolones is used to treat bacterial infections like bronchitis, pneumonia, sinus infections and urinary tract infections.
