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Journal of Epileptology
Foundation of Epileptology
Subject: Medicine
eISSN: 2300-0147
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Successful treatment with adjunctive lacosamide in a patient with long term “drug resistant” focal epilepsy
Walter Fröscher * / Alois Rauber
Keywords : epilepsy, drug resistance, lacosamide
Citation Information : Journal of Epileptology. Volume 22, Issue 1, Pages 51-55, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/joepi-2015-0014
License : (CC BY 4.0)
Received Date : 11-February-2014 / Accepted: 05-March-2014 / Published Online: 11-March-2014
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ARTICLE
ABSTRACT
Introduction. A significant number of patients suffering from epilepsy prove to be resistant to antiepileptic drugs (AEDs). Recent studies, however, suggest that 10–20% of seemingly drug resistant patients may still become seizure-free under the influence of subsequent dosage modifications.
Case report. We report on a young man with cryptogenic focal epilepsy. He had his first seizure at the age of fifteen. His seizure frequency was decreased during the following 11 years. However, seizure-freedom was never achieved even though he was treated with twelve to fourteen different AEDs during this time. Intensive presurgical evaluations did not allow identification of a surgically remediable focus. Adjunctive treatment with lacosamide 400 mg/day was not successful. However, the patient became seizure-free immediately after an increase of the lacosamide dose up to 500 mg/day. The patient is now seizure-free for more than two years based on a combination of 500 mg lacosamide and 350 mg lamotrigine, followed by 550 mg and 250 mg, respectively.
Discussion and conclusion. This case report highlights that there is always a chance that modifying the medication can result in a drug-resistant epilepsy patient experiencing a significant reduction of seizures and becoming seizure-free. The decisive step in this example was the off-label prescription of a high dose of lacosamide which the patient tolerated well.
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REFERENCES
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