HealthCareMagic is now Ask A Doctor - 24x7 | https://www.askadoctor24x7.com

Get your health question answered instantly from our pool of 18000+ doctors from over 80 specialties
159 Doctors Online

By proceeding, I accept the Terms and Conditions

Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

HCM Blog Instant Access to Doctors
HCM BlogQuestions Answered
HCM Blog Satisfaction

Taking Phenytoin And Keppra For Grand Mal Seizures. Special Diet Needed?

Dear Physician,
Currently I'm taking Phenytoin Sodium EX capsules and Keppra capsules for Grand Mal seizures. Is there any special diet or anything I need to avoid daily other than the well known things (alcohol, ect.)? I'm curious about some of my side effect that I seem to have sometimes, and wonder if I may be ingesting something accidentally that may be increasing side effects (household items) unknowingly? However, Diabetes run in my family history.It seems sometimes as if I'm taking a lot of this seizure medication. After researching them individually I noticed they all seem to have similar side effects. Changes of : blood sugar, pressure, diet, appetite, sleep, ect. Simply, all of the negative battles that a typical diabetic may struggle with. Please, can you give me (5'7 ft and 155 LB ) some advise on taking : 2- Keppra 500mg tabs and 4- Phenytoin EX 100mg capsules daily.
Thu, 31 Oct 2013
Report Abuse
Neurologist,  's  Response
Hi,
Thank you for posting your query.

I agree with you that anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs) can cause side effects. Common among them are drowsiness, dizziness, lack of appetite, etc. However, these side effects stop after a while of use.
Regarding effects on blood sugar, phenytoin can increase the blood sugar level, and also has more side effects if taken for long, such as imbalance while walking, gum thickening, etc. Please discuss with your doctor regarding these side effects.
There is no special diet while on these drugs or for epilepsy. However, you should eat food on time and avoid fasting.

I hope it helps.

Please get back if you require any further information.

Best wishes,
Dr Sudhir Kumar MD (Internal Medicine), DM (Neurology)
Senior Consultant Neurologist
Apollo Hospitals, Hyderabad,
For DIRECT QUERY to me: http://bit.ly/Dr-Sudhir-kumar
My blog: http://bestneurodoctor.blogspot.com/
I find this answer helpful

 1 user finds this helpful
Disclaimer: These answers are for your information only and not intended to replace your relationship with your treating physician.
This is a short, free answer. For a more detailed, immediate answer, try our premium service [Sample answer]
Share on
 

Related questions you may be interested in


Recent questions on Phenytoin


Loading Online Doctors....
Taking Phenytoin And Keppra For Grand Mal Seizures. Special Diet Needed?

Hi, Thank you for posting your query. I agree with you that anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs) can cause side effects. Common among them are drowsiness, dizziness, lack of appetite, etc. However, these side effects stop after a while of use. Regarding effects on blood sugar, phenytoin can increase the blood sugar level, and also has more side effects if taken for long, such as imbalance while walking, gum thickening, etc. Please discuss with your doctor regarding these side effects. There is no special diet while on these drugs or for epilepsy. However, you should eat food on time and avoid fasting. I hope it helps. Please get back if you require any further information. Best wishes, Dr Sudhir Kumar MD (Internal Medicine), DM (Neurology) Senior Consultant Neurologist Apollo Hospitals, Hyderabad, For DIRECT QUERY to me: http://bit.ly/Dr-Sudhir-kumar My blog: http://bestneurodoctor.blogspot.com/