| Seizure category | Drugs of choice | Alternative drugs |
| Generalized seizures | ||
| Primary generalized, tonic-clonic | Valproic acid (Depakene) | Carbamazepine
(Tegretol), phenytoin (Dilan tin), primidone (Mysoline), phenobarbital |
| Primary generalized, absence | Ethosuximide (Zarontin), valproic acid | Clonazepam (Klonopin) |
| Primary myoclonic | Valproic acid, clonazepam | Phenytoin, phenobarbital |
| Partial seizures | ||
| Partial simple and complex, and secondarily generalized epilepsy | Carbamazepine, phenytoin | Valproic acid, phenobarbital, primidone |
| Mixed forms | Valproic acid, clonazepam | Carbamazepine, phenytoin, phenobarbital |
| New Drugs | ||
| Partial onset and secondarily generalized | Felbamate (Felbatol), gabapentin (Neurontin), lamotrigine (Lamictal), topiramate (Topamax), tiagabine (Gabatril) |
Return to The Intern in the Middle of the Night Home Page