[New anticonvulsants]

Abstract

Eight new antiepileptic drugs were licensed in the last decade in Switzerland for the treatment of epilepsies, more will follow. Their efficacy as add-on in comparison with placebo was shown in controlled studies. Comparative studies with the new anticonvulsive drugs are lacking. In the daily work after bringing into the market there was shown that the best indications were not always recommended in the approval studies. Other seizure types or epilepsy syndromes showed partially a better response. Also was detected that the recommended dosages and titration velocities were either too slow or too high. Consequences were partially a suboptimal treatment or too much side effects. Rare in some circumstances severe side effects which require a strong indication are seen only after a lot of patients are treated. In this review I deal with the pharmacological properties and interactions, the actual indications, important side effects and strength and weakness of the single compounds.