What are medications for epilepsy?

Many different drugs are used -- either alone, or in combination -- for people with epilepsy. Some work as anticonvulsants (targeting your seizures), some as sedatives (relaxing your nervous system). Always discuss any change in medication with your doctor and medical team, as it can be dangerous to stop taking them on your own. Ask your doctor about any possible side effects of drugs you are prescribed. Two of the main categories of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) are:

• Broad-spectrum AEDs: These medications, which may be effective for a wide range of seizure types, include clonazepam (Klonopin), lamotrigine (Lamictal), levetiracetam (Keppra), rufinamide (Banzel), topiramate (Topamax), valproic acid (Depakote), and zonisamide (Zonegran).
• Narrow-spectrum AEDs: These medications, which are usually targeted for specific seizure types, include carbamazepine (Tegretol), gabapentin (Neurontin), lacosamide (Vimpat), oxcarbazepine (Trileptal), phenobarbital, phenytoin (Dilantin), pregabalin (Lyrica), and vigabatrin (Sabril).