If you suffer from epilepsy and have been prescribed maintenance medication to help manage your medical condition, you may wonder what will happen if you miss doses? The answer depends on how many doses you miss. The more doses you do not take, the more chances for attacks to occur.
If your medication only has to be taken once a day, the effects of missing doses will be more evident. If this happens, you will technically have missed one whole day of your medication, which means the chances of having a breakthrough seizure will be higher. A breakthrough seizure refers to a seizure that occurs despite the patient taking antiepileptic drugs.
What are the consequences of stopping my medication?
Missing one dose of seizure medication may be quite common. If only one dose is missed, nothing bad may happen, as long as it only happens once in a while. However, if a patient decides to completely stop taking their medication, the results may be dangerous. Stopping to take the medications may result in what is called status epilepticus. This refers to long seizure episodes that have clusters of seizures.
Causes of missed medications
Missing to take your seizure medication may result in life-threatening situations. Here are the most common reasons people sometimes miss a dose.
1 – Forgetting to take them
It is quite normal for people to sometimes forget to take their medication, especially if they have more than one type of maintenance medication to take each day. It may get confusing and difficult to remember to take a number of medications, especially if they need to be taken at different times of the day.
The solution to this problem is simple. The patient can set an alarm to remind them to take their medications at the correct time of the day. It also pays to take each medication with a meal to help remember it more easily.
2 – Restrictions to get medication
Some patients may be physically unable to buy their own medications. People who are not mobile or have difficulties moving around may encounter this type of problem. If you are in a similar situation, you can ask a family member to get your medications from the pharmacy for you.
Another problem related to this is if the pharmacy has restrictions or delays when it comes to medication deliveries. This makes it more difficult for patients to take their medicines on time. As such, it is a good idea to stock up on at least one week of emergency supplies. That way, you will still have a buffer if there are any delays in the deliveries.
3 – Can’t afford medication
Sadly, this is a real problem. The cost of maintenance medications may sometimes be overwhelmingly high. This may be the reason why some people decide not to continue taking their seizure medication.
If you feel that you can no longer afford your medication, you may opt to meet with a social worker. They will be able to see which assistance programs you may be eligible for and help you get the medications you need.
Conclusion
If you are tired of taking your medications or feel that you need to update your dosage, the right thing to do is to talk to a doctor. Never attempt to cease taking your seizure medications just because you are tired of the routine. Remember, your health is at stake, so make sure you ask for a professional opinion before making any adjustments.
MedManage is a cloud-based medication management system for patients and caregivers. Our app allows you to easily manage multiple medications and maintain a daily medicine log for reference. Download our app today to ensure you never miss a dose!