Can seizure medicines cause behavior problems in children?
Behavior problems have been reported, including hyperactivity, irritability, decreased attention span, memory problems, changes in sleep patterns, aggressiveness, and mood changes. Some medications are more likely than others to cause these problems, but they can occur with all major seizure medicines. They are usually more troublesome when higher doses are given, but sometimes they happen with very low doses. They are more likely if the child is taking more than one seizure medicine. The goal of epilepsy treatment is freedom from seizures without unwanted effects, so if your child has any changes in behavior while taking seizure medicine, talk to your doctor. A change may be possible that could help the situation.
