What precautions should I take when using anticonvulsant drugs?
Patients on anticonvulsant drugs should see a physician regularly while on therapy, especially during the first few months. The physician will check to make sure the medicine is working as it should and will note unwanted side effects. The physician may also need to adjust the dosage during this period. Valproic acid can cause serious liver damage, especially in the first 6 months of treatment. Children are particularly at risk, but anyone taking this medicine should see their physician regularly for tests of liver function and should be alert to symptoms of liver damage, such as yellow skin and eyes, facial swelling, loss of appetite, general feeling of illness, loss of appetite, and vomiting. If liver problems are suspected, call a physician immediately. Felbatol has caused serious liver damage and aplastic anemia, a condition in which the bone marrow stops producing blood cells. Patients taking this drug should have regular blood counts, and should stop taking the drug if there are
