Zonisamide, new antiepileptic drug, was administered to 47 epileptic patients to evaluate the efficacy and side effects. The mean duration of administration was 155.04±43.98 days. The mean number of combined antiepileptic drugs was 1.23±1.03.
The efficacy of zonisamide was rated excellent in 46.8^% of all cases, good in 36.2%, fair in 8.5%, and no change in 8.5%. In the 35 case of epiletifom pattern, seizure frequency was improved in 91.4%. The mean value of plasma concentrations was
21.60±12.69μg/ml and showed positive correlation with the dosage, Side effects, such as anorexia, headache, dizziness, weight loss and hypersomnia, occured in 46.9% of the patients, In most side effects they occured in the initial phase of
treatment,
were reversible, and when the treatment was combined with other antiepileptic drugs. Zonisamide was discontinued in 34.7%; 14.3% were due to poor compliance of the patients, 12.2% due to above mentioned side effects, 4.1% due to uncontrolled
seizure,
4.1% due to other medical illness.
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