Seizure freedom
is the goal.

...but what happens when we don’t quite get there?

Breakthrough convulsive seizures come with significant risks to the patient^1,2
A single missed dose may lead to a breakthrough seizure ^3,4
Nonadherence remains an obstacle^1,3,5
Isn't it time to target breakthrough seizures?

The consequences of breakthrough seizures can be dire.

Substantial premature mortality from sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP), status epilepticus, accidents, and suicide¹

In neurology, SUDEP is second only to stroke as a cause of total years of potential life lost¹
More than 3 convulsive seizures in a year increases risk of SUDEP by a factor of 15 ⁶
The risk of seizure-related injuries is 3.2 times greater in patients with convulsive seizures⁷

Depression, cognitive decline, and decline in social functioning ^3,8,9

Cognitive decline is strongly correlated with the number of convulsive seizures⁹
Children with epilepsy have shown social competency deficiency, memory impairment, depression, and anxiety^10,11

Job loss (with health insurance coverage interruptions), missed work due to comorbidities, and increased treatment costs ^3,12

Patients with breakthrough seizures had 8.1 times higher epilepsy-related costs¹²
Cost of ER visits¹²
Loss of ability to work (e.g. driver’s license suspension)^3,13

Patient nonadherence can be a serious obstacle to seizure freedom.

A single missed dose can cause a breakthrough seizure^3,4 :

Nearly 50% of people with epilepsy surveyed reported having a breakthrough seizure following a missed dose^4,*

In another survey, among people who had missed a dose in the past month, 51% had a seizure following a missed dose³

71% of people with epilepsy surveyed had missed at least 1 dose^4,*
37% of patients with epilepsy missed a dose once a month on average¹⁴
In one study, only 12% of nonadherent epilepsy patients felt comfortable telling their doctor about a missed dose³
Nonadherence with AED therapy is most common amongst young people, especially teenagers¹⁵

^*A 10-item, nationwide postal survey of 661 patients conducted between 2001 and 2002.

Give your patients the tools they need to aim for seizure freedom.

Consider a multi-pronged approach to improve adherence:

Talk about any breakthrough seizures they may be having, and encourage them to report seizures
Work with the patient to create a comprehensive, realistic plan of action for improving adherence^3,5
Develop reminder strategies to help them increase adherence and decrease seizure frequency, such as:^3,5

Adjust the treatment regimen to fit your patient's lifestyle (fewer daily doses, once-daily dosing, alternative formulations [chewable tablet, oral suspension, sprinkle capsules])^5,16
Consider medication engineered for sustained release or with a long half-life to help achieve and sustain stable, steady-state plasma levels when adherence is a concern^5,17

"Everyone who treats people with epilepsy needs to know that controlling seizures will save lives." ²

Because one seizure is one too many

Learn more about a prescription treatment option that could help.