Can antiepileptic drugs cause behavioral changes in a child?

Question

Hi doctor,

My son is 3 years 9 months now. He has been diagnosed with benign childhood epilepsy. He is taking Clobazam 15 mg at night and Topiramate 100 mg per day for last four months. His seizures are under control and he attends LKG. The issue is that he is not able to concentrate in his studies and he does not like to sit with patience for a while. I am worried whether he is disturbed by his medicines? Please clarify the dosage too as his present weight is 33.07 lb.

Answer 1

Hi

Welcome to icliniq.com. I have read your question in detail. The initial dose of Topiramate is 1 mg/kg/day which is gradually increased to 5-10 mg/kg/day. Your child is getting 100 mg Topiramate which is around 6 mg/kg/day. So, the dosage of Topiramate is correct. There are some side effects like anorexia, weight loss, blurring of vision and glaucoma. But these occur at late stages and when higher doses are given. So, in my opinion, Topiramate is not causing any problems in your child. Secondly, the initial dose of Clobazam is 0.1mg/kg/day which is gradually increased to 0.3 to 1 mg/kg/day. In your case, your child is getting 15 mg daily which comes to 1 mg/kg /day. Side effects of Clobazam are constipation, behavior changes, aggression, sleep disturbance, weight gain. So, I think that aggression and behavior changes in your child could be due to Clobazam. You should meet your doctor and ask him to lower the dose of Clobazam or substitute it with another antiepileptic drug.