Thaindian News

Washington DC, July 28 (THAINDIAN NEWS) According to a new research findings, newer epilepsy drugs might be associated with suicidal thoughts compared to the older ones.

Epilepsy drugs were linked to suicidal thoughts of the patients who regularly imbibe the drugs. Since 2008 when the FDA came out with the link in its own research findings, the agency has directed all the epilepsy drug manufacturers to put the warning on the drug’s pack.

But in a recent research which was published in the journal Neurology, scientists say some newer epilepsy drugs like Topamax, Sabril and Keppra were found to have increased risk suicidal thoughts and self harm by almost three times when compared to the older drugs.

But scientists also found out that other newer drugs like Lyrica, Neurontin, Trileptal and Lamictal did not have any evidence of increased risk of suicidal thoughts or self-harm. “These results may be helpful for doctors and people with epilepsy as they decide which drugs to use. An earlier analysis of data by the FDA grouped all of the epilepsy drugs together and found an increased risk of suicidal thoughts and behavior, but could not address the question of whether there were differences among the various classes of epilepsy drugs,” according to study author Frank Andersohn, MD, who belongs to the Charite University Medical Center in Berlin.

However the researchers were emphatic about their view on older versions of antiepileptic drugs. The scientists say they found no evidence of increased risk in suicidal thoughts in patients who used the older antiepileptic drugs like Depacon, Dilatin, Zarontin, Depakote and Tegretol.