Withdrawal of Anti-Seizure Medication in Children with Epilepsy is Generally Safe

A new Mayo Clinic study found that it is generally safe to withdraw anti-seizure medications in children with epilepsy who have achieved seizure-freedom while on the medication. Researchers found that these children were not at high risk of subsequently developing intractable epilepsy.

“The risk of children developing intractable epilepsy after withdrawal of anti-seizure medication was only 5 percent, which is similar to the risk of intractable epilepsy at the time of initial diagnosis of epilepsy in children,” says Katherine Nickels, M.D., a Mayo Clinic pediatric neurologist and an author of this study. “Therefore, the children who achieve seizure-freedom on anti-seizure medication should be considered for withdrawal without high risk of intractable epilepsy.”

The study will be presented on Sunday, Dec. 7, at the American Epilepsy Society’s annual meeting in Seattle.

Dr. Nickels describes the research.