Skip the primary navigation if you do not want to read it as the next section.
Skip the main content if you do not want to read it as the next section.
Generic and branded anti-epileptic drugs factfile
This fact file looks at the differences between generic and branded anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs) and ways that you can help to make your treatment as effective as possible.
All drugs have an active ingredient (the part of the drug that treats the condition for which you are taking it). This ingredient is often referred to as the generic name. All drugs with the same generic name contain the same active ingredient.
Different pharmaceutical (or drug) companies might produce their own versions of generic drugs. These might be known by the generic name of the drug (for example ‘ibuprofen’) or they might have a brand name which applies to just their version of the drug (for example ‘nurofen’).
Anti-epileptic drugs
Anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs) are drugs that prevent seizures from happening. To be most effective, they need to be taken every day, at around the same time. They are not like a course of treatment (such as antibiotics) and are often taken for many years.
Why do some AEDs look different even though they are the same drug?
Different drug companies produce different AEDs. Some produce their own AEDs which other companies are not allowed to produce (often referred to as ‘on patent’), some produce ‘off patent’ drugs (that can be produced by any drug company).
Different AEDs look different from each other so that you can tell them apart.
If the same drug is produced by more than one drug company, each version will often look different to that from another company. This includes the size, the colour and any writing in the tablets or capsules themselves. The packaging will also look different. This is the case even though the active ingredient is the same. For example, the drugs called ‘sodium valproate’ and ‘Epilim’ contain the same active ingredient (valproic acid) but they are produced by different companies, use different names and look different from each other.
If drugs have the same active ingredient are they exactly the same inside?
Although AEDs with the same generic name have the same active ingredient, this does not mean that they are exactly the same. This is because different versions of drugs use other ingredients, such as colouring and binding agents (ingredients that hold the tablet together), which might be different from one company to another. In some cases, these other ingredients might affect how the drug is absorbed in the body, which could affect how well the active ingredient works in the brain to stop seizures. This means that a drug from one company might have higher, or lower, amounts of active ingredient that reach the brain, than the same drug from a different company. Switching between one version of a drug to another might affect these levels of active ingredient reaching the brain. If the level is lower, seizures could happen. If the level is higher, this could cause side effects.
What can I do if my pharmacist gives me a different version of my drug to my usual one?
If your doctor writes the generic name of the AED on your prescription, a pharmacist can give you any drug with that generic name. This means that you might get a different version with each prescription. If your doctor writes the brand name of the AED on your prescription, or the name of the specific drug company, a pharmacist should give you that specific version of AED.
It can be helpful to go to the same pharmacist for each prescription as they may keep a record of your AEDs and make sure that you get the same version each time. It can also be helpful to check your AEDs while you are still at the counter. If you are given a different version to what you normally take, the pharmacist can check whether it is the right AED and, if needed, they might be able to change it for you.
If you have any concerns about this, you could talk to your doctor or neurologist.
Taking your AEDs
Why do I need to keep taking my AEDs if I am not having any seizures?
If you feel well, and you are not having any seizures, this might be because your AEDs are working well. If you stop taking AEDs, your seizures might start again.
If you have had two years without any seizures you might want to talk to your neurologist about possibly reducing or coming off your AEDs, if you would like to. For some people, their seizures might have stopped and they might not need to keep taking AEDs. But for others, if they stop their AEDs, their seizures start again (because the medication was controlling the seizures). This varies from one person to another, and is something that you could discuss with your neurologist.
Helping you to take your AEDs
As well as always taking the same version of your AEDs, there are other things that might help you to take your AEDs, and to get the best out of them.
Taking your AEDs regularly
Taking your AEDs at the same time each day, at regular intervals (for example 7am and 7pm) can help to keep the levels of the drug steady throughout the day. It can be helpful to take your medication at the same time as another regular activity, to help remind you to take them. For example, taking them before you brush your teeth, or when you eat breakfast and dinner.
Using a drug wallet or pill box
Using a drug wallet, or pill box, that has a section for each day of the week, may also help you to keep track of when you have taken your medication. Drug wallets are usually available from pharmacies.
Keeping a seizure diary
Keeping a seizure diary can be useful, to keep track of your seizures and to see if there is any pattern to when they happen. Diaries can also help your doctors to see whether your medication is working.
Using apps
If you have a smart phone, we have a free epilepsy app for iPhones and Android phones. The apps both have information about seizures and first aid, a step-by-step guide to the recovery position and links to a seizure diary. The iPhone app also has a medication reminder function which you can use with the phone’s alarm.
Other tips
• The patient information leaflet that comes with your AEDs has important information in it, including what side effects to look out for. Many also say what to do if you forget to take your medication or you are sick.
• If you are prescribed medication for another condition, it is important that the doctor knows that you have epilepsy and about what AEDs you take.
This is because some AEDs can affect other medication, and other medication can affect AEDs.
• If you know what triggers (brings on) your seizures, avoiding these triggers might help to reduce the number of seizures you have. Not everyone has
triggers, but they include stress, anxiety and tiredness.
• Keeping track of your AED supply means that you won’t run out.
If you have any questions about AEDs in general, or the AEDs you are taking, you might like to talk to your GP, pharmacist, neurologist or epilepsy nurse.
Further resources and information
Yellow Card Scheme
The Yellow Card Scheme is a way of reporting side effects to the Medicines Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). You can get a form from your GP, pharmacy, hospital or NHS drop-in centre. You can also fill in the form online (opens in a new window) or call 0808 100 3352. For more information on medication see epilepsy - medication for adults.
For detailed information on all types of AED visit Medicine Guides (opens in a new window).
Epilepsy Society. May 2012.
