This information is for children and young people with epilepsy. Parents or carers might also find this information helpful.
On this page we talk about safely reducing the dose of your anti-seizure medication (meds), changing medications and stopping altogether.
Remember, don’t stop or change your anti-seizure medications without talking to your doctor first.
Use this page as a general guide. Talk to a health professional for more information and support.
If you haven’t had a seizure in two years or more, your doctor may suggest stopping your anti-seizure medications (meds). But they will only suggest this if your risk of having another seizure in the future is low. They should involve you, and your parents or carers, in decisions about stopping your meds.
Remember, never stop taking your anti-seizure meds without talking to a doctor first. It can take time for anti-seizure meds to work. And you may have to try a few different types before you find something that works well for you.
If you’re stopping your anti-seizure meds, you’ll need to stop them gradually. Read more about how to reduce your meds slowly and safely below.
Remember, it’s important to keep taking your anti-seizure meds correctly. This will help keep seizures under control. Even if you feel well and your seizures have stopped, you should continue taking your meds as normal. Talk to your doctor if you have any questions about your meds.
If you and your doctor decide together that stopping your meds is right for you, they will talk to you about how to stop them gradually and safely. This is important because stopping some anti-seizure meds may cause withdrawal symptoms. These are unwanted symptoms which can happen if you suddenly stop taking medication.
For most anti-seizure meds, you should gradually reduce them over about three months. If you’re taking a few different anti-seizure meds, your doctor may suggest stopping them one at a time.
If you have a seizure after stopping your anti-seizure meds, tell your doctor straight away. They may suggest increasing the dose again slightly. Or they may ask for advice from an epilepsy specialist. They will be able to give you specialist help and support.
If you have any worries, or questions, about how to reduce the dose of your anti-seizure meds, always talk to your doctor or a pharmacist.
If the anti-seizure meds you’re taking are not working well or you’re getting side effects which are hard to deal with, your doctor may suggest trying something different. Your doctor will use the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines to help them decide which treatment to choose next. They will talk to you about how to safely start taking your new meds. Remember, if you’re not sure how to take your meds correctly, always ask your doctor or a pharmacist. They are there to help and support you.
Sometimes, you may be given a different version of your usual anti-seizure meds. This can happen for different reasons like:
You might find it worrying to suddenly have a different version of your usual meds. Especially if it’s not a name that you’re familiar with. But the active ingredient in the medication should be the same and just the brand name may be different. If this happens, your doctor or pharmacist should explain the change to you. If they don’t, or you’re not sure, don’t be afraid to ask them. It’s important that you understand why the brand may have changed. Health professionals are there to give you information and support.
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Just like lots of everyday items, all medicines are made by different brands. Different versions of your anti-seizure meds will have the same main (active) ingredient, but they may look different or have a different name. For a list of some of the common anti-seizure meds, go to our glossary.
You may hear the terms ‘branded medicines’ and ‘generic medicines’ being used by doctors or pharmacists. Branded meds are usually more expensive and made by the original manufacturer. Generic meds work in the same way as branded meds but are made by different companies and are usually cheaper.
For example, imagine Coca-Cola is the branded anti-seizure medicine. And the supermarket branded cola is the generic medicine. They both taste the same and have the same main ingredients, but they’re made by different brands. And the supermarket cola is usually cheaper.
It’s important to always take your anti-seizure meds correctly. And at the right time. If you’re not sure how to take your meds properly, read the information leaflet that comes with them. You can also ask a pharmacist or your doctor.
But sometimes you may forget to take your meds. If this happens, take your meds as soon as you remember. Or, if it’s already near the time of your next dose, just carry on taking your meds as normal. Don’t take double the amount.
If you’re not well, for example if you’re sick or have diarrhoea (loose and watery poo), contact your doctor, epilepsy nurse or a pharmacist straight away. Being sick or having diarrhoea could stop your anti-seizure meds from working as well. This could increase your risk of having a seizure. They will be able to give you advice about what to do.
NICE website
Up-to-date guidelines for children and young people with epilepsy.
1. NICE. Epilepsies in children, young people and adults. Published online 2022.
2. Laue-Gizzi H. Discontinuation of antiepileptic drugs in adults with epilepsy. Aust Prescr. 2021;44(2):53-56. doi:10.18773/austprescr.2021.005
3. Li Z ran, Wang C yu, Lin W wei, Chen Y ting, Liu X qin, Jiao Z. Handling Delayed or Missed Dose of Antiseizure Medications. Neurology. 2023;100(9):e921-e931. doi:10.1212/WNL.0000000000201604
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Last updated July 2026.
We're currently reviewing this information. The next update will be 2029. If you would like to find out more about how we produce our information, or the sources of evidence we use, please contact us at healthinfo@youngepilepsy.org.uk
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