Question
The child has been taking oxcarbazepine for 16 days, half a tablet in the morning and one tablet at night, along with 5, 4, and 5 milliliters of phenobarbital in the morning, afternoon, and evening respectively. However, the control effect is not good. Last night, the child suddenly experienced hallucinations and auditory hallucinations during sleep, screamed in fear, and asked for their parents’ embrace. How should this situation be handled?
Answer
Discontinuation of medication should not be done arbitrarily and should be carried out slowly. Patients with obvious abnormal electroencephalograms and neuroimaging defects have a significantly higher recurrence rate. The goal of epilepsy treatment is to continue treatment for 3 to 5 years after complete control of seizures without adverse reactions, then consider discontinuation of medication. Currently, it is recommended to use one medication first, and if monotherapy is ineffective, consider adding a second medication.