In epilepsy treatment, the patient is usually told that drugs can be stopped if no fits or episodes for 2 to 3 years. My observation is, this rule is rarely applicable and most of the time when the patient stops the drugs, epilepsy returns. So, we need criteria to stop the drugs if no fits. This is because our patients stop the drugs abruptly and get fits on and of.
It is possible to consider stopping the anti-epileptic medication if the patient has been fit-free for 2 years or more. In adults with epilepsy who have been free of seizures for 2 years then about 60% will have no further seizures when medication is withdrawn (Drug and Therapeutics 2003). However, from a medico-legal point of view, the possible risk of further epileptic seizures which may occur during this therapeutic procedure is to be noted. It is clearly recognised that the withdrawal of anti-epileptic medication is…
