Rufinamide pour l'épilepsie

About rufinamide

Avoir l'épilepsie means that you have had more than one unexplained fit, or seizure. A seizure is a short episode of symptoms caused by a burst of abnormal electrical activity in your brain. Because different parts of the brain control different functions, your symptoms will depend on which part of your brain is affected. Symptoms that may occur during a seizure can affect your muscles, sensations, behaviour, emotions, and consciousness, or a combination of these.

Rufinamide is prescribed for a type of epilepsy known as Lennox-Gastaut syndrome. This is a severe form of epilepsy which usually begins in early childhood. Rufinamide works by stabilising the electrical activity of the brain, which reduces the number of seizures which occur. It is given alongside other antiepileptic medicines.

Before taking rufinamide

Some medicines are not suitable for people with certain conditions, and sometimes a medicine may only be used if extra care is taken. For these reasons, before you (or your child if you are their carer) start taking rufinamide, it is important that your doctor knows:

• Si vous avez des problèmes avec le fonctionnement de votre foie.

• Si vous prenez d'autres médicaments. Cela inclut tous les médicaments que vous prenez et qui sont disponibles à l'achat sans ordonnance, ainsi que les médicaments à base de plantes et les médecines complémentaires.

• Si vous avez déjà eu une réaction allergique à un médicament.

• Si vous êtes enceinte, essayez d'avoir un bébé, ou allaitez.

How to take rufinamide

• Before you start the treatment, read the manufacturer's printed information leaflet from inside the pack. It will give you more information about rufinamide and will provide you with a full list of the side-effects which you may experience from taking it.

• Take rufinamide exactly as your doctor tells you to. Your dose will be printed on the label of the pack to remind you about what the doctor said. There are several different strengths of rufinamide tablets. It is usual to start treatment on a low dose, and then for the dose to be increased gradually to a regular maintenance dose. You will be prescribed two doses a day: one dose to take in the morning and the other in the evening.

• It is important you try to take your doses at the same times of day - having a routine will help you to remember to take the doses regularly.

• You should take rufinamide with, or just after, a meal. Swallow the tablet with a drink of water. If you have difficulty swallowing tablets, you can crush the tablet and mix it into a small glassful of water.

• If you have been supplied with the oral liquid medicine (Inovelon® suspension), shake the bottle well before you measure out a dose. Instructions for using the dose syringe supplied with the suspension are below.

• Si vous oubliez de prendre une dose, prenez-la dès que vous vous en souvenez. Si, lorsque vous vous en souvenez, il est presque l'heure de votre prochaine dose, prenez votre prochaine dose à l'heure prévue mais laissez de côté la dose oubliée. Ne prenez pas deux doses ensemble pour compenser une dose oubliée.

Instructions for using the Inovelon® suspension dosing syringe

1. Shake the bottle well.

2. Remove the bottle cap, and push the adaptor into the top of the open bottle.

3. Insérez la seringue dans l'adaptateur.

4. Retournez la bouteille (avec la seringue connectée) à l'envers.

5. Gently pull out the plunger of the syringe so that the suspension fills the syringe to the mark which corresponds to your dose.

6. Remettez la bouteille à l'endroit, et retirez la seringue de la bouteille.

7. Leave the adaptor in place, and replace the cap on the bottle.

8. Put the tip of the syringe into your (or your child's) mouth, and gently push the plunger so that the liquid is released into your (or your child's) mouth.

Getting the most from this treatment

• Lorsque vous commencez un nouveau traitement pour l'épilepsie, il peut y avoir un changement dans le nombre ou le type de crises que vous ressentez. Votre médecin vous conseillera à ce sujet.

• Try to keep your regular appointments with your doctor. This is so your doctor can check on your (or your child's) progress.

• Different formulations of some antiepileptic medicines can act in a slightly different way in your body. Because of this, your doctor may recommend that you continue to take the same form of rufinamide (that is, tablets or liquid medicine) from the same manufacturer each time you obtain a new supply. If so, each time you collect a prescription, check to make sure your supply looks the same and that the name is the same. If you are unsure, or if you have any questions about your prescription, please ask your pharmacist to advise you.

• Pendant que vous êtes traité pour l'épilepsie, il existe un petit risque que vous développiez des changements d'humeur, des pensées perturbantes et des sentiments suicidaires. Si cela se produit, vous devez en informer votre médecin immédiatement.

• Les personnes atteintes d'épilepsie doivent d'abord arrêter de conduire. Votre médecin vous conseillera sur le moment où il pourrait être possible de recommencer à conduire. Cela sera généralement après une année sans crises.

• Si vous consommez de l'alcool, demandez conseil à votre médecin. Votre médecin peut vous conseiller de ne pas boire d'alcool pendant que vous prenez ce médicament.

• Si vous achetez des médicaments, vérifiez avec un pharmacien qu'ils sont compatibles avec votre traitement antiépileptique.

• Many antiepileptic medicines can harm an unborn child. If you are a woman, make sure you have discussed with your doctor which types of contraception are suitable for you and your partner. If you want to have a family, discuss this with your doctor so that you can be given advice from a specialist avant you become pregnant.

• You need to take rufinamide regularly every day. Do not stop taking it unless your doctor tells you to stop. Stopping treatment suddenly can cause problems and your doctor will want you to reduce your dose gradually if this becomes necessary.

Can rufinamide cause problems?

Along with their useful effects, most medicines can cause unwanted side-effects although not everyone experiences them. The table below contains some of the most common ones associated with rufinamide. You will find a full list in the manufacturer's information leaflet supplied with your medicine. The unwanted effects often improve as your body adjusts to the new medicine, but speak with your doctor or pharmacist if any of the following continue or become troublesome.

Si vous ressentez d'autres symptômes que vous pensez être dus au médicament, parlez-en à votre médecin ou à votre pharmacien pour obtenir des conseils supplémentaires.

How to store rufinamide

• Gardez tous les médicaments hors de la portée et de la vue des enfants.

• Conserver dans un endroit frais et sec, à l'abri de la chaleur et de la lumière directes.

Informations importantes sur tous les médicaments