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Modified Atkins diet may reduce serum concentrations of antiepileptic drugs
Author(s) -
Kverneland M.,
Taubøll E.,
Selmer K. K.,
Iversen P. O.,
Nakken K. O.
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
acta neurologica scandinavica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.967
H-Index - 95
eISSN - 1600-0404
pISSN - 0001-6314
DOI - 10.1111/ane.12330
Subject(s) - antiepileptic drug , medicine , pharmacology , epilepsy , psychiatry
Background Modified Atkins diet is a treatment option for patients with pharmacoresistant epilepsy that is not suitable for surgery. In the last few years, we have tried dietary treatment added to antiepileptic drugs ( AED s) in adult patients with severe epilepsy. Aim of the study To examine a possible pharmacokinetic interaction between the modified Atkins diet and AED s. Methods In four patients, AED serum concentrations were measured before onset and after 4 and 12 weeks on the diet. The patients used combinations of two or three AED s, including carbamazepine, clobazam, lamotrigine, nitrazepam, oxcarbazepine, valproate, zonisamide, and topiramate. The patients did not change the type or dose of their AED s during the diet period. Results After 12 weeks on the diet, the average serum concentrations of the respective AED s were reduced by 35% (range 6–46%) compared to prediet values. Conclusions Modified Atkins diet used as add‐on therapy to AED s in four patients with drug resistant seizures caused a considerable decrease in AED serum concentrations. In individual patients, this could be of clinical relevance, and we recommend that AED serum concentrations should be closely monitored when offering this diet to adults with epilepsy.