Conversely, when a child requires a high dosage, or is on multiple drugs, o rseizures are poorly controlled, plasma level monitoring at frequent intervals is sometimes necessary. Some anticonvulsant medications have the potential to decrease the white blood cell count. While problems with blood counts, liver, or kidney function are rare, blood samples from your child may need to be obtained on a periodic basis to make sure these organs are functioning normally. Whether your child needs to be monitored for any of these problems depends on the medication being taken. If your child becomes ill, be sure that the physician knows what medicines he or she is taking.
All anticonvulsants act through their effect on the brain, since seizures arise from the brain.
As a result, any anticonvulsant can lead to changes in personality, behavior or learning ability. There is individual variation in response to a drug. If your child has a significant worsening of behavior or learning that lasts for more than about 4-6 weeks after a new medication is started you should notify the neurologist. Basically, drug therapy is continued as long as the child remains susceptible to seizures. Under such circumstances, the medication is often discontinued after about 2 years without seizures.