We would also like to know what other medicines are available for treating seizure disorders and what their side effects are. F irst of all, your daughter needs an evaluation to determine exactly what type of seizures she has. You did not specify her age, but it highly unusual for typical absence seizures to start after childhood. After childhood, staring spells are more commonly caused by complex partial seizures, which may look similar. It is not associated with eating disorders.
Many persons have problems with side effects of their seizure medications.
Fortunately there are now many options available for the treatment of epilepsy. You might consider having your daughter evaluated by a comprehensive epilepsy program to determine her seizure types, as well as to find a drug regimen that controls her seizures with minimal side effects.