Zonegran
The below information on Zonegran has been taken from official FDA sources, but we cannot guarantee it's accuracy. Please use this site for educational purposes only. This site does not replace a proper discussion with your doctor.
| Brand Name: | Zonegran |
| Generic: | Zonisamide |
| Availability: | Prescription |
| This drug was approved by the FDA in one form or another on: 2000-03-27 , | |
| This drug is made in one form or another by the following companies: Elan Pharms | |
| This drug is available in the following forms: Capsules | |
| View the actual FDA approved label for this drug at the following links: http://www.fda.gov/cder/foi/label/2006/020789s019lbl.pdf |
About Zonegran
ZONEGRAN is a medicine to treat partial seizures in adults. It is taken with other seizure medicines to help control seizures.
Side Effects of Zonegran
Common side effects include:
- Drowsiness
- Loss of appetite
- Dizziness
- Headache
- Nausea
- Agitation
- Irritability
Who Should Not Take Zonegran
Do not take Zonegran if you are allergic to any sulfa drugs (for example, Bactrim® or Septra®).
Recent Forum Posts on Zonegran
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bad, sad withdrawal
zonegran, withdrawal, sadness, depression, desperate, hopelessness, My wife was taking zonegran for neuropathic pain (pudendal nerve during child birth 7 years ago). Zonegran works wonders for some people, but its side effects can be wide ranging. It caused too many GI problems and foggyness for my wife, so she slowly weaned herself from 75mg (a low dose) to 50mg then 25mg over a period of ~4 months. Her worst side effect occurred two days after she took her last pill. I am sure this is very rare- her neurologist refused to believe me- but it is so severe, I want people to be able to search and find this on the web. This one comment saved us: "I took myself off Zonegran. Warn anyone planning on geting off Zonegran that they hould have a doctor's help. The withdrawal had potentially dangerous side effects. Somewhere in the literature I read that there may be "abnormal thoughts" but there was an incredibly sadness that overtook me and I actually slit my wrists. This is not my type of behaviour at all... I cringe at nicking my legs if I shave them, so it was quite out of character. The sadness and hoplessness were overwhelming, beyond depression. It passed after a couple of days, but was very dangerous to do on my own. Now I am more myself and feel quite well and am so glad to be free of Zonegran. Please advise anyone not withdraw without a physicians help. Name supplied." from this site: http://www.rsdalert.co.uk/drugs/Zonegran.htm This comment really saved us- we knew it was the zonegran that was causing her terrible depression even though the neurologist and psychiatrist said there was no way it could be. She has had nerve pain in her rectum for 7 years. Even in when she was in the worst, unbearable pain I have not seen her in this deep of a depression for so long. A resolution was somewhat easy, and further proved it was the zonegran withdrawal. She took half of a 25mg capsule (opened and dumped half) yesterday- a big improvement in just a couple of hours. Today she took put part of the capsule contents on her finger and ingested it when she felt it coming back. An amazingly quick recovery- we will do this for the next several days. She is very ready to get off zonegran- it was not a good experience for us while both increasing and reducing the dose.
Posted By flymice at Thu 21 Jan 2010, 7:39 PM in Zonegran || 0 Replies
Zonegran for binge eating disorder
I have had binge eating disorder for years and I've been on many drugs, even some that are used to treat Alzheimers and bipolar disorder, as well as depression. Nothing has helped my eating disorder. I continued to binge several or more times a week, to the point of numbness in my limbs. My doctor prescribed Zonegran about a month ago. It has been a miracle drug for me. As far as binge episodes, I have only had one since the dosage was increased to 150 mg. I am currently taking 200 mg a night and I think I will probably have to increase the dose even more. This drug has helped me by curbing my appetite, making it easier to control food cravings. For the first time in my life, since I can remember, I feel full after eating and I don't have a desire to eat more. I have lost about 7 or 8 pounds. It's not about the weight loss; it's about treating my disorder. There is only one negative thing I can say about zonegran at this point. I have had some trouble sleeping. I take Ambien for insomnia and I have never had trouble sleeping through the night until I started taking Zonegran. I wake up during the night, usually from a nightmare. I never dream, but I guess the medication is causing me to have bad dreams.
Posted By hxw015 at Thu 17 Dec 2009, 2:14 PM in Zonegran || 0 Replies
Zonegran--Hair Loss, Loss of Taste, Nightmares, etc...BUT IT WORKS.
Hello Everyone, Your posts sound so very familiar. Like most of you, I too cannot eat on Zonegran and have lost most of my hair. -- Although, it has my seizures under control beautifully, the side effects (although minimal in my case) are nonetheless troublesome. -- Nothing would work for me until I started on Zonegran. -- After titrating my dosage to 400mgs. daily (100mg. x 4) my seizures stopped immediately. -- It was a blessing! -- Now, even though I have been seizure-free for nearly three (3) years, I stuggle daily with the inability to eat and taste food, the fatigue, the nightmares, the "brain fog" and the unbelievable hair loss. -- I lost enough hair to fill a plastic Zip-Loc sandwich baggie eveytime I washed my hair. It's was frightenting! -- But, what's the alternative? -- Over the years, I too have found some relief in alternative therapies. -- I, too, highly recommend a chiropractor, as "Susan" did in the post before mine. -- Chiropractic manipulation seems to lessen the fatigue and brain "fogginess" for reasons unknown to me. But, it does help. -- Also, BIOTIN (1,000mg. Daily) seems to be keeping what little hair I have left in-tact. It's not re-growing what I've already lost but, I'm not losing my hair in devastating "clumps" anymore. -- Maybe if someone is just starting out on Zonegran, they can start a Biotin regimen at the same time and avoid losing their hair all together. -- As far as getting my sense of taste back or my appetite...I haven't conquered that yet. Sorry to say, I have just gotten use to it. -- It makes no difference what you eat..it all taste like NOTHING. -- Hope this post finds everyone looking for Zonegran information...and finds them well. -- Take Care!
Posted By HockeyGal at Fri 3 Apr 2009, 10:35 PM in Zonegran || 1 Reply
please help
i need some help please
i have a wonderful son age 22, who has had seizures since he was 2 he was a premie, born at 231/2 weeks gestation,he has been on every medication except 2 for seizures and nothing helps, although the vns has helped more than anything as of yet.
he started with status seizures,then they quit altogether when he was 7 for a year and when thy started back up they came back with a vengence,so bad thru purberty to the point i couldnt let him go because the med they had gave me for the onset of gran mals was only to be administered by an rn. he has the best personality.
he is on a combination of 9 meds and still no end in sight,if he goes to physcial therphy he seizes that night,if he goes anywhere or does anything that requires any physcial activity he'll seize that night,now he has started to see a heart dr,gastro dr,ans a sleep study has been scheduled,anlong with an seizure specialist, oh and he has a vns (which has been a miracle to us)
now the question i have is john has severe mood swings once in a great while and never has he ever talked about killing himself until we increased the zonegran has anyone else had this problem, he takes so much med that i wonder if it could be just the zonegran or the combo of all the drugs.now mind you john is a very intelligent young man trapped in a body that has seizures and that is the handicap, he is also totally blind but from the oxygen at birth
please feel free to email me wrightsomebody2@sbcglobal.net
with any and all comments
thanks so much for all your time
donna
the meds he is taking
keppra 3000mg daily
trileptal 2400mg daily
phenobarbital 45mg daily (floater)
zonegran 200mg daily
ativan 2mg daily
nifedipine (blood pressure)
protonix (gastro)
versed for the onset of gran mals
diastat gel
vns implanted 2000
suction machine (that helps so mch during seizures)
Posted By donna at Fri 2 Dec 2005, 12:00 AM in Zonegran || 1 Reply
mixed feelings on Zonegran
Been on 200 mg at nite for 2 months now for bipolar problem. Previously on lithium. So far it works and it has curbed appetite for food an caused some weight loss. Side effects include vivid dreams and some impatience issues.
The drug did initially seem to cause some headaches but stopped. Good news is there have been no bipolar events since starting and doctor says its good to rotate off other drugs periodically for sake of organs.
Posted By Woodman at Wed 25 May 2005, 12:00 AM in Zonegran || 0 Replies
depression?
I am going to a Pschiatrist for depression. He took me off of paxil and talked me into taking zonegran which has great side effects of losing weight, I decided tonight to look on the internet and found out this is for epilepsy. I have been very angry and uncontrollable to the point of feeling extreme rage. I cannot find my words and thoughts and feel like I am not quite all here in the brain. Is this just something to get me to keep going back to the pyschiatrist. I was really having problems on paxil with it not helping and now I do not know where to turn. If this doesn't get any better, I am going to stop taking this medicine. Last night I did not get any sleep, and I noticed in one of the letters, someone else complained of this and also someone else complaining of the rage.
Posted By velrod at Thu 28 Aug 2003, 12:00 AM in Zonegran || 6 Replies
No Subject
I just started shaking on Sat. night and I spent 4 days in the hospital until they figured out that I have simple partial siezures. I had the tremors for 4 days straight in varying degrees until they gave me Zonegran. Is that normal? The hospital staff had no clue what I had and thought I was having anxiety attacks. Im still twitching a little but Im sleeping fine. Im having wierder dreams than ever before and I just lost 6 pounds. Im wondering if this has counter-indications with Aciphex?
Posted By Cecilia at Tue 5 Jul 2005, 12:00 AM in Zonegran || 0 Replies
GREAT Drug Zonegran
Zonegran was the 3rd drug they tried me on, after an out of the blue partial complex seizure 12-12-03. First there was Dilantin (foggy and slept 24/7), then Trileptol (bad rash, depression and confusion); so far, Zonegran is a true blessing. I am a bit tired, and a bit clumsy, but I can THINK again! I just have to be diligent to drink 6 to 8 glasses of water each day, to avoid kidney stones... awright, this I can handle!
Posted By Unregistered at Tue 5 Jul 2005, 12:00 AM in Zonegran || 0 Replies
Zonegran
It does help me to not eat much, in fact I don't want hardly nothing, but am very sleepy a lot, and dizzy, hope to get over this and help me with my pain. Don't have any stomach pain, I have back problems. and hoping this will help me.
Posted By Eunice McNut at Thu 14 Aug 2003, 12:00 AM in Zonegran || 2 Replies
Ok me again
I noticed I aleady lost 4 pounds this week, and now my second week has just started of this new med Zonegram. I hope it works out, just sometimes i still get body jumps at night but dr. said its from MS also and he hopes zonegram wont let it get too far to be a seizure, has anyone ever had this before? BTW I got a bump on my elbow, looks like something bit me everyone said it looks like a spider bite, but its red around and was swollen, just still red now, i hope its not the med, just get scared sometimes...:(
Posted By AK at Sat 3 Dec 2005, 12:00 AM in Zonegran || 0 Replies
MS
I have MS well my doctor said a Special case because I have seizures from MS, if not that too many scares so my medication I was on before was maybe helping the shaking so he gave me ZoneGram. I just started it but I do feel the side effects from them. How long do they last for???
Posted By A at Sat 3 Dec 2005, 12:00 AM in Zonegran || 0 Replies
my son
My son who is now 17 years old has been on this medication for about 8 months. This drug has worked wonderfull for him. My son had his first seizure at the age of 11 months. He has been on every medicine out on the market. In fact, he did the test trials for other medication that is current on the market. My son also had a vagil nerve stimulator implanted at the age of 9. This was a wonderful device. My son went from 120 grand mal seizures a month to only 4 in 5 years. He developed an infection with a re-implant and had to have the device removed. Since that time he has done well with other medications. Zonegran works. The cost is very hard on the pocket book though. I just had his script filled. The cost was $297.02. that is only a months supply. Along with the other drugs that he takes, the cost per month out of pocket is $600.00 - $700.00 per month. Is there any help out there for a child who needs this medication? If you have any information, please e-mail me. I am going to lose my house because of the price of these drugs.
Posted By Kathy at Sun 21 Sep 2003, 12:00 AM in Zonegran || 5 Replies
zonegran
I am on zonegran for 3 weeks 100mg and valium 5mg.
I didn't have any side effects, I was feeling very well.
i don't have seizure for about 28 years. Four days
ago I started 200mg zonegran. i am different. I feel
something in my head.It seems to me that my head is empty.
I dont know explain. No concentration.
I feel normal with 100mg.But the doctor said if I stay
with 100mg, I will have a seizure. My last EEG was 14
years ago when I arrived in Usa, but the doctor don't want
take another. This is normal? or I need change of the doctor?
Posted By Tania at Thu 21 Aug 2003, 12:00 AM in Zonegran || 9 Replies
Cruel World
I just was switched to this med from Neurontin and I am scared after reading all of these comments. I have been so depressed, suffered kidney stones, Degenaritive Disc disease, Facet Joint arthritis, and suffer with serious nerve pain at 30YO with 2 kids. I was on Welbutrin and found myself for the first time in an accident from a BLACK OUT SIEZURE while driving. I am now being charged with DUI because I am also on pain meds (PRESCRIBED!) and all the cops and DA care about is the pain meds that I am stable on and have been for almost a year at the same doses! I do not get how they can charge someone for an accident like that. I was the only person involved in the accident and did not do any dammage to anything but my mother in laws car that I was driving, like that is not bad enough. Now I am looking at jail time money and a DUI on my record for doing as I was told by the DR. Seems so cruel to me. IF you have had this happen to you or have a suggestion please E-mail me?? Everyone else: I have learned the hard way that any med can get you a DUI and you do not have to do a thing wrong either!! Please, if there is any side effects that could possibly cause a problem be careful and do not drive. I really know what it can do to you. It has been over 6 months and I am still haunted by this whole thing, no sight for an end soon.
Sad and hopeless\
Jen
Posted By Jen at Fri 2 Dec 2005, 12:00 AM in Zonegran || 0 Replies
No Subject
I went to my neurologist for my severe migraines. He prescribed zonegran, i am so scared to take this after reading so many negative things about this medicine. I also take welbutrin and lexapro for depression. If anyone has any good info on his medicine please share. i think this medicine is medicine is rather expensive. so im weighing my pro's and con's. the only good thing i read was weight loss thats is REAL GOOD to hear.
Posted By Teresa at Sat 11 Jun 2005, 12:00 AM in Zonegran || 0 Replies
zonegram w bipolar
Have bipolar2, diagnosed about a year ago, been stable moodwise last 6 months on lamictal, lexapro and wellbutrin, was able to get off seroquel and neurontin. Still unable to get any quality sleep, toss, turn, jerk and twitch and unable to lose weight. Gained 40-50lbs w/all the antidepressants they tried last 5 years before realizing I was bipolar. Anyway, Dr. started me on Zonegran about 5 days ago, 100mg for 2 weeks, then 200 mg. Already sleeping better! I did have a migraine the 3rd day, but don't know if it was related. Since then have had some dizziness, and experiencing the intenstinal stuff, gassy, stomach ache. Don't care much if I eat or not, but my stomach actually feel better when I do. I appreciate all the comments and experience. Why all these phsyc meds have to cause sleepiness, dizziness when we already feel that way due to depression is crazy, but I've overcome those side effects on all my other meds am hope this one won't be any tougher. Real sleep, less migraines and a few less pounds are all things that will improve the quality of my life and hope you all find you success too!
Posted By susie at Sat 3 Dec 2005, 12:00 AM in Zonegran || 0 Replies
No Subject
Has anyone experienced bad dreams or nightmares from zonegran? The reason I ask is I'm a caregiver for a 23 year old who has infatile spasm seizures.Her seizures are really out of control. She has been on every seizure drug there is,she is now on depakote,clonapin, keppra & zonegran. She started on keppra about 6 months ago;the zonegran 10 days ago.The problem with this is she has the mentality of a nine month old & doesn't talk so it's hard to know which side effects she could be experiencing. She does wake up screaming & crying when sleeping.I don't know if she's having bad dreams or pain.The more information I can get from people who has already used this drug would really help us decide if we want to continue using zonegran.She is still recovering from surgery(spinal fusion) she had in july 2003.So she doesn't need extra pain!!!Thanks. Deb
Posted By debbie at Tue 5 Jul 2005, 12:00 AM in Zonegran || 0 Replies
Zonegran.....good or bad?
My mother started zonegran five weeks ago, and has lost 13 pounds, nothing sounds or smells good to her besides fruit or her own cooking. We have to make sure she eats adequate amounts of food. She has also experienced abdominal pain in the first two weeks. We don't know if this is another illness, or unfortunate side effects of zonegran. Our doctor seems to be on the defensive for this drug, like it's some miracle worker. It was really helpfull reading everyone elses' entrys.
Posted By Teri at Sat 27 Sep 2003, 12:00 AM in Zonegran || 1 Reply
No Subject
My 14 year old daughter has just been subscribed Zonegran. She has bipolar disorder and we have run the gammit with medications. I will watch her carefully as we start, but as a nurse, I know all people react to drugs in different ways. I am not alarmed by the other comments, but will keep them in mind as we start dosing.
Posted By Unregistered at Sat 3 Dec 2005, 12:00 AM in Zonegran || 0 Replies
Drug interactions
I would like to know if there are any known drug interactions caused by taking Zonegran with any of the following drugs: Trileptel, Baclofen, Paxel, Mysoline or Gabitril
Posted By Sharon at Thu 21 Aug 2003, 12:00 AM in Zonegran || 6 Replies