Are there any guidelines for Vigabatrin when used along with other drugs?
My daughter suffered severe brain damage during her birth in 1994.
The doctor's found it extremely hard to control her fits and this resulted
in combination therapy. She sadly died suddenly in 1997 aged 2 years and
2 months.
During her short life she took a cocktail of drugs daily, they were
as follows:-
Phenobarbitone 30mgs bd, Carbamazepine 40mgs bd, Clonazepam 500mcgs
bd, Cisapride 10mgs qds, Trimethoprim 10mgs nocte, Vigabartin 250mgs
od(commenced a week before her death) and Gaviscon sachets qds. The
Vigabatrin was prescribed over the telephone by a neurologist, is this
safe practice?
Over the last few years I have read various articles on
anticonvulsants, and I have been extremely concerned about the lack of
information given to parents about drug reactions and combination therapy,
as happened in my own case. Do they exist and are we as parents given the
full facts?
I wrote to Hoechst Marion Roussel and asked them if they could tell
me what the toxic indications were on the combination of drugs she was
taking. I had a very nice letter back from them, but unfortunately they
were unable to answer my questions, because they said it had never been
tested in that combination before.
I believe that through the National Institute of Clinical
Excellence(NICE), promotes evidence based good practice. Would this be
classed as good practice or indeed safe at all? I am left wondering
whether or not this cocktail of drugs aided her sudden death? I would be
interested to know if combination drug therapy is widely practiced or if
this is an individual Clinicians preference?
Rapid Response:
Are there any guidelines for Vigabatrin when used along with other drugs?
My daughter suffered severe brain damage during her birth in 1994.
The doctor's found it extremely hard to control her fits and this resulted
in combination therapy. She sadly died suddenly in 1997 aged 2 years and
2 months.
During her short life she took a cocktail of drugs daily, they were
as follows:-
Phenobarbitone 30mgs bd, Carbamazepine 40mgs bd, Clonazepam 500mcgs
bd, Cisapride 10mgs qds, Trimethoprim 10mgs nocte, Vigabartin 250mgs
od(commenced a week before her death) and Gaviscon sachets qds. The
Vigabatrin was prescribed over the telephone by a neurologist, is this
safe practice?
Over the last few years I have read various articles on
anticonvulsants, and I have been extremely concerned about the lack of
information given to parents about drug reactions and combination therapy,
as happened in my own case. Do they exist and are we as parents given the
full facts?
I wrote to Hoechst Marion Roussel and asked them if they could tell
me what the toxic indications were on the combination of drugs she was
taking. I had a very nice letter back from them, but unfortunately they
were unable to answer my questions, because they said it had never been
tested in that combination before.
I believe that through the National Institute of Clinical
Excellence(NICE), promotes evidence based good practice. Would this be
classed as good practice or indeed safe at all? I am left wondering
whether or not this cocktail of drugs aided her sudden death? I would be
interested to know if combination drug therapy is widely practiced or if
this is an individual Clinicians preference?
Competing interests: No competing interests