Felbamate

Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, Seizures, Status Epilepticus

Treatment

6 FDA approvals

0 Active Studies for Felbamate

What is Felbamate

Felbamate

The Generic name of this drug

Treatment Summary

Felbamate is a medication used to treat epilepsy. It can be used to reduce the occurrence of partial seizures in adults and both partial and generalized seizures associated with Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome in children. Felbamate works by inhibiting the binding of the GABA receptor, a type of protein that helps control brain activity.

Felbatol

is the brand name

image of different drug pills on a surface

Felbamate Overview & Background

Brand Name

Generic Name

First FDA Approval

How many FDA approvals?

Felbatol

Felbamate

1993

41

Approved as Treatment by the FDA

Felbamate, also called Felbatol, is approved by the FDA for 6 uses including Refractory Partial Seizures and Status Epilepticus (Convulsive) .

Refractory Partial Seizures

Helps manage Refractory Partial Seizures

Status Epilepticus (Convulsive)

Helps manage Status Epilepticus (Convulsive)

refractory Lennox-Gastaut syndrome

Used in combination with other therapies

Seizures

Helps manage Refractory Partial Seizures

Lennox-Gastaut syndrome

Used in combination with other therapies

Status Epilepticus

Helps manage Status Epilepticus (Convulsive)

Effectiveness

How Felbamate Affects Patients

Felbamate is a medication used to treat seizures caused by epilepsy. It works by blocking certain receptors in the brain that are responsible for causing seizures. It has weak effects on some receptors, and does not affect others. However, it does act as an antagonist at the glycine receptor of the NMDA receptor-ionophore complex.

How Felbamate works in the body

It's not yet known how felbamate works to treat seizures, but it appears to have similar effects as other anticonvulsants. In experiments, felbamate appears to block the activity of a certain type of receptor which is involved in causing seizures. It raises the threshold for seizures to occur and can stop them from spreading. It also weakly blocks the binding of GABA and benzodiazepine receptors, which are also involved in seizures.

When to interrupt dosage

The measure of Felbamate is contingent upon the determined condition, including Status Epilepticus (Convulsive), Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and Seizures. The amount of dosage is contingent upon the delivery technique (e.g. Tablet - Oral or Suspension - Oral) shown in the following table.

Condition

Dosage

Administration

Lennox-Gastaut syndrome

400.0 mg, , 600.0 mg, 600.0 mg/mL

Tablet, Tablet - Oral, , Suspension, Oral, Suspension - Oral

Seizures

400.0 mg, , 600.0 mg, 600.0 mg/mL

Tablet, Tablet - Oral, , Suspension, Oral, Suspension - Oral

Status Epilepticus

400.0 mg, , 600.0 mg, 600.0 mg/mL

Tablet, Tablet - Oral, , Suspension, Oral, Suspension - Oral

Warnings

There are 20 known major drug interactions with Felbamate.

Common Felbamate Drug Interactions

Drug Name

Risk Level

Description

Abemaciclib

Major

The metabolism of Abemaciclib can be increased when combined with Felbamate.

Acalabrutinib

Major

The metabolism of Acalabrutinib can be increased when combined with Felbamate.

Alectinib

Major

The metabolism of Alectinib can be increased when combined with Felbamate.

Alpelisib

Major

The metabolism of Alpelisib can be increased when combined with Felbamate.

Aminophylline

Major

The metabolism of Aminophylline can be increased when combined with Felbamate.

Felbamate Toxicity & Overdose Risk

The lowest toxic dose of the drug in rats has been found to be 5000mg/kg when administered orally.

image of a doctor in a lab doing drug, clinical research

Felbamate Novel Uses: Which Conditions Have a Clinical Trial Featuring Felbamate?

One ongoing investigation is assessing the utility of Felbamate in alleviating Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, Seizures and Convulsive Status Epilepticus.

Condition

Clinical Trials

Trial Phases

Status Epilepticus

0 Actively Recruiting

Seizures

0 Actively Recruiting

Lennox-Gastaut syndrome

0 Actively Recruiting

Felbamate Reviews: What are patients saying about Felbamate?

5

Patient Review

6/23/2015

Felbamate for Epileptic Seizure

I am now seizure-free and haven't taken the medication in almost 8 months!

5

Patient Review

1/17/2013

Felbamate for Epileptic Seizure

5

Patient Review

3/30/2015

Felbamate for Epileptic Seizure

This treatment has helped my anemia and low white blood cell count. I've also experienced fewer seizures, and when I do have them they're less severe. Overall, this has been a huge help.

4.7

Patient Review

10/20/2015

Felbamate for Convulsive Seizures

Robin, 38 years old, has been on this for 20 years and it's the only drug that has come close to stopping his seizures.

4

Patient Review

3/10/2017

Felbamate for Epileptic Seizure

This medication was the only one that worked for me. I switched to it after trying (and failing) with Topamax, Keppra, and Depakote. With this med, I had to get my blood checked regularly for aplastic anemia risk; however, it was worth it because I didn't experience any grand mals. The downside is that I have to take 600mg 6x a day, which is a lot!

1.7

Patient Review

11/10/2014

Felbamate for Epileptic Seizure

This medication has been outstanding for me. I can't take any other one. The only downside is that insurance companies charge an ancillary fee when I can't take a generic and I was unaware of any generic for Felbatol.
image of drug pills surrounding a glass of water symbolizing drug consumption

Patient Q&A Section about felbamate

These questions and answers are submitted by anonymous patients, and have not been verified by our internal team.

What is felbamate used for?

"Felbamate is a medication used to control partial seizures. It can be used alone or with other medications. It is typically used when other therapies have failed or are not right for the patient. It is also used in children to control partial and generalized seizures caused by Lennox-Gastaut syndrome."

Answered by AI

Does felbamate cause weightloss?

"The average treatment time for felbamate was 23 weeks with a standard deviation of 16 weeks. Out of the 49 patients, 75% of them lost weight during the trials. For subjects that were older than 15 years, the average weight loss was 3.17 kg or 4.11% of their body weight. This information was collected from 191.5 trials and the probability that this occurred by chance is less than 0.001."

Answered by AI

What are the side effects of felbamate?

"You should also speak to your doctor if you experience any of the following side effects as they may worsen over time: drowsiness, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, constipation, difficulty sleeping, lack of coordination, headache, blurred/double vision, hiccups or loss of appetite."

Answered by AI

What is the mechanism of felbamate?

"The first anticonvulsant drug with dual actions on excitatory and inhibitory brain mechanisms is felbamate. This combination of effects could account for felbamate's broad spectrum of anticonvulsant activity in animal seizure models and its distinctive clinical efficacy and safety profile."

Answered by AI