The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) is standing behind GlaxoSmithKline’s Trobalt (retigabine) which recently was approved as an add-on treatment for adults with epilepsy. The drug is to be used when other medications like Topamax, Novartis and Lamictal don’t work on their own. This recommendation was made regardless of the serious risks associated with the drugs.

The Trobalt is also to be used if the epilepsy patients taking other drugs like Topamax suffer from too many harsh side effects associated with them. Combination medications are often taken by epilepsy sufferers as a means of controlling their seizures. NICE specifically is recommending the Trobalt as an add-on treatment for adults suffering from partial-onset seizures with or without a secondary generalization, which occurs when the electrical activity reaches the entire brain.

According to estimates in the United Kingdom, about 30 percent of people diagnosed with epilepsy do not respond to initial drug treatments.

“Seizures can be extremely debilitating as they can interfere with a person’s social life, employment and other daily activities,” says professor Carole Longson, director of NICE’s Health Technology Evaluation Center. “While there are a number of effective anti-epileptic drugs already widely available on the NHS, people can have different responses to them. It’s therefore very important for doctors to have a broad range of options so that they can find the right combination for their patients.”

Epilepsy drugs such as Topamax, like all others, come with a list of serious side effects, which include depression, chest pains, paranoia, rapid breathing and suicidal thinking. The drugs, when taken during pregnancy, can even cause birth defects in babies such as oral clefts, genital defects and fetal and skeletal deformities.

If you or your child suffer from side effects linked to Topamax, contact attorney Greg Jones today for a free consultation. I am experienced at fighting Topamax lawsuits and may be able to help you recover money.