United States / USD Country & Currency
Country
United States
Currency
US Dollars
Save
Country
Australia
Gibraltar
Hong Kong
Malta
Northern Ireland
Puerto Rico
Scotland
Singapore
Switzerland
United Kingdom
United States
Currency
US Dollars
GB Pounds
AU Dollars
Euro
Explore our range Categories
Ask us a question 877-271-6591 or 800-868-9064

Shipping delays due to Covid-19 Virus

Please fill the form to receive updates when we can ship your order.

Epilepsy

Our Epilepsy class of Neurological medications contain anticonvulsants that are used to treat epilepsy to control and prevent seizures, by acting directly on the nervous system.

Use the search feature to quickly find the product you are looking for, by entering either the active ingredient, e.g. phenytoin, or the product name, e.g. Dilantin.

Transmission of nerve impulses

Messages are transmitted from one neurone (nerve cell) to another by the generation of electrical and chemical signals. At one end of the neurone, structures called dendrites pick up the stimulus from the connecting neurone and this generates an electrical signal that travels down the body of the cell called the axon and stimulates the release of chemical signals or neurotransmitters from the other end. These neurotransmitters travel across the gap or synapse between the axon terminal of one neurone (pre-synaptic) and the dendrites at the top of the next neurone (post-synaptic). They bind to specific receptors and trigger the generation of another electrical signal in the next neurone. This transmission of electrical and chemical messages takes just milliseconds to complete.

An electrical signal is generated by the exchange of charged particles or ions across voltage-dependant ion channels in the cell membrane controlled by ion pumps. When a neurone is not transmitting messages it is resting and its membrane is polarised which means that the electrical charge on the outside of the membrane is positive due to an excess of sodium ions, while the charge on the inside is negative and there is an excess of potassium ions.

When the neurone is stimulated, the gated channels on the membrane open and sodium ions flood into the cell and the membrane becomes depolarised generating an action potential and an electrical signal is propagated along the axon. The ions return to their original levels and the cell becomes repolarised, ready to receive another signal.

At the other end of the neurone, the electrical signal triggers the membrane to depolarise allowing calcium ions to enter the cell and this stimulates the release of neurotransmitters. Some neurotransmitters trigger an action potential in the next neurone and are is stimulatory, others are inhibitory and prevent the generation of an action potential.
Once it has done its job the neurotransmitter is degraded or reabsorbed back into the pre-synaptic neurone that released it, so that the stimulus stops once transmission to the next neurone is complete.

What is epilepsy?

Epilepsy is characterised by recurring spontaneous seizures, which is uncontrolled muscular spasm, due to episodes of abnormal electrical activity in the brain. A chemical imbalance of neurotransmitters in the brain results in a malfunction in the transmission of electrical signals and causes repetitive firing and transmission of excitatory nerve messages. These bursts of abnormal electrical activity in the brain send nerve signals to the motor neurones in the central nervous system and trigger seizures. Epileptic seizures vary from mild convulsions to violent muscle spasms with loss of consciousness, depending on the part of the brain affected. The trigger for epileptic seizures can be due to anything that disturbs normal activity of neurones, including head injury, stroke, brain tumour, brain infection, drug abuse, but in many cases the cause is unknown (idiopathic) and epilepsy can start at any age.

Medications for epilepsy

Drugs used to prevent epileptic seizures are anticonvulsants that control the bursts of electrical activity in the brain that cause seizures. They work by preventing the repetitive firing of nerve messages acting through different mechanisms, including:
  • Blocking sodium channels that are involved in triggering the action potential and setting up the nerve signal
  • Blocking calcium channels that respond to the nerve signal and trigger the release of neurotransmitters
  • Adjusting the balance between inhibitory and excitatory neurotransmitters
Some medications work by more that one mechanism and act by a combination of these mechanisms.

Sodium/calcium channel blockers

Some anticonvulsants control neurotransmission and act directly on nerve cells to stabilise nerve cell membranes by blocking sodium or calcium channels. This reduces electrical activity and helps to “calm down” nerves that have become hyperexcited, thereby inhibiting the repetitive firing and transmission of excitatory nerve messages, in areas of the brain where hyperactivity causes seizures. Medications that act as membrane stabilisers include the following:
  • Carbamazepine blocks voltage-dependent sodium channels in nerve cell membranes that control the flow of sodium ions into the nerve cell and triggers an electrical transmission, which in hyperexcited nerve cells can trigger a seizure. This action is also thought to suppress the release of the neurotransmitters dopamine and noradrenaline.

  • Phenytoin acts directly on a specific area in the brain called the motor cortex, which controls movement and works by promoting the release of sodium ions out of the nerve cell through voltage-gated sodium channels in the membrane. This prevents the spread of electrical activity that sends nerve signals from the brain to the central nervous system to trigger a seizure.

  • Topiramate blocks sodium channels and thereby reduces the neurone’s ability to send out continuous signals which cause seizures.

  • Gabapentin is an analogue of Gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA), which is the major inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain and is thought to control neurotransmission via voltage-gated calcium channels.

  • Sodium valproate acts as a nerve cell membrane stabiliser by blocking voltage-dependent sodium channels.

Inhibitory and excitatory neurotransmitters

For the brain to function normally it is important to have a balance between excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitters. Glutamate is the major excitatory neurotransmitter and interacts with receptors that have excitatory effects, which means that they increase the probability that the target cell will set up an action potential and trigger a nerve signal. Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is the major inhibitory neurotransmitter and interacts with receptors that have inhibitory effects by failing to trigger a nerve signal and this has a calming effect on nerve cells. Medications that regulate the balance between excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitters include the following:
  • Sodium valproate increases the activity of the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA. It works by inhibiting GABA degradative enzymes like GABA transaminase and/or succinic semialdehyde dehydrogenase thereby preventing its degradation; also by preventing the reuptake of GABA by the pre-synaptic nerve cell.

  • Topiramate stimulates the activity of GABA by enhancing the frequency that it activates its receptor; also by enhancing the ability of GABA to increase the flow of calcium ions into the end of the nerve cell that stimulates release of neurotransmitters. Topiramate also inhibits the activity of the excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate, which adds to the calming effect on brain electrical activity.

  • Gabapentin is an analogue of the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA but does not work through the same receptors as GABA. It does however, bind to a receptor in brain neurones and is thought to control neurotransmission by blocking voltage-gated calcium channels, which reduces the propagation of excitatory nerve transmissions and calms excitatory nerve cells.

Bicarbonate

Acetazolamide inhibits the enzyme carbonic anhydrase, which catalyzes the rapid conversion of carbon dioxide to bicarbonate ions in many cells including nerve cells. Reducing the amount of bicarbonate ions helps control abnormal, paroxysmal (short frequent), excessive discharge (transmission of signal between nerve cells) from neurons that can cause convulsions such as in epilepsy.
Read more
5 Stars

Testimonials

Hear from more than 1000 happy customers!
Heart Icon
"I want to say a big thank you to everyone at Inhouse Pharmacy. Over the last 4 years, you have been such a valuable part of my life. You have listened to me, helped me and shown such kindness. It is not an exaggeration to say that without the supply of medication from yourselves, I would not be alive today. People like myself in the UK are literally left to our own devices as the medical industry denies us life critical care. Please keep up the good work, and help as many people as you can. Thank you for all your help. "
Alan UK • October 2024
Heart Icon
"Excellent service as always."
Anthony MN, USA • March 2023
Heart Icon
"Always great service with y'all! Youre very responsive and my medication is top quality."
Shelley TX, USA • October 2023
Heart Icon
"Please pass on my thank you to Bruce who was exceptional this morning in his assistance to me. Each employee of In-house pharmacy has provided excellence in customer service. The issues I have experienced with my bank etc have been quite frustrating but resolved thanks to the help provided by In-house. I have been a long-standing customer with In-house and I have been every provided with the very best customer service guiding me through each and every time."
Lisa SA, AUS • October 2020
Heart Icon
"Thank you very much for your continued great service - I am so glad your business exists to help me get the meds I need!"
Rachael MA, USA • March 2023
Heart Icon
"Wow!! I received my medicine today (within 8 days). That was so quick!!! I’m overwhelmed! Thank you so much!!"
Misty LA, USA • October 2023
Heart Icon
"True to site. Got medicine faster than what was told. Have used them twice now. Had no problems"
Collen NC, USA • October 2020
Heart Icon
"If only all other customer service was as fast, and as helpful. Thank you again for your insight and information."
Kevin FL, USA • February 2020
Heart Icon
"You are the best, Thanks so much."
Annika CA, USA • February 2020
Heart Icon
"Thank you so much. I swear you all have turned out to be the best customer service experience I have ever received for any company. I just wanted to let y'all know I appreciate your ability to problem solve and empathise with me, I'm sure many others feel the same way if they get the help I've received. Thanks again."
Lucas VA, USA • October 2023
 

This website uses cookies. View our policy and select your preferences here