Zonisamide is a prescription medicine used in people with epilepsy. This medicine is a sulfonamide anticonvulsant and a carbonic anhydrase inhibitor. This is an FDA-approved prescription that comes as a tablet for oral use.

What condition does Zonisamide treat?

Zonisamide is used for the treatment of epilepsy. This medication stabilizes electrical activity in the brain. The nerves and brain have several nerve cells that connect through electrical signals. The electrical signals should be wisely controlled for the nerves and brain to work well. If there is an abnormal repetitive electrical signal and had spread through the brain, it becomes overstimulated. The normal function is disturbed also. This medicine helps prevent brain cells from working as fast as epilepsy requires them to.

How does Zonisamide work?

Zonisamide prevents excessive electrical activity in the brain. It acts on calcium and sodium channels found in the brain specifically on the nerve cells. For an electrical signal to build up, the sodium needs to move into the nerve cells and be passed on to the other nerve cells. This medication may prevent sodium from entering the nerve cells if it starts to fire abnormally rapid and repetitive electrical signals. This helps calm the electrical activity in the brain. This also avoids the unnecessary seizure that reasons signals from increasing through the brain.

Moreover, Zonisamide can affect the activity of GABA which is a neurotransmitter. These are natural body chemicals that are kept in nerve cells. They are also involved in transmitting messages between the nerve cells. It helps preserve the nerve activity in balance. Zonisamide may enhance the activity of GABA and so help calm the nerve activity in the brain.

What is the dosage of Zonisamide?

Take this medication by mouth as directed by your doctor. This is usually taken 1 to 2 times a day with or without food. Drink enough fluids while taking this drug except your doctor instructs you to do otherwise.

The dosage is based on your medical condition and response to the treatment. Your doctor may direct you to start at a low dose and gradually increase it. To reach for your best dose and get the full benefit, it may take several weeks. Do not stop this treatment unless you consult your doctor. Your condition might get worse if you suddenly stop taking this medication. Your doctor may need to slowly decrease your dose. Tell your doctor if your condition does not improve or if it worsens. If you missed any doses, contact your doctor for instructions.

What are the precautions in using Zonisamide?

• The drug can make you sweat less. For this reason, it is vital to drink sufficient water while you are taking this medicine. Drinking water helps keep the body cool and prevents you from overheating.
• This medicine can cause loss of appetite and people taking the drug should be weighed regularly. If you are losing too much weight your doctor will ask you to increase the amount you are eating.
• If you have an unexplained skin peeling, rash, blistering, itching, or other unexplained skin reaction while using Zonisamide you need to consult your doctor. At very uncommon times, this medication might cause serious skin reactions.
• Make sure to read about the serious side effects so you will be aware of symptoms that might indicate a risky reaction to this drug. Even though these are very rare, people taking this medication must be aware.
• You need to be careful when you first take this medicine. Make sure you don’t have a problem with dizziness or sleepiness when driving or doing anything else that might be dangerous.
• A few people have developed blood disorders called aplastic anemia while taking Zonisamide. You should tell the doctor if you develop symptoms such as easy bruising, fever, or sores in your mouth.
• People who definitely must not take this medicine are those who are allergic to it. If you have ever been told that you’re allergic to sulfa drugs, you should not take this medicine or take it only after carefully discussing it with your doctor.
• People with liver and kidney disease should be treated with caution because Zonisamide is metabolized in the liver and eliminated in the urine. The dosage may have to be increased more slowly.