Sketchy Pharm: Valproate, Topiramate, Lamotrigine, and Levetiracetam Flashcards
The broad-spectrum antiepileptics include ________________.
lamotrigine, levetiracetam, topiramate, and valproate
What condition is characterized by bilateral convulsions without loss of consciousness?
Juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (the Incan boy shaking both arms)
By what mechanisms does valproate exert its effect?
Inactivating voltage-gated sodium channels (the spilled peanut basket) and increasing levels of GABA (the taxi design on the emperor’s chair)
The side effects of valproate include ________________.
GI upset (the sick emperor, about to vomit)
Weight gain (the fat emperor)
Tremor (the trembling Inca)
Hepatotoxicity (the cow with the liver spot)
Acute pancreatitis (sponge on gold)
Neural-tube defects (tarantula-teratogens on the shields, mother with baby playing the TUBEs wearing the neural hat)
Topiramate has two main mechanisms: _______________.
directly binding to the GABA-A receptor (Pizarro – sans Toupee –is directly shaking the CABA-A cab driver’s hand)
blocking voltage-gated sodium channels
Side effects of topiramate include ______________.
somnolence (sleepy soldier behind Pizarro)
confusion (soldier scratching his head)
weight loss (thin soldier)
nephrolithiasis (cannon –with stone-like cannonballs –with kidney-shaped wheels)
closed-angle glaucoma (tea kettle eyeball)
Lamotrigine works by what mechanism?
Inactivating voltage-gated sodium channels (more baskets of peanuts by the llama in the back of the procession)
What side effects can lamotrigine cause?
Stevens-Johnson syndrome (the old, llama-riding man is wearing an easily sloughed off red mask, just like the skin of someone with toxic epidermal necrolysis)
diplopia (cross-eyed llama)
Levetiracetam’s main side effect is ______________.
somnolence (the sleeping elevator operator)
The broad-spectrum antiepileptics are metabolized ______________.
hepatically (just think of the CYP-450 license plate on Pizarro’s ship)
