Dilantin vs. Carbatrol/Tegretol

Whether Tegretol or some other seizure medicine would be better for your brother than Dilantin depends on many factors, including what type of epilepsy he has. Has your brother told the doctor about all the side effects he has been experiencing? Some side effects may lessen or disappear with time, but if they are really making him miserable, he should make sure the doctor knows about it and is trying to help.Sometimes it is necessary to switch to another medicine for relief. Sometimes just taking the pills at a different time, taking a smaller amount more times per day, or changing to an extended-release form (in this case, Phenytek) can make a difference. Every individual is different. The doctor undoubtedly is trying to keep your brother from having more seizures, which is also a good goal. Encourage your brother to be persistent in working with the doctor to find the medicine and dosage that comes closest to "no seizures and no side effects." If he can't communicate well with this doctor, he can ask for a referral to someone else.Explore the information in the "Seizure Medicines" and "Treatment" sections of epilepsy.com, for more on the many seizure medicines available and on working with the doctor to achieve the best possible results.

I am new to dealing with Epilespy, but I have a lot of personal experience with bi-polar disorder which is treated with many of the same anti-covulsant drugs. Trying new medications can be a miserable, slow process, but there is no just way around it. In general (But I'm not a dr), you have to stay on a drug at least 6 weeks to give it a proper test. Sometimes uncomfortable side effects will go away by then, sometimes they never do. Some drugs just take that long to kick in. I LOVE my Neurontin now (for bi-polar, not seizures), but I was totally miserable on it until we got the dosage up to a certain level. If the drug ends up working for you in the end, it is worth being patient now and suffering through side effects (unless they are extremely severe). Most drugs cannot be labeled inherently "bad" or "good." Whether or not the drug works for us or gives us side effects depends on our own indivdual bodies and chemical makeup. One person's miracle drug is another person's nightmare. I had bad experiences with Depakote, Tegratol, and Topomax. Yet, for other people, these drugs gave them back their life. The only way to find out if a particular drug will work for you is to try it. Even your doctor cannot predict your reaction.