Keeping good seizure control depends on taking seizure medicines regularly and as prescribed. Finding a way to keep track of them in easy to understand language will help you take them properly.

• Collect all your pill bottles or prescriptions in one place.
• Daily Seizure Medicine: On your Seizure Plan, fill in the names of medicines that you take to treat seizures each day. Include only the critical information that may be needed in an emergency on this form.
  • Medicine name: Put the name of the drug on the pill bottle and if you take the brand or a generic form.
  • Total daily amount: Write down the total amount of each drug taken daily, using the strength of pills or liquid.
  • Amount of tab or liquid: Write down the strength of each tablet. If you have more than one size, include the strength of each tablet. If a liquid is used, write down the amount in a teaspoon.
  • How taken: Write down how much medicine you take and the times they are taken.

You also need a way to remember your medicines each day. Visit My Resource Kit and print out a copy of My Medicine Schedule. Use this chart to keep track of all the medicines you take, and when to take them. You can include more detail here that will help you take the medicines on a regular schedule. Make sure to include all prescription medicines and over-the-counter products you take. Also include any medicine or intervention that is used for ‘as needed’ or rescue treatments. Make sure you review this chart with your doctor or nurse to make sure the information is correct and that you aren’t missing any information.

• Name and contact information: Your complete name and how to reach you.
• Date: Date the form was completed and checked.
• Doctor: Name of the doctor who cares for your epilepsy and the number to call for medicine refills.
• Pharmacy: Name and phone number of the pharmacy used for your medicines.
• Medicine name: Name of the drug on the prescription bottle and note if brand or generic form.
• Purpose: Why you are taking the drug, either for seizures or a different condition. If you don’t know, take the form to your doctor.
• Amount: The strength or dose of each pill or liquid. If you have more than one pill strength for a drug, write them down on different lines.
• How prescribed: Exact instructions from your doctor, for example 1 pill every day, 2 pills twice a day, or 1 pill four times a day.
• When to take: First fill in the times that you take your medicine, then fill in exactly how many pills (or how much liquid) you take at each time for each medicine. This section is the one that you’ll look at each day so make it easy to understand!
• Total daily dose: The total dose or amount of medicine that you take each day. Use this as a way to double check that you are taking the right amount by comparing how you take the medicine with the instructions from your doctor.
• Allergies: All allergies to medicines and other substances, including environmental allergies.
• Devices: List any devices that are implanted in your body or that you use to treat any medical problems. This may include devices such as VNS Therapy, Deep Brain Stimulators, TENS stimulators (often used for chronic pain), or machines used to treat sleep apnea.

Now you have a medicine schedule that you can use each day, as well as part of your seizure prepare plan completed!

Continue to Recording Other Seizure Treatments

Topic Editor: Steven C. Schachter, MD and Patricia O. Shafer, RN, MN.
Last Reviewed:5/25/07