What Should I Tell My Healthcare Provider?
You should talk with your healthcare provider prior to taking zonisamide if you have:
- A history of kidney stones
- Any blood disorder
- Liver disease, including liver failure, hepatitis, or cirrhosis
- Kidney disease, including kidney failure (renal failure)
- Any allergies, including allergies to food, dyes, or preservatives.
Also, let your healthcare provider know if you are:
Make sure to tell your healthcare provider about all of the medicines you take, including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.
How Does Zonisamide Work?
Epilepsy is a brain disorder caused by recurring, brief changes in the brain's electrical system. These changes in brain activity can lead to a
seizure (see Epilepsy Symptoms).
It is not known exactly how zonisamide works to prevent partial
seizures in people with epilepsy. It may work by blocking sodium channels in the brain. As a result, the drug may decrease activity of nerve cells, preventing them from firing abnormally. Zonisamide may also affect
calcium in the brain. Evidence suggests that it works to prevent seizure activity from starting and spreading to other parts of the brain.
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