Author: IE Leppik and JC Cloyd
Support information on page: Seniors > Choosing AEDs for Seniors
| Drug | Healthy elderly patients | Elderly patients with multiple medical problems |
| Carbamazepine | Good | Avoid in cardiac or renal disease |
| Felbamate | Too risky for routine use | Use caution |
| Gabapentin | Good | Very good |
| Lamotrigine | Good | Good |
| Levetiracetam | Good | Very good |
| Oxcarbazepine | Good | Avoid with diuretic use |
| Phenytoin | Good | Good, except avoid with use of protein-bound drugs |
| Phenobarbital | Too sedating | Too sedating |
| Valproate | Good | Avoid in Parkinson's disease |
| Tiagabine | Good | Good |
| Topiramate | Good | Good, but check cognition |
| Zonisamide | Good | Good |
Adapted from: Leppik IE and Cloyd JC. Epilepsy in the elderly. In: Levy RH, Mattson RH, Meldrum BS, and Perucca E (eds). Antiepileptic drugs, ed. 5. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2002:150.
