What is Emeside used for?
How does Emeside work?
Emeside syrup contains the active ingredient ethosuximide, which is a medicine used to treat epilepsy. It works by stabilising electrical activity in the brain.
The brain and nerves are made up of many nerve cells that communicate with each other through electrical signals. These signals must be carefully regulated for the brain and nerves to function properly. When abnormally rapid and repetitive electrical signals are released in the brain, it becomes over-stimulated and normal function is disturbed. This results in fits or seizures.
Ethosuximide works by preventing repetitive firing of electrical signals. This raises the threshold of the brain to stimuli that cause seizures and helps prevent seizures.
Ethosuximide is mainly used to treat absence (petit mal) seizures. If you suffer from other forms of seizures as well (such as grand mal seizures), ethosuximide must be used in combination with other antiepileptic medicines.
Important information about Emeside
- It is recommended that you brush your teeth or rinse the mouth after taking Emeside syrup.
- This medicine may reduce your ability to drive or operate machinery safely. Do not drive or operate machinery until you know how this medicine affects you and you are sure it won't affect your performance.
- You should not suddenly stop taking this medicine unless your doctor tells you otherwise, as this may result in your seizures returning or getting worse. If it is decided that you should stop taking this medicine, it should be withdrawn gradually, according to the instructions given by your doctor.
- If you have epilepsy it is important to take your medication regularly, as directed by your doctor, because missing doses can trigger seizures in some people. If you have trouble remembering to take your medicine you should ask your pharmacist for advice. You may find a pill reminder box helpful.
- This medicine may rarely cause a decrease in the normal amounts of blood cells in the blood. For this reason you should consult your doctor immediately if you experience any of the following symptoms: unexplained bruising or bleeding, purple spots, sore throat, mouth ulcers or high temperature (fever). Your doctor may want to take a blood test to check your blood cells.
- Your kidney and liver function should be monitored while you are taking this medicine.
- There may be a small increased risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviour in people taking antiepileptic medicines such as ethosuximide for any condition. For this reason, it is very important to seek medical advice if you, or someone else taking this medicine, experience any changes in mood, distressing thoughts, or feelings about suicide or self-harm at any point while taking this medicine. For more information speak to your doctor or pharmacist.
Emeside should be used with caution in
- Decreased kidney function.
- Decreased liver function.
Emeside should not be used in
- Hereditary blood disorders known as porphyrias.
This medicine should not be used if you are allergic to one or any of its ingredients. Please inform your doctor or pharmacist if you have previously experienced such an allergy.
If you feel you have experienced an allergic reaction, stop using this medicine and inform your doctor or pharmacist immediately.
Pregnancy and breastfeeding
Certain medicines should not be used during pregnancy or breastfeeding. However, other medicines may be safely used in pregnancy or breastfeeding providing the benefits to the mother outweigh the risks to the unborn baby. Always inform your doctor if you are pregnant or planning a pregnancy, before using any medicine.
- It is very important for women with epilepsy to talk to the doctor responsible for their epilepsy treatment before becoming pregnant. Antiepileptic medicines are associated with an increased risk of developmental disorders and malformations in the baby. However, stopping antiepileptic treatment during pregnancy runs the risk of the mother having seizures, which can harm both the mother and the foetus. This risk may be higher than that from continuing the medication. It is important that all the risks and benefits of treatment are weighed up. Seek medical advice from your doctor.
- This medicine passes into breast milk. The manufacturer recommends that mothers taking this medicine should avoid breastfeeding. Seek medical advice from your doctor.
Possible side effects of Emeside
Medicines and their possible side effects can affect individual people in different ways. The following are some of the side effects that are known to be associated with this medicine. Just because a side effect is stated here does not mean that all people using this medicine will experience that or any side effect.
- Disturbances of the gut such as diarrhoea, nausea, vomiting or abdominal pain.
- Loss of appetite.
- Weight loss.
- Dislike of light (photophobia).
- Difficulty performing voluntary movements, resulting in jerky or involuntary movements or muscle twitches (dyskinesia).
- Shaky movements and unsteady walk (ataxia).
- Rashes and itching.
- Disturbance in the normal levels of blood cells in the blood (see warning section above).
- Difficulty concentrating.
- Increased sex drive.
- Sleep disturbances.
- Enlargement of the gums.
- Systemic lupus erythematosus.
The side effects listed above may not include all of the side effects reported by the medicine's manufacturer. For more information about any other possible risks associated with this medicine, please read the information provided with the medicine or consult your doctor or pharmacist.
If you think you have experienced a side effect from a medicine or vaccine you should check the patient information leaflet. This lists the known side effects and what to do if you get them. You can also get advice from your doctor, nurse or pharmacist. If they think it's necessary they'll report it for you.
You can also report side effects yourself using the yellow card website: www.mhra.gov.uk/yellowcard.
How can Emeside affect other medicines?
It is important to tell your doctor or pharmacist what medicines you are already taking, including those bought without a prescription and herbal medicines, before you start treatment with this medicine. Similarly, check with your doctor or pharmacist before taking any new medicines while taking this one, to make sure that the combination is safe.
The following medicines may increase the breakdown of ethosuximide by your liver and so decrease the amount in your blood:
If you are taking any of these medicines your doctor may need to prescribe you a larger than normal dose of ethosuximide to make sure it is still effective.
The following medicines may reduce the breakdown of ethosuximide by your liver and so increase the amount of ethosuximide in your blood, which could increase the chance of side effects:
- sodium valproate
If you are taking any of these medicines your doctor may need to prescribe you a lower than normal dose of ethosuximide, to make sure the amount in your blood doesn't go too high and result in side effects.
Ethosuximide may increase the blood level of phenytoin.
Ethosuximide may decrease the blood level of sodium valproate.
It is recommended that people who are taking any antiepileptic medicines should avoid taking the herbal remedy St John's wort (Hypericum perforatum). This is because St John's wort may affect the level of antiepileptic medicines in the blood and could increase the risk of seizures.
The following medicines may oppose the antiepileptic effect of ethosuximide:
- MAOI antidepressants, eg phenelzine
- SSRI antidepressants, eg fluoxetine
- tricyclic antidepressants, eg amitriptyline.
Other medicines containing the same active ingredient
Ethosuximide capsules are also available without a brand name, ie as the generic medicine.
For background information about our medicine factsheets, including the references used to produce them, click here.