[Info] Flu vaccine and phenytoin

Welcome to the Coping With Epilepsy Forums

Welcome to the Coping With Epilepsy forums - a peer support community for folks dealing (directly or indirectly) with seizure disorders. You can visit the forum page to see the list of forum nodes (categories/rooms) for topics.

Please have a look around and if you like what you see, please consider registering an account and joining the discussions. When you register an account and log in, you may enjoy additional benefits including no ads, access to members only (ie. private) forum nodes and more. Registering an account is free - you have nothing to lose!

travel bug

travel bug

New
Messages
495
Reaction score
1
Points
0
This is just a heads up to those taking phenytoin and (maybe) Dilantin who plan to get a flu shot.

I just got my flu shot today at my Target pharmacy; the information sheet they give out is much more detailed than any I've seen before. It says that "additional monitoring of your dose or condition may be needed if you are taking"...then it lists several medications including phenytoin. I'm not sure if they intended that to include Dilantin too or just the generic.
 
Interesting.... I wonder why dilantin and not other AEDs?
 
I just looked up the other drugs listed on that information sheet on WEB-MD (I should have done that in the first place) and they are also generics, so I guess the hand out refers to both the generics and the brand names. FYI, those other drugs are: anticoagulants such as warfarin, corticosteroids such as prednisone, theophylline (for asthma), and medicine that may weaken the immune system. No other AED's.

Maybe it has to do with how the drugs are processed; if I remember right, phenytoin is processed in the liver. Are any other AED's processed that way?
 
Most AEDs are metabolized in the liver. There are a few that are metabolized in the kidneys, like gabapentin, topiramate, vigabatrin, oxcarbazepine, or levetiracetam.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom