Epiphen for Dogs | Buy Epiphen tablets | Epiphen Side Effects

What is Epiphen?

Epiphen is provided as a small, white tablet. Epiphen 30mg tablets and Epiphen 60mg tablets are available. They contain the drug phenobarbitone (phenobarbital) which belongs to the barbiturate group of drugs. Epiphen acts to reduce how easily certain nerve cells become "excited", which suppresses the abnormal process of fitting. Epiphen is classed as a schedule 3 controlled drug in the UK and there are some restrictions on its supply.

Why is Epiphen needed?

Epiphen is used to treat idiopathic epilepsy. That is the name given to the condition where periodically an abnormal discharge passes through part of the brain, causing a fit (seizure). This can result from previous brain injury, caused by physical trauma, past or current infection, congenital anomaly etc. Sometimes fits do not start until years after the event which caused the brain injury.
Not all fits are of this type, so Epiphen is not always suitabe. Sometimes they can be caused by a current brain infection or perhaps a metabolic problem affecting the blood stream. That is why fitting should be evaluated by a vet and blood tests and perhaps other investigations. If the underlying cause of fits can be identified, a different treatment plan might be appropriate.

What are the Epiphen side effects?  

When first given, Epiphen might cause slight drowsiness or lethargy. It can also cause increased hunger and thirst. Generally these effects are not major and pass off after a week or so of continued dosing as the body gets used to the medication. Increased hunger may persist for longer, resulting in unwanted weight gain. This situation should be monitored and feeding levels restricted if required to maintain a healthy body weight.
Potentially more serious are the Epiphen effects on the liver. Over a prolonged period of time, Epiphen can damage the liver and if this happens, continued use will eventually result in liver failure. For this reason, blood tests to asses liver health and function should be performed before starting Epiphen therapy, and periodically long-term. It can be very useful to combine Epiphen with another type of anti-convulsant, such as potassium bromide. This reduces the dose of Epiphen required, so reducing the chances of significant liver damage from occurring. As long as liver health is monitored every few months, serious problems can be avoided. It is also important that your vet monitors the blood levels of Epiphen (or phenobarbitone actually) to ensure that the dose being given is not higher than necessary. Also if no fits have occurred for a long time, it might be possible to reduce the daily dose, hence reducing the chances of future side effects.
Epiphen can interact with other drugs. It can also change the way the liver performs (through enzyme induction) so that other medications do not work as well. These effects should be assessed by your vet whenever Epiphen is used.
Despite the genuine concerns about Epiphen, it is true that most dogs and cats treated with Epiphen do not show any significant side effects and show a good response to therapy for many years. Epiphen is the mainstay of effective treatment for idiopathic epilepsy.

Where can I buy Epiphen?

Epiphen can be purchased conveniently and economically from Viovet.co.uk. You need to ask your vet for a written prescription and this (the original) needs to be sent to Viovet. Once this has been received and you have placed your order (online or over the telephone) then the medication will be sent to you.