Drug and Substance Abuse in Refractory Epilepsy

Drugs and substances abuse in patients with refractor epilepsy were investigated in this study which includes 924 patients with intractable epilepsy were studied for serum levels of antiepileptic drugs and for drugs and substances abuse. Positive results for abuse were detected in 246 patients (26.62%), 56.5% of them were in the age group 20 - 30 years. Males outnumbered females with a sex ratio 1.46 : 1. Cannabis was the first abused drug as it was detected in 29.27% followed by opiates in 21.95%, alcohol in 17.88%, benzodiazepine in 16.26%, tricylic in 8.54%, barbiturates in 6.1%. So, a screening test for drugs and substances abuse must be done in cases with resistant epilepsy even if patients deny the use of them. (Egypt J. Neurol. Psychiat. Neurosurg., 2008, 45(2): 387-394)