Epileptic seizures after treatment with thiocolchicoside.
OBJECTIVE
To report the occurrence of epileptic seizures in humans, closely related to the use of the centrally acting muscle relaxant thiocolchicoside.


METHODS
Description of three case histories.


RESULTS
Two patients, affected with complex-partial seizures, sometimes secondarily generalized, receiving antiepileptic therapy, were seizure free for 7 and 9 years, respectively. They had the reappearance of tonic-clonic seizures few days after the continued use of thiocolchicoside, at a cumulative dose of the drug of 52 mg and 76 mg, respectively. The third patient was brain damaged and without a history of seizures. He had a sudden, convulsive seizure a few minutes after 4 mg intramuscular thiocolchicoside.


CONCLUSIONS
Our case histories indicate that thiocolchicoside has a powerful epileptogenic activity. This drug should be avoided in patients with epilepsy or acute brain injury and possible disruption of the blood-brain barrier.
De Riu
P L
PL
Department of Traumatology, Orthopedics and Occupational Health, University of Torino, Torino, Italy.
Rosati
G
G
Sotgiu
S
S
Sechi
G
G
D000328:Adult; D001812:Blood-Brain Barrier; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology; D003078:Colchicine / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015897:Comorbidity; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010146:Pain / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
D003078:Colchicine; C004280:thiocolchicoside