title: Atrial flutter/atrial fibrillation associated with lacosamide for partial seizures.
abstract: Lacosamide (LCM) is a novel antiepileptic drug that exerts a strong antiepileptic effect via slow inactivation of voltage-gated sodium channels. LCM has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for treatment of partial seizures at doses up to 400mg/day. Clinical trials have employed doses up to 600mg/day. LCM has been associated with atrial fibrillation at high doses (600mg/day) in patients with diabetes who had risk factors for heart disease. To our knowledge, atrial flutter or atrial fibrillation has not been reported in people with epilepsy. We report atrial flutter/atrial fibrillation at high doses of LCM (600mg/day) in a patient with epilepsy who had no significant risk factors for heart disease, which resolved following discontinuation of LCM. The literature regarding LCM-related cardiac death and arrhythmia is discussed. Physicians should be aware of the potential cardiac effects of this novel antiepileptic drug.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA. cmd@mednet.ucla.edu
authors.forename: Christopher M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Degiorgio
mesh_terms: D000081:Acetamides / Q000009:adverse effects*; D000328:Adult; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000139:chemically induced*; D001282:Atrial Flutter / Q000139:chemically induced*; D004562:Electrocardiography / Q000379:methods; D004828:Epilepsies, Partial / Q000188:drug therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D000078334:Lacosamide
chemical_list: D000081:Acetamides; D000927:Anticonvulsants; D000078334:Lacosamide