Flunarizine as a supplementary medication in refractory childhood epilepsy: a double-blind crossover study

We report a double blinded cross-over study involving Flunarizine versus placebo in the treatment of refractory childhood epilepsy. The patients studied were between the ages of 2 and 18; and were having more than 4 seizures per month not responsive to regular anticonvulsant medications. Of the 34 patients treated, 8 had a 50% decrease in their seizures during the placebo phase, 5 had a 50% decrease during the Flunarizine phase, and 1 patient had a 50% increase in seizures while taking Flunarizine. The remaining 25 patients showed no change in seizure activity in either phase. Patients having partial seizures with secondary generalization tended to do better on Flunarizine than those with other seizure types. Monitoring serum Flunarizine levels showed no significant difference between patients having improved seizure control and those who were unimproved. No significant side effects were noted with this medication, nor were any significant drug interactions noted.