[A study on phenytoin pharmacokinetics in 15 patients with refractory epilepsy].

ABSTRACT

Monitoring of serum concentration and studying of individual clinical pharmacokinetics of phenytoin (PHT) were made in 15 patients with refractory epilepsy who had taken PHT and other antiepileptic drugs for a long time. The results showed that 10 of them were tolerant to PHT and their effective doses were higher than the routine ones; 2 of them showed striking fluctuation of serum PHT concentration within 24 hours; In the remaining patients serum PHT concentration during menstruation was much lower than that during ovulation. According to their different characteristics we gave them reasonable and individualized adjustment in dose and time interval of taking PHT. The seizures of all the patients were controlled satisfactorily. It is suggested that some of the patients with refractory epilepsy may have special PHT pharmacokinetics.