rufinamide at a glance
Medicine class
Anti-seizure treatment; carboxamide derivative.
Licensed role
Added to other treatments for seizures associated with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome from 1 year of age.
Administration
Take with food. Tablets may be split or crushed; shake the oral suspension before measuring it.
Stopping treatment
Do not stop suddenly because seizure control may worsen; withdrawal requires a clinician-led plan.
What is rufinamide used for?
Selected products are licensed only as adjunctive treatment.
Seizures associated with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome in adults and children aged 1 year and older, alongside other anti-seizure treatments.
How does rufinamide work?
Rufinamide alters voltage-gated sodium-channel activity and keeps these channels inactive for longer. This helps reduce repeated electrical firing that can contribute to seizures.
rufinamide preparations and strengths
How to take rufinamide
Take rufinamide with food. Swallow tablets with water; they may be divided using the score line or crushed and dispersed in water if swallowing is difficult. Shake the suspension vigorously before use and measure it with the supplied oral syringe. The suspension may be given through a suitable enteral feeding tube using the tube manufacturer's instructions.
Use the formulation and prescribed amount stated on the dispensing label.
Do not reduce or stop treatment without specialist advice.
Clean the oral syringe as directed in the product leaflet.
rufinamide side effects
Common or expected effects
- Sleepiness, dizziness, headache or fatigue
- Nausea or vomiting
- Abdominal discomfort, constipation, indigestion or diarrhoea
- Reduced appetite or weight loss
- Unsteadiness, abnormal coordination, tremor or altered walking
- Blurred or double vision
- Rash
Get urgent medical advice
- Rash with fever or other systemic symptoms, which may indicate DRESS, Stevens-Johnson syndrome or another serious hypersensitivity reaction
- A new seizure pattern, unusually frequent seizures or status epilepticus
- Thoughts of self-harm or suicide
- Severe allergic symptoms such as facial swelling or breathing difficulty
rufinamide in pregnancy
Human pregnancy information is too limited to confirm or exclude fetal risks. Use requires specialist assessment and is generally reserved for situations where it is clearly necessary. Anyone planning a pregnancy or becoming pregnant should obtain prompt epilepsy-specialist advice but should not stop effective treatment abruptly. Rufinamide may reduce the reliability of hormonal contraception.
rufinamide while breastfeeding
It is unknown whether rufinamide passes into human milk, and published evidence is insufficient to assess infant risk. Selected product information advises avoiding breastfeeding during treatment; discuss feeding options with the epilepsy and maternity teams.
rufinamide interactions
Check the complete medicines list when rufinamide is started, stopped or changed.
Valproate
Can substantially increase rufinamide concentrations, so specialist review is required when the combination changes.
Hormonal contraceptives
Rufinamide can reduce exposure to contraceptive hormones, potentially reducing effectiveness; an additional effective contraceptive method is advised.
Common questions about rufinamide
Answers are fully visible for fast scanning and source review.
Why is rufinamide prescribed with other seizure treatments?
Its selected licence is as adjunctive treatment for seizures associated with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, meaning it is added to an existing treatment plan.
Can children take rufinamide?
Selected products are licensed for Lennox-Gastaut syndrome from 1 year of age, under specialist supervision.
Sources
These sources were used to prepare and review this medicine page.
Prepared and reviewed by the iatroX editorial team.