To evaluate complacence in chronic epileptic women we collected weekly 144 blood samples from 38 patients for antiepileptic drugs determination. All the patients were supposed to have uncontrolled seizures using phenobarbital, phenytoin or carbamazepine mo-notherapeutically. We found that 34% of the blood levels were below the standard normal range. Blood level with great weekly variations were interpreted as inadequate intake by the patient. We conclude that repetitive antiepileptic blood levels determination may elucidate if the patient has drug-resistant seizures or if the patient is not complacent to the drug therapy.
epilepsy; antiepileptic drugs; complacence; plasma level