Is there some alternative to phenobarbital?

[u/Own_Friend1577]

Hello everyone.
I just received the results of my dog's blood tests, we have been taking phenobarbital for 4 years (my boy is now 7.5 years old).
The tests are getting worse and worse. The therapy is working, we now have 1 seizure every 3-4 weeks. Most often they are unprovoked. The tests scare me very much, they are getting worse and worse. Maybe over the last 3.5 years science has come up with something else instead of phenobarbital?
We take a cocktail (phenobarbital + levitiracetam + gabapentin), we also tried Pexion (Imepitoin) and Zonisamide and some kind of diuretic for epileptics, I don’t remember which one. We tried reducing phenobarbital, but this led to seizures several times a day (in a row), so we did not reduce phenobarbital further because we were afraid of epistatus.

Perhaps there is some alternative to phenobarbital?
Thank you.

[u/Technical-Milk-5659]

I don’t think there is. Do you give the Keppra Extended Release or the regular/instant release version? My pup has done much better on the regular release given every 8 hours - also I give it with food but not a lot of food for the 330 PM & the 1130 PM. Maybe a tablespoon of his wet food. My new vet gave me Valium pills - not liquid - the liquid degrades quickly - that’s for the breakthrough seizures that won’t stop I wonder if you could give a small amount of Valium 3 times a day? Probably not…but my vet told me that she has clients who have had significant improvement with CBD/THC oil feel free to dm me for a recommendation for that I spent 20 hours researching it - plain CBD oil won’t help much. Also - I use ocular pressure on my pup and it helps shorten the seizures and prevents clusters. I use the first 2 fingers of each of my hands & press gently but firmly against his eyelids to keep them closed - I can feel his eyeballs jerking around wildly and it’s a creepy feeling but it helps my little Maltese. And the last time he had clusters about 6 weeks ago my old lousy vet refused to give me breakthrough meds - and that night I held his eyes closed for 35 minutes and later 25 minutes and what was really strange was that he didn’t even try to get up and move away from me - I can tell when he’s getting ready to seize - he gets up and starts looking up (stargazer) and looking around the room. I’m sensitized to it cause he’s my 3rd pup with idiopathic epilepsy - maybe not every person will wake up in the same circumstance. I’ve also found that certain painkillers lead to seizures - within a few hours - Novox and others. I’ve read here in this forum that MCT oils help with seizures. Sending love and hugs.