Primidone is a medication used to treat seizures in people suffering with epilepsy. It can also be used to treat essential tremor, a condition in which your hands involuntary shake for no apparent reason. This condition is idiopathic. According to the Drugs website, primidone belongs to a category of drugs called anticonvulsants. It works to reduce the disorganized electrical activity in your brain and, subsequently, decrease seizure recurrence.
Common Side Effects
Primidone can cause a wide variety of benign side effects. According to the MedlinePlus website, it can cause dizziness, extreme fatigue, poor appetite and diplopia (double vision). It can cause nausea, lack of coordination, vomiting, extreme fatigue and impotence. These symptoms should disappear once your body acclimates to primidone. However, tell your doctor when these symptoms continue for three days or more.
Rare Side Effects
According to the Drugs website, primidone can cause such serious and potentially life-threatening side effect as an arrhythmia or trouble breathing. It can cause such rare side effects as a fever, sore throat, chills, back or flank pain, painful urination, pale skin, fatigue and bleeding or bruising. Profuse bleeding or bruising may be a sign of thrombocytopenia, a blood cell abnormality in which your platelet levels (substances in your body responsible for clotting) are low. You should inform your physician at the onset of these side effects.
Additional Concerns
You should not take primidone if you are allergic to it. You may develop hives, trouble breathing and swelling of your face, lips or throat. You must tell your doctor if you are using cannabis, ginkgo, cortisone, lamotrigine, leucovorin, norgestrel, tiagabine or prednisone. Primidone may combine with these medications and cause the aforementioned side effects.
The Drugs website also recommends that you should tell your doctor if you have depression, kidney or liver disease. Primidone may exacerbate these medical conditions.
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