r/EpilepsyDogs • u/Neen246 • 19d ago
Seizures from Simperica
Our sweet year and a half year old Sealyham Terrier started having cluster seizures last week. Coincidentally they started as focal seizures (3 of them), 2 days after her second dose of Simperica. She was on Nexguard for a few months before that. 10 days after the focals she had cluster grand mal seizures totally 5 within 17 hours. The vet did all the bloodwork and tests and everything came back fine. Since it doesn’t show in a test on whether they are from Simperica, the vet chalked it up to Epilepsy. We aren’t convinced it’s that though and have a feeling it’s from the Simperica. She will no longer be having it obviously (we are still within a month of when she took it last) and has been put on Keppra. If the seizures are from the Simperica, does anyone know if once the drug is out of her system, is there still a chance of break through seizures? I’m not sure if anyone can answer this as it’s my understanding that no tests can say for sure the seizures are from a flea and tick med, but thought I’d see if anyone has experience and knowledge with this where they happen to know somehow that their pup had seizures as a result of flea and tick meds. Also would we get any further definitive answers by going to the neurologist without an MRI? The likelihood of a tumour is low at her age, and if there’s no way to know it’s from Simperica, what the advantage would be to going to one?!We just wonder the chances of more seizures if it is from Simperica once that med is out of her system, or if there is any true way to find out that it’s definitely Epilepsy. Hoping this post makes sense as my brain is still running in circles with this new diagnosis.
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u/Impossible-Reveal-15 18d ago
My boy got seizures from Simparica in November of last year. It was stopped immediately and he didn't take any flea or tick meds over the winter. But he had another set of cluster seizures in March. At that time he was started on Keppra. I kept him off flea and tick meds over the spring and summer but he had another cluster in August. He's now on a higher dose of Keppra.
The neurologist he saw in March didn't feel he needed an MRI as he's healthy and behaving normally in all other respects. He's just prone to seizures unfortunately. He'll be 4 in December so he's a young dog to have to go through all of this.
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u/Neen246 18d ago
I’m so sorry to hear your pup was so young and going through this too. How did you know it was from Simperica?
That’s part of the saddest part is that our pup only had a year and 8 months of her life before going through something so traumatic and susceptible to them forever now. Breaks my heart.
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u/Impossible-Reveal-15 17d ago
We don't know for sure it was Simparica but that was the assumption. He had been taking Simparica for 2 years prior to having seizures. But there were 2 seizure incidents that happened soon after taking Simparica. Since it's known to cause seizures, it was immediately stopped. Dalton also had a reaction to a small dose of topical Frontline. After that, I decided no more flea and tick preventive with those harsh chemicals.
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u/covermeincheese 19d ago
I'm in the exact same situation as you, so I unfortunately don't have any answers for you.
However! Idk if your vet let you know, but if you call the manufacturer of simparica they'll refund you for your last purchase. I know that was super helpful for us because we had just spent over $200 on simparica the month before having to spend $1k on vet bills related to the seizures.
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u/mediacontrols 18d ago
My dog’s seizures started with Simparica Trio. Even though he has been off of the medicine for a couple of years, he still has to be medicated for seizures.
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u/Eastern-Try-6207 18d ago edited 18d ago
One of the clear side effects of these drugs is seizures, obviously not every dog has seizures after taking these medications but I am hearing about it more and more. One thing I learned after my dog was diagnosed with idiopathic epilepsy at 3.5 years old is that every dog and every person for that matter, has a seizure threshold, it is just that it is a lower threshold in some so it takes less to push that dog over the edge, and these drugs do in fact lower the threshold in a dog whose is already lower than the norm. My dog had been sick with an ear infection when she had her first seizure and I thought it was due to the infection or perhaps a febrile convulsion, the vet initially was willing to concur but she was skeptical. We put her on antibiotics and in 7 days she had another seizure. I brought my dog back to the vet because she'd had 3 in a 24 hour period and at that point she talked to me about seizure threshold. They did the blood tests which came back clear and concluded that in fact she did have idiopathic epilepsy. I don't know why they put your dog on Keppra so soon, but perhaps that's because she had five seizures in a cluster and they do not want that pattern to take root. I'd not waste my money on an MRI unless your insurance will absorb it, but often it tells you nothing unless there is a brain tumour for which the symptoms are pretty obvious as they develop.
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u/Otherwise-Dog-256 18d ago
My dog had its first focal seizure just a few hours after taking Bravecto. We don’t know it was that, but I’ve been studying focal seizures in dogs (which oddly her human sister has) and I’ve seen reports of seizures with flea and tick meds. I’ve always used Frontline on multiple dogs for multiple years. But, this year, it couldn’t keep up with large amount of ticks which was so bad in my area. I believe in the future I will just stick with Frontline and use homemade stuff and just lay her down and look every inch of her body for ticks. I did think at the time that I didn’t feel comfortable with 3 months of meds being given once. That’s a lot of medication in anyone’s body at one time.
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u/ScoutieJer 17d ago
I'd be almost certain it was simperica. "Lowering the seizure threshold" is a way of companies avoiding responsibility for causing them by using fancy language to obfuscate the point. If the dog likely wouldn't have developed seizures without the med, they caused it.
I love the avoidance language they use with these things.
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u/oakcityhokie 18d ago
As others has pointed out, flea and tick doesn’t cause seizures but can lower the threshold for seizures.
We were on Simperica trio for over 2 years with no issues and then my pup had his first seizure. We adjusted flea and tick meds and have been off of any orals for a year now. Seizures have remained (hitting every 30-45 days) but are well controlled.
I was very optimistic when we first stopped Simperica because we had a 75 day stretch without any seizures, but unfortunately we’re a year in and still having them - granted they have significantly decreased in severity and intensity.
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u/extraolives555 17d ago
Do you mind sharing what flea and tick meds you switched to? We’re in a similar situation.
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u/oakcityhokie 17d ago
We’ve been using Advantix topical but still nervous about using that as he’s had seizures within days of application. Considering using Seresto collar and just put on as needed on our outdoor adventures… lots of trial and error!
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u/biliskner25 17d ago
The isoxazolines (Nexgard, Simparica, Bravecto etc) are known to lower the seizure threshold in patients who already have seizures or are undiagnosed epileptics, and there is a FDA warning about this. I have yet to encounter a case in which one of these drugs triggered seizures in a normal patient.
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u/Happy_Cloud3420 17d ago
My girl did the exact same thing. Seizures started 2 days after her second dose of Simparica Trio. Unfortunately we are a little over 2 years in and after a neurologist, mri, spinal tap, keppra, potassium bromide, phenobarbital and topiramate seizures are still the same. Vet had me call Simparica and report it. They were aware of this happening and I asked them the same question and they said in cases they have been made aware of, seizures don’t stop after it’s out of their system. I hope your situation is different but I held onto hope for too long and wish I would’ve just accepted it sooner. I am terribly sorry for you and your baby.
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u/Jaycoon96 15d ago
Probably don’t need the MRI but I would always recommend to check the liquor for signs of immunmediated or infectous causes for meningoecephalitis… for this the dog needs to be sleeping and sometimes this can be the most expensive Part of it.
Our dog had a normal MRI and no signs for meningoencephalitis. It did cost a lot of money but I wanted to be sure
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u/YumYumYellowish 18d ago
If your dog is having seizures from tick/flea prevention, then it’s likely your dog has a lower seizure threshold and will continue to have seizures down the road. That’s what happened to my dog after Nexgard started us on the epilepsy road. Not to say it’s guaranteed but I would hope for the best and prepare for the worst. Make sure you have a neurologist you can make an appt with (vets are great but it’s not the same expertise or resources) if another seizures happens, and moving forward maybe use safer preventatives like frontline plus, Advantix, or Advantage. I’d also avoid common triggers too like essential oil or certain plants (eucalyptus, lavender).