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Sponsored: Lexi Talkington’s Year Without Seizures: Managing Her Epilepsy and Being Her Own Advocate

Content Sponsored by SK Life Science, Inc.

An inspiring story of one woman’s journey with epilepsy and how she took control of her treatment plan

This is a real XCOPRI® (cenobamate tablets) CV patient story and reflects the experience of this patient only. Everyone’s journey with epilepsy is unique – please consult your physician or qualified healthcare provider regarding your condition and appropriate medical treatment.

For years, Lexi Talkington felt like her epilepsy decided what she could and couldn’t do, and where she could and couldn’t go. That changed on May 27, 2021 – the last day she had a complex-partial seizure. She’s been seizure-free ever since.

Lexi Talkington

At first, Lexi didn’t know what to make of this new sense of freedom. A part of her didn’t want to get her hopes up, so she kept this part of her epilepsy journey to herself, even when her family and friends began to notice subtle changes in her and ask what was going on. But once she hit the six-month mark of not having any seizures, she decided it was time to share her latest milestone with her loved ones – and she wanted to celebrate it!

Now, Lexi celebrates being seizure-free on the 27th of every month. She first went to watch a sunrise – something she wasn’t previously able to do because her seizures would frequently happen in the mornings. Her celebrations then evolved to taking a train ride alone, skiing in Colorado and hiking the Angels Landing in Zion National Park. Each month, she pushes herself further and further out of her comfort zone by seeking out opportunities she never thought would be possible with epilepsy. Lexi is extremely grateful for this past year without seizures and the newfound confidence she has because of it.

But Lexi’s life with epilepsy wasn’t always like this.

High school is where her journey began, though she didn’t know it was epilepsy at the time. It started when she would get lost in the halls at school and couldn’t remember where her classrooms were or what her locker combination was. Lexi and her family agreed that seeing a doctor to undergo a series of tests was the best course of action. They tried everything—psych evaluations, CT scans, EEGs, MRIs, blood tests, and more, to figure out what was wrong, and she was ultimately diagnosed with epilepsy midway through high school.

What Lexi eventually learned was that starting in high school, she had undergone numerous complex-partial seizures. It took doctors an additional five years to catch one of the complex-partial seizures on an EEG, and at this point she had stepped away from pursuing an undergraduate degree at the University of Kansas and had also begun experiencing convulsive seizures. Lexi said it felt like Christmas morning when they were able to confirm that she was having complex-partial seizures. Her family and friends had seen her experience these types of seizures, but having doctors finally catch one proved to Lexi that what she was going through was real, and that she could start working toward getting her seizures under control.

Each seizure was another blow to her daily life and to her confidence, but she kept pushing. Working with her care team, Lexi continued to try new medications to manage her seizures – when those didn’t work, they discussed other options like surgery or implantable devices. As these conversations progressed, they decided to try one more treatment option, an epilepsy medication used to treat partial-onset seizures in adults called XCOPRI® (cenobamate tablets) CV. She titrated for the first three months and then reached the therapeutic dose that worked for her. Please see important safety information and full prescribing information for XCOPRI® below.

Eventually, Lexi’s seizures stopped altogether.

Epilepsy patients saw significant reductions in overall seizure frequency during XCOPRI® clinical trials, with as many as 1 in 5 patients achieving zero seizures during the 12 week maintenance phase while taking XCOPRI®.

Lexi Talkington

Lexi’s journey in managing her epilepsy has been difficult, but she said it taught her a lot about her own strength and the importance of never giving up the fight in managing her seizures – no matter what. Today, Lexi has completed her trek through the Rocky Mountain National Park to celebrate her one-year seizure-free anniversary, and is already planning her next adventure.

A lot has changed for Lexi since she was diagnosed with epilepsy at 16 years old, but with every experience and treatment, she’s learned more about the importance of being her own advocate. She also extended her advocacy efforts to her community, where she volunteers with a local chapter of the Epilepsy Foundation and at a youth camp in Denver. Lexi is grateful for the opportunities that have opened up for her as a result of not having seizures – from being able to watch the sun rise, to connecting with others in the epilepsy community, she has a newfound sense of freedom and excitement for life and looks forward to what the future holds.

Your epilepsy is unique to you, and seizure treatments work differently from person to person. Like Lexi and other XCOPRI® patients, SK life science encourages people with epilepsy to be their own advocate and stay persistent in their search for the treatment regimen that helps them reach their goals.

If you have epilepsy, know you are not alone in your fight for seizure freedom. Speak with your healthcare provider to learn if XCOPRI® is the right treatment for you.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION AND INDICATION FOR XCOPRI® (cenobamate tablets) CV

DO NOT TAKE XCOPRI IF YOU:

  • Are allergic to cenobamate or any of the other ingredients in XCOPRI.
  • Have a genetic problem (called Familial Short QT syndrome) that affects the electrical system of the heart.

XCOPRI CAN CAUSE SERIOUS SIDE EFFECTS, INCLUDING:
Allergic reactions: XCOPRI can cause serious skin rash or other serious allergic reactions which may affect organs and other parts of your body like the liver or blood cells. You may or may not have a rash with these types of reactions. Call your healthcare provider right away and go to the nearest emergency room if you have any of the following: swelling of your face, eyes, lips, or tongue, trouble swallowing or breathing, a skin rash, hives, fever, swollen glands, or sore throat that does not go away or comes and goes, painful sores in the mouth or around your eyes, yellowing of your skin or eyes, unusual bruising or bleeding, severe fatigue or weakness, severe muscle pain, frequent infections, or infections that do not go away. Take XCOPRI exactly as your healthcare provider tells you to take it. It is very important to increase your dose of XCOPRI slowly, as instructed by your healthcare provider.

QT shortening: XCOPRI may cause problems with the electrical system of the heart (QT shortening). Call your healthcare provider if you have symptoms of QT shortening including fast heartbeat (heart palpitations) that last a long time or fainting.

Suicidal behavior and ideation: Antiepileptic drugs, including XCOPRI, may cause suicidal thoughts or actions in a very small number of people, about 1 in 500. Call your health care provider right away if you have any of the following symptoms, especially if they are new, worse, or worry you: thoughts about suicide or dying; attempting to commit suicide; new or worse depression, anxiety, or irritability; feeling agitated or restless; panic attacks; trouble sleeping (insomnia); acting aggressive; being angry or violent; acting on dangerous impulses; an extreme increase in activity and talking (mania); or other unusual changes in behavior or mood.

Nervous system problems: XCOPRI may cause problems that affect your nervous system. Symptoms of nervous system problems include: dizziness, trouble walking or with coordination, feeling sleepy and tired, trouble concentrating, remembering, and thinking clearly, and vision problems. Do not drive, operate heavy machinery, or do other dangerous activities until you know how XCOPRI affects you.

Do not drink alcohol or take other medicines that can make you sleepy or dizzy while taking XCOPRI without first talking to your healthcare provider.

DISCONTINUATION:
Do not stop taking XCOPRI without first talking to your healthcare provider. Stopping XCOPRI suddenly can cause serious problems. Stopping seizure medicine suddenly in a patient who has epilepsy can cause seizures that will not stop (status epilepticus).

DRUG INTERACTIONS:
XCOPRI may affect the way other medicines work, and other medicines may affect how XCOPRI works. Do not start or stop other medicines without talking to your healthcare provider.  Tell healthcare providers about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins and herbal supplements.

PREGNANCY AND LACTATION:
XCOPRI may cause your birth control medicine to be less effective. Talk to your health care provider about the best birth control method to use.

Talk to your health care provider if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if XCOPRI will harm your unborn baby. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you become pregnant while taking XCOPRI. You and your healthcare provider will decide if you should take XCOPRI while you are pregnant. If you become pregnant while taking XCOPRI, talk to your healthcare provider about registering with the North American Antiepileptic Drug (NAAED) Pregnancy Registry. The purpose of this registry is to collect information about the safety of antiepileptic medicine during pregnancy. You can enroll in this registry by calling 1-888-233-2334 or go to  www.aedpregnancyregistry.org.

Talk to your health care provider if you are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known if XCOPRI passes into breastmilk. Talk to your healthcare provider about the best way to feed your baby while taking XCOPRI.

COMMON SIDE EFFECTS:
The most common side effects in patients taking XCOPRI include dizziness, sleepiness, headache, double vision, and feeling tired.

These are not all the possible side effects of XCOPRI. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away. For more information, ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist.  Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088  or at  http://www.fda.gov/medwatch.

DRUG ABUSE:
XCOPRI is a federally controlled substance (CV) because it can be abused or lead to dependence. Keep XCOPRI in a safe place to prevent misuse and abuse. Selling or giving away XCOPRI may harm others and is against the law.

INDICATION:
XCOPRI is a prescription medicine used to treat partial-onset seizures in adults 18 years of age and older. It is not known if XCOPRI is safe and effective in children under 18 years of age.

Please see additional patient information in the Medication Guide. This information does not take the place of talking with your healthcare provider about your condition or your treatment.

Please see full Prescribing Information and Medication Guide.

For more information about XCOPRI®, please visit https://www.xcopri.com/.

A note from EpilepsyDisease.com: The content of this article was provided by our sponsor. EpilepsyDisease.com does not specifically endorse or recommend the program, product, medications or therapies discussed in this article.