Which client instruction is the priority when teaching about a newly prescribed antiepileptic drug?

• A. Call your healthcare provider if you experience suicidal ideation.
• B. Avoid grapefruit juice.
• C. Skip doses if you forget to take them.
• D. Take with dairy products.

Answer: (A)

The key safety issue when starting an antiepileptic drug is monitoring for mood changes and suicidality. Many antiepileptic medications carry a warning about increased risk of suicidal thoughts or behaviors, which can occur early after starting treatment or after dose changes. Because this can have life-threatening consequences, the highest-priority instruction is to report any suicidal ideation or worsening mood to a healthcare provider promptly so they can assess risk and adjust therapy if needed.

Other guidance, like avoiding grapefruit juice (which relates to drug interactions for some AEDs), ensuring adherence (not skipping doses), or taking with dairy (which matters for certain meds), is important but does not carry the same universal, immediate safety risk as suicidality monitoring.