Valproate and topiramate use are increasingly restricted by government regulations, such as those of the MHRA. The views of people with epilepsy and their families affected by these have been little studied. This qualitative study examines 19 people with epilepsy and their views on the restrictions, and examines the thematic outcomes of these views, in terms of direct damage of avoiding valproate or topiramate (including SUDEP), missed opportunities and disruption of belief systems. Recommendations to align the regulations to human rights and true informed decision making are made.

The authors have declared no competing interest.

This study did not receive any funding

I confirm all relevant ethical guidelines have been followed, and any necessary IRB and/or ethics committee approvals have been obtained.

Yes

The details of the IRB/oversight body that provided approval or exemption for the research described are given below:

Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust Clinical Governance board

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Yes

I understand that all clinical trials and any other prospective interventional studies must be registered with an ICMJE-approved registry, such as ClinicalTrials.gov. I confirm that any such study reported in the manuscript has been registered and the trial registration ID is provided (note: if posting a prospective study registered retrospectively, please provide a statement in the trial ID field explaining why the study was not registered in advance).

Yes

I have followed all appropriate research reporting guidelines, such as any relevant EQUATOR Network research reporting checklist(s) and other pertinent material, if applicable.

Yes

All data produced in the present study are available upon reasonable request to the authors