 |
|||||||||||
|
|||||||||||
May 16th, 2011
04:52 PM ET
New epilepsy drugs safe in pregnancy, study findsDoctors used to tell women with epilepsy not to have children, because the only available medications to treat the disorder also increased the risk of birth defects. But newer antiepileptic medications used during the first trimester carry no such risks, finds a new study published Monday in the Journal of the American Medical Association. “Commonly, the message was, ‘you cannot have children,’” says Dr. Page Pennell, chair of the Professional Advisory Board for the Epilepsy Foundation. “So it really was an unfortunate situation when young women or even teenagers were told that their whole life-course was determined by the fact that they need an epilepsy medication.”
The second-generation of antiepileptic medications began appearing in the early 1990s, and are commonly prescribed to treat other conditions too, such as migraines and bipolar mood disorder. Importantly, the study only measures the risks of birth defects – it does not measure other risks, such as miscarriages and learning disabilities. “We have some pretty consistent findings between studies that show that some medications, for instance, Valproic acid, have a particularly high risk for children having a learning disability and possibly even autism spectrum disorder,” says Pennell. “But other medications can be quite safe and not have increased risks of learning problems in the child.” One major limitation of the study findings is the grouping of antiepileptic drugs into just two broad categories, says Pennell. The study compares newer drugs with older drugs, but within and across those two categories, some drugs are safer than others. For example, the antiepileptic drug topiramate is one of the second-generation drugs found to be safe by the study, but in March the FDA issued a stronger warning for the drug, saying that “there is positive evidence of human fetal risk based on human data.” The researchers studied data from 837,795 live-born infants in Denmark using the country’s Medical Birth Registry and information on filled prescriptions from the Registry of Medicinal Product Statistics.
Next entry »Binge drinking may harm learning, memory
« Previous entryMisdiagnosis common in early-onset Alzheimer's
|
  About this blog
Get a behind-the-scenes look at the latest stories from CNN Chief Medical Correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Senior Medical Correspondent Elizabeth Cohen and the CNN Medical Unit producers. They'll share news and views on health and medical trends - info that will help you take better care of yourself and the people you love. Recent Comments
 |
||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||
© 2012 Cable News Network. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
| Advertise with us | About us | Help | Advertising Practices
My mother who is an epiliptic had three children two of which made it to middle age with no major health problems while taking dilantin. The youngest died in an accident at a young age.
Absolutely fabulous news for my teen, this gives her a real choice now, in career, spouse, life. Not mentioned in this article, is that women were told not to have babies AND they are not allowed to adopt, because they are not physically perfect parents. Would like to know the names of the specific drugs that are ok, I hope keppra is among the ok ones.
Keppra is OK! I'm on Keppra and my son who will be turning 2 next month is doing great. It is actually the top recommend AED to take during pregnancy. We'll be trying again for #2 in the fall.
In the early '90s, I was on Tegretol and Clonopin. Two pregnancies with no issue to me or my children. My first OB was nuts about the meds and made me crazy. The second, was far more relaxed. He spoke with my neuro, ordered weekly tests starting at 7 months, and told me to enjoy. The physician you choose is as important as the meds.
yes it is considered a class c.... and most ob's the prefer class a,b,c and
i took keppra while i was preg and my son had no birth defects or anything. and i didnt have any complications with my preg or labor. dilantin is one that can cause birth defects my doctor told me i was on it right before they switched me and had to have all kinds of special test and ultrasounds done to make sure there wasnt any damage done
My son is 16 months old and perfect. I have been on a combo of Topamax and Keppra for a few years. It has been the only thing that has ever kept me seizure free. Yes, pregnancy was a bit nerve wracking but isn't it for everyone? I take my meds everyday and now we are trying for number 2! The worst thing you can do is to not take your meds while pregnant because a seizure while pregnant can and likely will cause a loss of pregnancy! A healthy pregnancy and full life is possible for an epileptic, you just have to find the right combo of meds, I have been on Dilantin, Depekote....you name it. Find a doctor that is willing to work with you and has a strong enough education to do so. Good luck!
This article sort of ended abruptly, eh? I was looking forward to reading more. I currently take Lamictal for Bipolar disorder. (antiepileptic med) This drug, as do many other drugs, reduces the effectiveness of birth control (actually, almost eliminates the effectiveness). Scary thought, since my doctor has practically forbidden me to become pregnant while taking it. (Increased risk of cleft lip/pallate) The names of these "safe"(er) drugs would be appreciated by many, myself included.
RE: lamictal
No worries, I took Lamictal throughout my two pregnancies with no problems. I was even able to exclusively breastfeed both. They are now 5 and 7 years old and perfectly healthy!!! ONLY word of caution is drug effectiveness decreases as you gain weight during pregnancy. I took it for seizures so it was particularly important to have frequent level checks before and after pregnancy. They may need to increase med while pregnant and taper back down after you lose baby weight. Any questions feel free to email me. Take care!!!
Hi Stacey,
I took Lamictal during both of my pregnancies and my children turned out perfect. I was even on a dose of 1600 mg a day in my third trimesters because the higher blood volume decreased the concentration of medication in my body. Lamictal has a very small risk of cleft palate/lip, which I believe is less than 1% (8.9 out of a 1,000 births). Given that both are cosmetic, you should not worry about it. Just make sure to get your levels checked frequently. I was also able to breastfeed both kids without any issues because the benefit of breast milk is greater than the risk to the baby.
Also, I believe that Keppra is another one of the less harmful drugs.
A big question with any of these drugs is whether they are the safest of alternatives for a given condition. This is especially true when a drug is taken during pregnancy, where the person being affected is an unborn (soo to be born) child. For example, the mentions of Topamax being associated with cleft lip or palate when taken by a mother during the first trimester of pregnancy. Recent data shows this to be as much as 3 times more of a risk than other anti-epileptic drugs and as much as 20 times more of a risk compared to no drug at all. So if Topmax were being taken for migraine headaches, or if there are other AEDs that would be euqally effective, then perhaps that would not be the best choice. As as to the mention of Laictal in another comment to this post, 8.9% is not so wonderful compared to the general population having 1:700 risk of cleft palate, which is a much lower risk. So again, one needs to look at why it is being taken and whether their are safer alterantives. All of these are questions to be asked withyour doctor and for decisions to be made with your doctor by wieghing the risks and benefits to the mother and the unborn child.
correction to the above 8.9:1000 or about 1% is much higher than 1:700 in the general population!
My daughter was on topamax the entire time she was pregnant. The neurologist was very concerned but she was three months pregnant before she new so he went ahead and kept her on the medication since he didn't know of a better choice and she suffers from grand mal seizures. The little boy is now five years old and had no birth defects or any learning disabilties. A very smart little boy and we are so glad she did not listen to the doctors who kept telling her abortion was an option.
I had a son in 2005 and was taking keppra and zonegran during my pregnancy. He is 5 now and has delayed learning and motor skills no drug is truly safe.
I was taking depokote back in the 90s had both of my children oldest had a breast never develope my son now 14 has cognative development issues not bad but still there, I'am now 41 got pregnant (surprise) 6 weeks in had a misscarriage, first time i ever had a problem carrying oh ya i now take zonegran
Unfortunately, I feel that this is something in five years that they will find incorrect like so many other things.
I wonder how many meds at a low MG are ok for a man or woman in case the Girlfriend or Wife gets pregnant? I have a hand full of friends that were on around 100mg of tegretol and there were no birth deffects at all. But since I take Tegretol, Zonegran, Lamictal, Phenobarbital, and Ativan after every seizure. Is it OK to become a father if I ever got married.
You still take Phenobarbital? That is an evil drug for mood swings. I took Phenobarbital in the 80s as a young teenager and quickly took myself off of it regardless of the consequences.
I am 4 mo along in my second pregnancy and taking 150 mg of Topamax twice a day and 1500 mg of Keppra in the morning and 2000 mg of Keppra at night. My Dr.s gave me the go ahead to get pregnant and they kept at very close eye on me through this pregnancy. I've had 4 ultrasounds so far and they say the baby looks great
I've also had to get my med. levels checked once a month because they say the Keppra levels can drop fast. I was on Dilantin with my daughter which is a much worse drug to be on, but I wasn't trying to get pregnant with her. She is now 5 and has no issues, in fact her teachers say she is at the top of her class. You never really know what is going to happen do you?
It sounds somewhat similar to what I experienced with my daughter. I took carbatrol while pregnant, and took extra follic acid daily. I also took omega 3 pills too. I can recall having my dr tell me that it was too late in pregnancy if I had wanted to prevent anything, if it was going to happen, it would have, this was during my first visit with my current neurologist. Today, my daughter is one of the top 2 students in her class. Last year we were told that she was to be in the gifted and talented program. We have been told too that she is reading at an almost 3rd grade level. She is only in kindergarten.
Hmm... I was hoping there would be a bit more to this article. To those of you taking lamictal, would you mind sharing how many mg's you take / day. I currently take 75mg, 2x/day. My husband and I hope to have kids in the not-to-distant future, but I can't help but have some concerns. I have talked to my doctors {both neurologist and ob}, but it really helps to hear from people that are actually on the medication.
Mel...
150 mg/day seems like a very low dose. I'm on Lamotrigine 400 mg/day. I'm not planning or in a position to get pregnant at the moment, but am very concerned about contraception. Any advice on this issue? What is the safest option? It sure seems to be a double edged sword...the worry about getting pregnant while on medication, and then there is the issue of the combination of anti-epileptics + birth control.
Mel, I am now pregnant with my second child and I am taking Lamictal 100mg twice a day. I am in my 2nd month of pregnancy. I did the same thing with my first and she is happy and healthy. I did have preclampsia and had to give birth to her 1 month early but my neuro says that may have had nothing to do with taking this drug. They dont really know why women get preclampsia. Anyways, I just wanted to let you know that you should plan on having a fabulous life with children while taking lamictal. Just get your levels checked often. And you can breastfeed as well. Good luck.
Mel, I started out at 600 mg of Lamictal a day and by my 3rd trimester (with both kids), I was on 1600 mg. Both my children are healthy and bright. I suggest that you take a look at the AED Registry through Mass General for more information. Having correct information and taking charge of your health are key to a healthy pregnancy. I also encourage women to join the registry when they become pregnant. http://www2.massgeneral.org/aed/
My biggest suggestion is to find a good OB and Neurologist to help manage your care. A LOT of Neurologists do not specialize in Epilepsy and are largely ignorant about current evidence and treatment. Those are the ones who stupidly tell women not to have children, or to get abortions. Believe me, I went to one in CA and he said some horrible things. I promptly chewed him out, told him to either never see women with this condition, or actually get educated before opening his mouth, and left his office. That jerk was not worthy of my co-pay!
I wish you the best.
Toni
i know how you feel i am taking 100mg twice a day. i pray everyday that my baby comes out safe and healthy
Hi Mel,
I was on 750 mgs Lamictal daily and wanted to share that my daughter was born 2weeks ago and she is beautiful and healthy. My doctors kept a close eye and had several ultrasounds and all has been great. I wish you the best when or if you have already gotten pregnant.
I took dilantin during both of my pregnancies and they came out ok. However, they did not mention on how the second generation would affect lactation. Would the mother still be able to breast feed the baby?
I've had 2 children now, the first one I had I was on Tegratol, and I was taking 400mg a day. no problems there, except a scare with the pregnancy... could've happened to anyone. The second one 12 years later I am on Topamax 400mg a day, and no problems at all...I had to make sure I ate enough, and kept my fluids in me took my vitamins, like extra folic acid, and calcium. Other than that baby came out healthy, and is developing normal. No malformations, right on schedule with development just a doll, and so much fun! he is 5 months old now.
Has anyone taken Felbatol during pregancy?
Has anyone taken Depakote during pregnancy?
I'm on Depakote and don't plan on having kids for a few more years but since it is valproic acid it is known for being the worst drug for birth defects. However, I tried switching to lamictal and carbamezapine and only had allergic reactions to both so after weighing the other options, my doctor says it's safer for me to stay on it than try to go off it. My dosage is 500 mg/day which is really low, though, and research is showing that 1000 mg/day is the minimum dosage for increased rate of birth defects. I am on a prescribed dosage of folic acid as well. Talk to your doctor now and start weighing the risks. All AEDs have increased rate of birth defects so you just need to determine what your own course of action is.
I was on Depakote for almost 12 years and I really want kids. And my neurologist had told me that Depakote is probably the worst one because it affects your kidneys and liver so much. But I have recently switched over to Keppra, and yes it doesn't stay in your system so you can't forget to take it, but that's why it's much better for you. They have just came out with an extened release Keppra, it's so new that some pharamcys may not have it, but it's worth looking into.
Susanna, I delivered a beautiful, perfect baby girl after a closely monitored pregnancy on Depakote and Topamax for JME 15 mos ago. With Depakote, the trick is to take A LOT of folic acid because of the increased risk of neural tube defects and even that isn't foolproof, but it does decrease your risks substantially. Our daughter is a miracle, every day, and I am endlessly thankful to my neuro and maternal-fetal specialist for shepherding us through the process.
I was on 600mg of lamictal/day during my entire pregnancy with my son. My nuerologist also put me on a high dose of folic acid (which reduces the chance of birth defects). My son is now a healthy 10 month old in the 90% of his growth & developing on time. Get you levels checked all the time, and I saw a maternal fetal medicine specialist & got ultrasounds monthly. BUT, I suggest you talk to your dr's before you try to get pregnant...it's always better to start talking levels & dosages w/ your dr to take precautionary measures.
I was on carbetrol for all three of my kids and a very large dose. My pregnancies all went very smooth and now I have three beautiful girls. The only thing was that I could not breast feed them and I had to have a lot more tests done for my medicine levels. You know, there are people who have children with problems who take no medicine at all, too.
I was on depakote when i found out i was pregnant and didnt switch to keppra (1,000 mg 2x day) until i was about 3 months pregnant. My son will be 4 in July and is about to be diagnosed with pdd-nos, a mild type of autism. There are no safe drugs to take while your pregnant and was not made aware that even with keppra my son could have defect, physical or mental. I was made aware that I could not stay on depakote because it was dnagerous for the baby.
I want to just give you a bit of encouragement that it might not have been your epilepsy meds that caused your son's condition. My son was just diagnosed with that same problem and I was not taking any drugs of any kind during his pregnancy. In fact, he was my healthiest pregnancy of all 4 of my children. He was #2. Sometimes those types of things just "happen" without any explanation as to why. It as probably not something you did, often times it isn't something the mother does that effects the baby in-utero. However, I know that it can make us nervous to think "what is going to happen" when we have to take meds in pregnancy. I just recently had to start taking epilepsy meds again for the last pregnancy and am very nervous about it. I wasn't on epilepsy meds for any other pregnancies and I still have a son who is developmentally delayed. I am on Keppra and zonegran. I'm hoping to find an alternative to meds to treat my epilepsy, like vitamin supplements. Anyone have success with these?
My daughter took lamictal and zonegran during her pregnancy. My 2 1/2 year old granddaughter was born healthy and of course beautiful and seems have no developmental effects. My daughter did however still have a couple of seizures during her pregnancy and one the night after she delivered. But bottom line, seems the meds didn't hurt the baby.
im 25 and suffer from generalised or 'gran mal' epilepsy. My case has been noted as severe. Im taking Lamictin 200mg twice a day. Topomax 200mg twice a day. Urbanol and Zoloft. I have had to start a special diet nw too. I spoke to my Neurologist about falling pregnant and he said that compared to sum1 who is not taking and anti-epileptic drug (they have a 2% chance for birth defects) i hav a 6% chance becoz i am on 2 meds. Im on high doses of folic acid and vit b. Take these 6 months b4 u plan to fall pregnant. If u are planning on falling pregnant – Its better to stay on ur full dose than to reduce before and then increase after the 1st trimester. The effects of a seizur will do more damage to ur unborn child than the medication wil. Each case is different though.
My Wife doesn't have seizures but I do, ok we had One Beautiful Boy who is now 5yrs old, and I'm on more meds a day plus a VNS Therapy than most of you. My life and kid is great no problems with our son doc. say. He knows sign lang. read books and he's in VPK now top of his class smart kid. I a Dad and I work with him at hm I can work anymore because how bad my Seizures are but I will help others. Life’s not fast food-you can't expect it handed to you.
It’s good to see proactive medical research on this issue. Many pregnant women have taken Topamax, and subsequently, their babies suffered birth defects like a cleft lip and cleft palate – (according to http://www.Topamaxbirthdefecthelp.com/ ) I hope research and development of the medications can help give the women the treatment they need as well as protect and nurture the development of the pregnancies. Regards, SK
My wife is on Lamictal and Keppra. The pregnancy was a big surprise, but we couldn't be happier! She is now at 16 weeks. We reduced her Lamictal from 750 mg/day to about half that, and are slowly ramping it back up as her seizures have increased, alot. We are still scared of birth defects, and are hoping for some reassurance from other folks that have had babies while taking these two medicines. Thanks!
Jason, in 1991 I was on Keppra and tegretol, my son was born very healthy. I was considered high risk, and also I did put on 50 lbs, which didn't even effect the drugs, so I was happy.
I took Zonegran through two pregnancies and now have a 3.5 year old and an 8 month old. Both were easy great pregnancies and deliveries. Both are beautiful perfect children with no apparent difficulties and are as smart as they come. I was worried with the first one, but after a great experience, didn't worry as much the second time. Have I gotten fortunate or do the meds not affect, still not sure, but I'm very lucky.
As you pointed out there are limitations in the study, like the example of Topamax which has been linked to an increased risk of oral birth defects. It is encouraging that there is heightened attention to treatment for epilepsy but women, especially should be vigilant in learning the risks and discussing their treatment options with their health care provider.
I'm on Topamax and on Lamictal and although I'm not planning on getting pregnant and I'm on birth control I do know that accidents happen and I want a healthy baby and it scares the crap out of me knowing that I can end up with an unhealthy baby because of the medicines I'm on!
i am on topamax, keppra and VNS eventually i plan on having kids my doctor said i will need to go off the topamax and possible go on vipamax has any one heard about side effects from this medicine i know it is fairly new? I am tring to get some info
my daughter takes Vimpat and keppra, anyone know anything about Vimpat??? Kathie
I am epileptic and have been since i was 8 years old, I have had 3 children and pregnant now with my fourth chilld i am so thankful for my children they are a true blessing i came to find out while i am pregnant i dont have seizures.... my first pregnancy i took depakote and decided after all the news came out about taking it while being pregnant i decided with my second pregnancy i wasnt going to take any meds while being pregnant and i have still not had a seizure while being pregnant i am glad they have come up with something for people that needs it no matter what after i start weening my children is when the seizures start back up and ke[pra is what i have been on inbetween pregnancies and i like it the most and have been on several different meds i dont care for. good luck to you all! and god bless
congratulation with your successful pregnancies. I just felt i could ask you for advice. i hope thats alright. im 22 going on two years of marriage and we want a baby and im on vimpat 100mg and lamictol 100mg i only take both once a day. have you taken any of these during your pregnancies?or know any other moms? i need all the help i can get because i just might be pregnant. if these arent good tell me because im not let these little pills stop me from having a beautiful future. God Bless!!!!!
@ kristen there are several meds out there that are safe and they call a "class c" is the lowest class they will give a pregnant woman they wanted me to stay on the kepra xr but since i dont have them i dont take the chances but if i did thats what i would take or if i do heaven forbid i would start taking it again as being pregnant.
i'm on topamax and dilantin. i've heard recently about the birth defects from using topamax. i plan on having children someday, and would like to know what medications i can use during pregnancy that are safe and that have the least side affects. thanx! =]
Hello,
Wonderful thing, it's really what I am looking for! http://lyricdating.webng.com/endless-love-mariah-carey.html.
Here you will find pictures, articles on the topic Whilst she had no desire to date both of the men who contacted her, there were quite a few she was interested in and she began a dating speech to act any singleton jealous.She then struck up an online relationship with someone who lived 100 miles from her.After exchanging more emails and chatting on the telecommunicate, she definite to fill him.Patently, the interval didna^? erasure love to hate you bonnie raitt cant make you love me.
Here you will find pictures, articles on the topic t kind the relation model but the face was there and she enjoyed 6 months dating someone with similar interests, shared impractical weekends unitedly and had a fantastic pass.Thom he didna^?t metamorphose out to be a^?the onea^?, when I asked if she regretted connection an online dating situation her work was Definitely not!.
hewitt jennifer layout love bird love pied blige game hate it it j love mary.
Thanks.
i am 18 weeks pregnant and i take 100mg twice a day. i go to the doctor every 4 weeks. so far eveything is going good. i am just scared i will have my baby early. please email me if you have any information.
Hello,
It's very promising site. http://lovezta.110mb.com/by-francine-love-redeeming-river.html. Here you can explore the photos, articles on the topic If you have a slight idea of how these sites work, you should know that there are more to these services than meets the eye.You should rid of the idea that once you sign up, you will be forced to like everyone you meet.A dating website can provide you an excellent opportunity to get to meet people from all over.However, you are not in any way obligated to meet them. bobbie burgers realm of love courtney flavor goldie love.
Here you can explore the images, materials, articles by topic You can connect only to those who would like, choose the people you prefer, and meet only the ones you are ready to meet.One of the main attracting factors about free online dating service sites is that they offer anonymity.The person at the other end of the line hardly ever knows you such that you can be as brave and as bold as you can.You can share everything you would like, and get to know others.With free dating sites, you will get the chance to know many people – something that is hardly ever possible in real life..
sailor moon dvd love conquers all
affair butterfly insect long love obsession our singular.
Thanks.
Im taking vimpat and lamictol and trying to get pregnant/might already be,does anyone have advice? or has anyone gone through a pregnancy on these before......i need advice
I have had 4 children whilst taking Sodium Valproate (Epilim) and Epanutin. I was not told of any risks other than spina bifida and hare lip/cleft palate, when i found out I was pregnant with my 3rd then 4th child I was not worried as i had 2 happy and healthy children already. However, as they have got older problems have appeared one of my children is now registered disabled with crohn's, mobility problems, hypermobility, and mental health issues. The 2 youngest have a diagnosis of Fetal AntiConvulsant Syndrome, with Autism being part of that. I now help run 2 charities that help support families with children affected by antiepileptic medication across the world, The Organisation for AntiConvulsant Syndrome and Fetal AntiConvulsant trust. We have our own medical advisors and are working to raise awareness. However, you need to seek medical advise and NOT just stop taking any medication you may be on.
The email address for OACs i s http://www.oacs-uk.co.uk
The big difference between valproate (Depakote) and the other meds is that it cannot be processed by the foetus. Other drugs pass through the baby but valproate crosses the placenta and is then stays there. This teratogenic mechanism is similar in alcohol and cocaine. If I had known this before pregnancy I would have changed medication much sooner in preparation for pregnancy. My daughter appeared perfect at birth but later showed signs of developmental delay which will affect her all her life. Many statistics fail to show this as they rely on evidence of physical defects at birth and not followup at one year.
i m on lamatical 5o mg 2 times my first baby expired a month ago she was having a problem of cloacal malfunction she was 3 yrs old i missed her alot she was the only baby now im planning 2nd baby should i take lamatical during pregnancy plz plz if anybody has adivce do tell me are there any sideeffects of this medicine on baby because i didn't take my medicine during pregnancy and i have two major seizure during pregnancy so plz plz advice me.
I do believe all of the concepts you've introduced for your post. They are very convincing and can definitely work. Nonetheless, the posts are too quick for beginners. Could you please lengthen them a bit from subsequent time? Thanks for the post.
Hi, I'm taking 200mg day of Dilantin and would be interested to hear more stories/advice from people in similar situation... I have a condition similar to epilepsy and cannot stop taking meds... Would you say Dilantin is one of the worst or not so bad to keep taking whilst trying to get pregnant? Also, how much folic acid do you recommend? Thank you
Well im very glad your luck was better then mine and my husbands. I was on Keppra my entire pregnancy with my son and he died inside me at 37 weeks! when they delivered him they discovered he had cleft lip pallet and down syndrom, the birth defects were so very sever it killed him at 37 weeks a long. I had a normal pregnancy before him with my daughter who is now 4 and perfectly healthy but i was not on any medication. Not trying to scare anyone but just putting a warning out there for anyone who is told its safe there is a chance it is not safe. My husband and i had to cremate our son its not anything that anyone who would want to go threw this.
I'm 21 years old with epilepsy. On 300mg's of lamotrigine a day.I want to conceive but I'm scared because I do not want to harm my child during my delivery. For those of you who were on lamotrigine while pregnant, did you take colic acid while taking lamotrigine? Or did you just take it by it's self?
I mention folic
I actually found out I had epilepsy WHILE pregnant with my second child. First pregnancy was fine and my daughter was born happy and healthy. I have a strong line of epilepsy on my mothers side, and when I was pregnant the second time I started having grand mals in my sleep. I was having absence and myoclonic seizures for a couple years but didnt know what they were and didnt think much of it until I was diagnosed. I was put on Keppra in the second trimester. I was treated for preterm labor twice, and at 37 weeks was told the baby had stopped growing so I had an emergency c-section the next day. I forgot to mention once I started the keppra the seizures did stop, but I had a hard time adjusting to it and the side effects. My daughter was born at 37 weeks at 4 lbs 12 oz 18.5 in. The doc said my placenta was pretty much dead and worn out but didnt know if it was from the keppra or not. My daughter had severe colic for 10 months, and at 8 months was diagnosed with hypotonia (low muscle tone). she had therapy for a year and finally was able to walk around 17 months. Other than that she is ok now, I dont know if the keppra caused the hypotonia or not. She also had some autistic behaviors when she was around one, ( rocking back and forth, hand flapping, ect.) but at that age it was too early to dectect something like that and eventually she grew out of them. Now she is a perfectly happy 2 year old but very...feisty
. we want to try for a third child soon but I will need to adjust my meds first because as soon as she was born I was started on an IV of depakote. I just worry that I will have trouble again, but I gotta stay positive!
Hi this is Radha,
I am having partial epilepsy. In last 3 years I have 3 seizers.
The one in 2010 was due to less sleep, actually I had to take a flight
at 6 in morning and I got up at 4 in morning so had one. Second one
was in 2011 June when i missed my medicine. Third one just in this
month on 10th Dec'12.The reason was I took Azithol (to get rid of
pimples from my face).
I am currently taking 200 MG (Lemitor ) +Frisium 5 MG+ Epilex Syrup (5
ML)Need your advice as I am planning to go for pregnancy . Your advice
will be really appreciated.
I am on lamical and zonegran and wanting to get pregnant but am unsure how it they would effect the baby. I just started lamical a year ago and was on tops pax before that. Is what I'm ok or should I switch?
I have had gmals for over 30 years now. My doctor says I take the dosage of a baby(dilantin300mg,& keppra 400mg). Would this be safe during pregnancy?
I have epilepsy, and take dilantin 100 mg's per night plus ortho-tri cyclen (birth control). I found out yesterday that I am pregnant. I have an appt. with my neurologist next week, and was wondering what meds are the safest to take during pregnancy. I've heard horrible things about dilantin, but my doc wants me to keep taking it because the benefit outweighs the risk. Any info about other meds would greatly be appreciated!!