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is it okay to become pregnant while on anti-epeltic meds?
Fri, 10/20/2006 - 19:24Topic: Women With Epilepsy
Hi. I am 23 and was diag @ 3yrs ago with tonic clonis seizures. (but i have also had the petit mal seizures too.) i JUST now made 7 months no seizures. I have heard so many different things about how it's not safe to be pregnant if you have seizures...and how you it's not safe to take ANY medication while being pregnant. expecially anti-epileptic meds. so what do you do? what do you say? last year my neuro said since i was in childbearing age, he started me on folic acid just incase we "accidentally" got pregnant. then he told me that trileptal was not safe, and he wanted to try me on lamictal since my seizures weren't controlled with just the trileptal. so he wanted to try and get me off the trileptal and just on lamictal since it's supposedly safer. well once my trileptal dose got too low -- the seizures started up again. i absolutely hate having epilepsy!! so anyways, i am STILL on trileptal and lamictal. i want to have a baby within the next couple of years but am scared i will start with the seizures again and that will affect the pregnancy, or worse the meds will hurt the baby. i hope someone can give me some advice or support. i don't know anyone else who is around my age and has epilepsy. it's not in my family at all. and the dr's say i developed it from a blow to the head i got (and never went to the hospital for) a couple of years ago. please help me!!!!!!!!!
thanks, akayn
Comments
Re: Re: Re: is it okay to become pregnant while on anti-epeltic
Submitted by crashandburn on Sat, 2006-10-21 - 14:33
I didn't know I was having seizures until my gran mal seizure with my 2nd child. So yes, I was having seizures daily and more than once a day. I was 8 mos pregnant with my 2nd when I was diagnosed. I'm not sure what medication I was on during my 3rd pregnancy. I'm guessing dilantin. The doctors reccomended going off medication for the first 3 months. Remember, when you find out that you are pregnant you are 6-8 weeks along already. I lasted about 3 weeks or so without meds.
Each medication is different and most of them pose a risk of some kind. While pregnant with my 3rd the doctors said that I should consider not having any more children. I did some serious thinking and praying and felt that it was right for me even though I was only 23 at the time. Later I was diagnosed with being bipolar and the meds for that are just as bad or worse for pregnancy and I can't go off of those medications.
Trileptal didn't work for me so I got off. I am hoping Lamictal will work and I can get off the dilantin. Talk with your doctors, your husband, and think of your situation. I say women can have babies even with epilepsy. But, you have to consider each circumstance individualy.
I have never been totally seizure free. I have driven but am not doing so now.
Re: is it okay to become pregnant while on anti-epeltic meds?
Submitted by gretat on Fri, 2006-10-20 - 20:43
Hi Akayn,
Pregnancy and Meds - I had to reply to you. From everything I have heard and read, you are safe being pregnant on seizure meds, but talk to your doctor about precautions like vitamin K later in month 7 and also an amniocentesis in month 4. Of course it is natural to worry. You are not alone. I am 33 and have petit mal seizures. I was on Depakote (which controlled my seizures), but when I wanted to have children my neurologist put me on Trileptal 1800 mg and Folic acid 5 mg. Trileptal has caused drowsiness and weight gain in me and doesn't really control my seizures. Lamictal didn't control my seizures either. Had 5 miscarriages while on Trileptal and the top specialists in the country can't find anything wrong with me except to say that women on seizure drugs tend to have more miscarriages and to "keep trying". (We are happily in the process of adopting.) This is not to say that this will happen to every woman! I started my wean onto Keppra today, so I am hoping that works. Maybe you can ask your doctor about Keppra, which my neurologist says is one of the safer drugs to get pregnant on. Good luck to you! 90% of women with seizures have happy, healthy babies!
Re: Re: is it okay to become pregnant while on anti-epeltic meds
Submitted by akayn11803 on Sat, 2006-10-21 - 12:01
i DEFINATELY believe that things happen for a reason and you should never question god. and if i were to have a handicapped child, i'm with you --- it would be loved just the same, no matter what. just to have a child, would be the greatest joy, and gift to me. so can i ask you a question. did you have any seizures during your first 2 pregnancies? and you were or were not on meds with those pregnancies?? see i'm scared to get off my meds. my dr's have told me that trileptal is not safe ( and i just got a reply from a woman saying she had miscarriges on that med) so they've added lamictal and tried toi get me off trileptal, but every time my seizures start again. i'm scared to get off trileptal. i just made 7 months no seizures for the first time in like 3 yrs! and am now able to drive since 3 yrs (also....are you driving) but i would try anything if i could have a baby. my world is just spinning and i have so many ?'s and worries. i would like to start trying in 1 yr when my husband and i are 24. do you know of any good sites to research this topic?? thanks for your reply!