Epilepsy & Pregnancy

Welcome to the Coping With Epilepsy Forums

Welcome to the Coping With Epilepsy forums - a peer support community for folks dealing (directly or indirectly) with seizure disorders. You can visit the forum page to see the list of forum nodes (categories/rooms) for topics.

Please have a look around and if you like what you see, please consider registering an account and joining the discussions. When you register an account and log in, you may enjoy additional benefits including no ads, access to members only (ie. private) forum nodes and more. Registering an account is free - you have nothing to lose!

Lizzy630

New
Messages
8
Reaction score
0
Points
0
Hello,
This past weekend I received the shock of my life by being told I was pregnant. I've been on BC forever, and my husband had testicular cancer when he was younger which decreased his chances quite a bit. So it really is an amazing surprise.

My question is, what is the safest med to take? I'm on lamictal because my last doctor said it was the best way to go. I recently moved, and went to see my new dr today. I take 200 mg twice a day. He wants to decrease it to 150mg, and possibly take me completely off. Does this sound crazy to anyone? I don't have many seizures, it seems when they have happened, I've been sick at the time. That's the only "connection" they can find, EEGS never show anything.

I'm just wondering if it is a normal idea, I know about the birth defect chances. But is being on meds more harmful or an actual seizure??

Just wanted some input, it's a scary but exciting time right now.
 
Hi Lizzy630,

First of all -- I moved your post to "The Kitchen," where epilepsy-related threads go.
Second -- Congratulations on the pregnancy! I hope you are taking folic acid along with other pregnancy vitamins -- it's very important to do so if you are on anti-seizure meds.
Third -- A large research study published in 2011 concluded that taking a newer anti-epilepsy medicines -- lamotrigine (lamictal), oxcarbazepine, topiramate, gabapentin, or levetiracetam -- while pregnant was NOT associated with an increased risk of having a baby with a major birth defect (neural tube defects such as spina bifida, facial defects, and congenital heart defects). So Lamictal is considered relatively safe. There ARE things that can make it tricky, including the way Lamictal's blood serum levels can potentially change as your estrogen levels fluctuate during the pregnancy.

The decision about whether to stay on medication or taper off should be made in conjunction with your OB/GYN and your neurologist. The three of you need to weigh the risks of having a seizure while pregnant against any risks associated with being on medication while pregnant and/or breastfeeding. It partly depends on the kind of seizure you have -- for instance, simple partial seizures present less physical danger than seizures where you lose consciousness or have impaired awareness. Another factor may be what kinds of things trigger your seizures -- some women are more vulnerable to the hormonal fluctuations of pregnancy and it can make there seizures worse.

Whatever you decide, you should make sure to monitor closely how you feel, and get in touch with your doctors if you have any concerns.

Here are some CWE threads that might be helpful:
http://www.coping-with-epilepsy.com/forums/f42/if-youre-thinking-getting-pregnant-9721/
http://www.coping-with-epilepsy.com/forums/f23/lamotrigine-epilepsy-drugs-birth-defects-497/
 
Back
Top Bottom