Am I Crazy?

[KellyD]

When I was first diagnosed with Complex Partial Seizures earlier this year and prescribed Tegretol, my first question was "how will the medicine affect my breast fed baby?" I was told by my neurologist that although the tegretol does pass into the breast milk it was the safest drug for breast feeding and that he would be fine. I also checked this with our paediatrician who also said it's "absolutely fine". After a couple of weeks of a super drowsy baby I checked again with the neurologist who said the effects should wear off as they will with me once the body gets used to it. After another re-check with the paediatrician it was decided it was time to wean my boy and put him on formula. He was on formula for about a month before I noticed the strange episodes on his change table that were eventually diagnosed as absent seizures and it was about 2 months after that he had his first tonic seizure and diagnosed with epilepsy. All his scans are clear and there is no known cause for his epilepsy so I can't help but wonder did the tegretol he received through the breast milk somehow mess with his brain activity so that once he stopped receiving it through the breast milk it resulted in him having seizures? I have since read that taking tegretol can be dangerous while breast feeding but the article I read didn't say how it is dangerous. If anyone has any information on this it would be much appreciated!

 

[darkmarkshark]

I did some research and it looks like tegretol should only cause him to develop seizures if you took it while pregnant. For breast feeding, the real danger is to his liver. His drowsiness is a common side effect

There are genetic forms of epilepsy so he may have just inherited it. Most idiopathic epilepsy is believed to be genetically caused

Did you ask about him having withdrawal side effects from your weaning him?

 

[RobinN]

For breast feeding, the real danger is to his liver. His drowsiness is a common side effect

a damaged liver could most definitely cause seizures. Toxins in the liver that are not able to be processed out...

Any vaccinations while all this was occurring?

 

[KellyD]

His vaccinations were all up to date at the time, none were given around the time it all started. Nobody was really concerned about any withdrawals either as I had only been on it a few weeks. Him and I are the only ones with epilepsy in my side of the family, my husbands brother has epilepsy and like me was only diagnosed in his late 20s a couple of years ago. Thanks for your replies, I would hate for it to have been caused by something I did.