keppra&birth control pill work together?

[seetseet]

llhappy easter all of you awesome (chocolate deserving) people
I just saw on my keppra leaflet/info note that keppra doesn't affect the birth control pill! The reason for my exclaimation mark is the fact my GP said back in 2012 when I started taking keppra (&no other meds then&now) that they dont work together.
I will absolutely be confirming this with my neuro next week after the holidays, but i am far too excited to wait until then::
What do you know about keppra (only)+the birth control pill? Do they work together????
Many thanks ahead of time ♡

 

[Nakamova]

Your GP was mistaken -- Keppra does not interfere with the effectiveness of hormonal birth control, and hormonal birth control does not interfere with the effectiveness of Keppra.

Me I use an IUD, so I never have to worry about med interactions.

 

[Belinda5000]

The pill is going to be less effective while ur on Kepra or any aeds and that is a fact.
Ask your pharmacist about it if you want facts. Let the guy wear a rain coat if u get serious.

 

[Nakamova]

The pill is going to be less effective while ur on Kepra or any anti-epileptic drugs and that is a fact.

Many of the meds are problematic with birth control, but Keppra isn't one of them.

One group of anti-seizure drugs is known as "liver enzyme-inducing" drugs. They increase the rate at which the liver breaks down the contraceptive hormones that you get from birth control. This means that the contraception medication will leave your body faster. Liver enzyme-inducing drugs include carbamazepine (Tegretol, Carbatrol), oxcarbazepine (Trileptal), phenytoin (Dilantin), phenobarbital (Luminal), primidone (Mysoline), eslicarbazepine acetate (Aptiom), and topiramate (Topamax). If you are taking one of these drugs, it can make your hormonal birth control less effective.
Two drugs -- valproate (Depakote) and felbamate (Felbatol) -- can even increase hormonal levels. If you are on one of these drugs, your doctor may need to adjust the dosage of your birth control so that you don't have too much of the contraceptive in your body.
Finally, there are "neutral" drugs which don't have any effect on hormone breakdown. Gabapentin (Neurontin), lamotrigine (Lamictal), levetiracetam (Keppra), clobazam, clonazepam, ethosuximide, Lyrica, sodium valproate, Zonegran, and tiagabine (Gabitril) will not interfere with your birth control.

http://www.webmd.com/epilepsy/guide/birth-control-women-epilepsy

 

[Frink]

It's all about the Cytochrome P450 enzymes the liver produces to break down the drugs we take. Some aed's as listed in Nakamovas post above make the liver produce certain CYP-450 enzymes that are the same enzymes used to break down hormones like birth control pills or those produced naturally.

The increase in these enzymes caused by some AED's is not selective in that it does not differentiate between the drugs it metabolizes and the hormones it metabolizes, so when the drug increases the enzyme in the blood that increased circulating enzyme also breaks down circulating hormones making birth control less effective.

Some drugs are not metabolized by the cytochrome P450 enzymes.

Keppra is largely passed through the kidneys and out in the urine unchanged, not metabolized at all.
Keppra is partially metabolized through enzymatic hydrolysis outside of the cytochrome P450 enzyme group actions and therefore should have no effect on birth control.

If you have catamenial epilepsy estrogen based birth control could make your seizures worse.

https://books.google.com/books?id=n...ved=0ahUKEwil_ey2nN_LAhWEbB4KHbnODzYQ6AEIIjAA

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cytochrome_P450

 

[valeriedl]

I was on Keppra, plus some other epilepsy meds, and Depo-Provera (the shot) for a 7 years and never had any problems. I talked to my gyno and neuro about it and both said it would be ok.

After having epilepsy for 7 years I decided to have a hysterectomy because I didn't want to have children. It took a year of me asking the gyno to do it because he said that he didn't like to give woman my age, 26 at the time, a hysterectomy because their young. But finally he did give me one.

I didn't notice any changes in my seizures or anything else after I stopped taking the Depo and had the surgery. I didn't have to make any changes to my epilepsy meds either.

 

[seetseet]

...after going down to the local pharmacy, and getting a it-might-spike-The-Pill's-side-effects-but-Iam-unsure-check-with-your-GP-again-or-preferably-your-neurologist answer from the Pharmacist , I ended up calling my Neuro uesterday, who called me back today saying that it was fine to use Keppra and The Pill together, so WOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOO for seet hehe
***please note, I will update here if I end up being moribly obese, pregnant or with extra seizures hehe, ahhh love this life right hehe

 

[masterjen]

Somewhat relevant to this thread is this study: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/308512.php
But note that it is only ONE study. It should serve as a point of further research for you, seetseet, as well as discussion with your neurologist.

Also the following study: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/308759.php adds support to what Nakamova found on webmd.

 

[Frink]

Somewhat relevant to this thread is this study: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/308512.php .

Interesting article. Seems weird that it took them until 2016 to realize that estrodiol could cause seizures.
For decades we have known that estrogens cause seizures and between estrone and estrodiol, estrodiol has a stronger affinity at the receptor site than estrone (10-100X).

We have also known that the sterones (progesterone and testosterone) can slow or stop seizures, it is the whole basis of catemenial epilepsy.

Since 2008 cutting estrogen's, especially estrodiol, and boosting testosterone is what controls my seizures while no AED's help at all.

So based on this "new" information, if you are sensitive to estrogen's, using an estrodiol based birth control "may" cause an increase in seizures and you may wish to consider a different form of birth control such as a levonorgestrel based pill or implant or an IUD.

 

[klewlis]

Found this thread searching for birth control info. Haven't read the studies linked but will check them out when I get home tonight.

I *think* my seizures may be hormonally affected but it's not really consistent so I'm not sure. I am on Keppra. Asked the neuro whether going back on the pill would be ok and he said yes. But I'm a bit nervous that it may make my seizures worse. :/


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[valeriedl]

Were you on it then stopped taking it and your seizures reduced or weren't as bad? If so then something could possibly happen.

Everyone is different with meds and how they interact with each other. It's something that you might just have to do and see what happens.

 

[klewlis]

I've been off the pill for two years and my seizures just started within the past year. So I don't know if it will affect or not. And I'm still trying to sort out management and meds and stuff. :/


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