Lamotrigine and contraception

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!

J

JaneC

New
Messages
315
Reaction score
0
Points
0
Ok, so my nearly 17-year-old daughter is considering embarking on a sexual relationship with her boyfriend. We had this conversation today and I remained very calm because I want to show I'm pleased she can talk to me. Inside, I'm silently screaming NO! Not my baby! Lol.

Any way, not the point, which actually lies in the fact she tales lamotrigine and therefore the pill is no use to her. Obviously we'll be getting professional advice but what do they know, I'd rather hear about other options from people who've been in this situation, if they are willing to share. Thanks in advance x
 
I have the Mirena IUD, and before that I had the Paraguard IUD. Both worked fine for me.
 
From what I understand it only lowers the effectiveness of the contraceptive pill, it doesn't make it totally useless. A GP can prescribe a contraceptive pill that will be be 'stronger' (not the right terminology I know but it's too early to think properly). Consult your doctor there will be a contraceptive pill she can try. In combination with condoms she should be okay.

You're very lucky she trusts you enough to talk to you. :)
 
Lamotrigine doesn't change the efficacy of the pill, it's the other way around -- the pill can lower Lamotrigine levels, so it can mess with seizure control or cause side effects.
 
Okay, I just remember it lowers the effectiveness of something and I was put on a different contraceptive. I haven't had problems thus far but, everyone is different.
 
Thanks ladies. I keep reading conflicting info on whether the effectiveness of the pill is affected to but it doesn't really matter as she doesn't want to potentially have to increase her lamotrigine when she only recently reduced it. An IUD is probably looking like a good shout xx
 
I took the shot, Depo-Provera, and never had any problems with it. I was on it before and after I was diagnosed with epilepsy. I was also on lamotrigine (Lamictal) for years while taking it and it didn't effect my seizures in any way. I took it for 9 years while being on meds. I'm not sure how many of those years I was on lamictal for but I know it was at least 5. Both my gyno and neurologist said it was ok to take.

One nice thing about it was that I didn't have a period because I know that PMS would have caused me to have seizures. There are alot of women who have seizures during that time of the month that are brought on by PMS. That was the main reason I took it from the start (before I had epilepsy). I had horrible cramps, heavy bleading, break through bleading, headaches, the whole story. After I started taking it that all went away. The shot was given 4 times a year where as the pill you have to take every day.

They only reason that I stopped taking it was because I decided that I didn't want to have children and had a hysterectomy. I'm not sure if I'd actually beable have children because of my epilepsy and all the meds that I'm on and I can't stop taking them. Not everyone is that way so don't think that she won't beable to have children one day.

I'd check with the dr just to be sure about it if you might want to consider it.
 
Last edited:
I take the depo injection it's great! Stops my periods also which is a plus. Downfall is it not to good for your bones long term
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom