question for women on epilepsy meds

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The answer is yes, according to some med's package insert. Depakote and Lamictal are two which can screw up your periods. Screw up could mean periods that have stopped, become irregular, gotten more painful or more or less flow.

I forget - what medication are you on? Have you looked up the package insert to see if this is a side effect or your medication? www.drugs.com
 
Are you taking a magnesium supplement? That can really help with nasty cramps, and is good for overall brain health too. (You don't have take a huge amount. You may have to experiment to find out what works best -- if you get the runs, your dose is too high.) Currently I'm taking one Magnesium Citrate (140mg) pill in the morning with my breakfast. My brand is Thorne, but there are plenty of others out there.
 
Topamax.... that had lots of weird side effects for me, including some pretty strange drug interactions. When I googled topamax and menstrual cycle, a billion hits popped up. You are not alone in what you are experiencing.

If it gets too bad, tell your doc. All these drugs - it's a question - can you tolerate the side effects? If the answer is no, then ask your neurologist to switch. In the meantime... I agree with the magnesium, and I also think vitamin B is pretty important. A good B complex should take care of it. I take a B complex plus more B12, and I think it has helped the mood swings before my period.
 
I take Keppra XR (3000mgs a day) and Ive noticed I get really painful cramps a few days before I start, and then a couple days into my period they are painful too. I keep up on the ibuphrophen and I also started to take a Complex B Vitamin, along with a calcium-vitamin D. I just stated taking the vitamins a few weeks ago, so I havnt noticed really any change this month as far as my cramps or uncomfortable side effects with the menstrual cycle yet. But Im hoping it works!
 
Don't forget to add magnesium too -- it's known to help with muscle cramps of all kinds!
 
thanks guys thats really helpful, i thought everything was just going wrong all of a sudden. thanks for the input and im going to start a multi vitamin
 
you will not get enough magnesium in a multi-vitamin to make a difference
 
Rebecca is not taking any meds, and her TOM is very painful, she also usually has a headache, and occasionally has suffered nausea.

I am trying to figure out why her hormones are so out of balance. Congested liver can result in hormone imbalance. Adrenal Fatigue can result in hormonal imbalance. Poor nutrition can result in homonal imbalance. So one needs to be proactive in personal health.
 
well, i have poly cystic ovaries so i am on birth control and spironolactone for hormone regulation but my period was just painful and tompamax is filtered through the kidneys. my mom picked up magnesium for me so i will be starting that.
 
Just a heads up Gr33n,
Birth Control (especially ones like depo-provera needle and the Nuva-Ring) have been known to cause seizures/epilepsy. As well hormone medication can cause seizures as well, if it disrupts that delicate balance too much.

Have you been tested for a thyroid problem. That can cause PCOS, Epilepsy and painful periods. Just a thought.
 
Keppra and Lamicatal both messed up my period. I understand the newer meds are s'possedly better for us, but quite frankly the older meds (Dilantin) gave me fewer side effects. New meds process through kidneys while older meds process through liver. Robyn if you happen to read this there's a lot of talk about doing things for healthy liver function, but what about kidney function since the newer meds process through kidneys, although I do believe liver function continues to be important as I'm sure it still processes through just perhaps not as much...I don't know.
 
Yes, Topomax lists "menstrual irregularities/disruptions" as a side effect on the drug monograph. I've had extra cramping and heavier periods.

The worst one is Lamictal XR. It took my period from 5 days to 8 days!!!!!
 
rae, i have been tested for thyroid issues and its not the issue but thanks. im glad this stuff is normal though cuz i keep thinking im going crazy or something. thanks guys.
 
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