epilepsy diagnosis during pregnancy

Hi Bounty, I am so sorry to hear you are having so many problems. My 22 year old daughter has epilepsy, and is 24 weeks pregnant. She is on Trileptal and Topamax. I know how hard it can be to have your activities limited. I'm glad that all tests show the baby to be fine. My daughter's tests have all come out looking good also. She continues to have seizures during her pregnancy, and they will probably have to adjust her medications a couple more times before the baby is born. I know you must be upset that there is no medication they will start piror to the delivery of the baby. Most, (if not all), anti-convulsives carry some risk during pregnancy. I'm sure your doctors are worried about the risks to the baby, and the side effects the drugs could cause you. I hope that they will explain their concerns to you in detail, and help you feel more comfortable in your treatment. you might want to spend some time looking through the information about pregnancy and epilepsy, on the main site, at <a href="http://www.epilepsy.com/info/women.html">http://www.epilepsy.com/info/women.html</a> I hope you find information that will be helpful to you in your journey. ((( hugs ))), Barbie *************************************** "We are each of us angels with only one wing, and we can fly only by embracing each other." -lucian de crescenzo

Dealing with seizures during pregnancy is challenging, but can be done. Weighing risks of side effects against risks of seizures is one of the key issues, as well as safety. Only a doctor who has examined you and knows your individual situation can give medical advice, so make sure you take your concerns to the doctors treating you. Emergency help is available by calling the hospital or the emergency room at your hospital There are doctors who specialize in epilepsy and women's health and pregnancy issues. The Find A Doctor feature on the epilepsy.com site connects people with the list of members of the American Epilepsy Society in your area. I hope you have had a chance to look at some of the information on the website. I have attached some links to help you get started - this is not all, but just a start. Also you can visit the Epilepsy Foundation to look at their info on Women's Issues in Epilepsy. A book on Women with Epilepsy, edited by Dr. Martha Morrell is available at amazon.com as well. Your concerns about taking care of a newborn while you are having seizures needs to be talked about with your doctors, as well as safety in general. Social workers and nurses are available to help women plan and get help during and after pregnancy, and get support to cope with all of the challenges you are facing now. Visiting nurse services may also be of help, especially for people who are not not able to get out. A doctor can set up this referral for you. http://www.epilepsy.com/info/women_pregnancy.html http://www.epilepsy.com/epilepsy/links_pregnancy.html http://www.epilepsy.com/epilepsy/safety.html http://www.epilepsyfoundation.org I hope this information is helpful to you. Take care, Epilepsy.com Resource Specialist