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Recently diagnosed with seizures, pregnant, and doctor wants to put me on Lamictal...help!
Wed, 11/29/2006 - 00:28Topic: New to Epilepsy.com
Thanks to all that responded to my post about the dejavu spells. I was able to see the neurologist today and was told that my dejavu spells were actually simple partial seizures and what I experienced Sunday morning was a grand mal seizure. I can't believe this is happening to me...I'm shell shocked. The doctor wants to put me on Lamictal (I'm 20 weeks pregnant) but I'm so concerned about the possible birth defects that I'm holding off until I learn more. Does anyone have any experience taking Lamictal while pregnant and/or breastfeeding? Thanks so much for the support I've received from this site...it has been a God send.
Comments
Re: Re: Recently diagnosed with seizures, pregnant, and doctor w
Submitted by carrieb on Wed, 2006-11-29 - 09:14
Hi,
I took Lamictal with two of my pregnancies. I also breastfed those two while on it. Both of them are fine. No worries!
I took Tegretol with my oldest. That's a dangerous one, but he was born healthy, too! We've been blessed.
Your baby will be fine with the Lamictal. Just make sure to eat before you take it, especially if you're going to drive anywhere. If I don't eat before I take it, I usually get double vision, unbelievably dizzy, and sick to my stomach. If you take it without eating and then notice you start to get dizzy, it's too late to eat. The food has to go in first!
Congratulations on your pregnancy!
Carrie
Re: Re: Re: Recently diagnosed with seizures, pregnant, and doct
Submitted by guinipig on Thu, 2006-11-30 - 09:09
Hi,
Firstly Congratulations.
I have no experience of pregnancy with Lamictal. However i was pregnant with the older forms of AED. From what i have learnt it is these drugs that bring higher risk factors and it is good to hear of uncomplicated births through the use of new drugs.
I hope i can bring some reasurance. As a baby develops the most important period is the first ten - twenty weeks this is when organ development occurs. Abnormalities tend to occur in the first 4 - 10wks such as with the heart. As you are already at twenty weeks most of babies development has taken place.
I have taken Lamictal and although there are some side affects that are mentioned, I believe this to be less of a risk than a Grand Mal Seizure.
Talk to your doctor about Folic Acid requirements.
Take care of yourselves,
Liz.
Re: Recently diagnosed with seizures, pregnant, and doctor wants
Submitted by solis on Wed, 2006-11-29 - 02:28
Deep breaths.. I had both my kids while on AEDs (anti-epilepsy drugs) and both are fine. Chances of anything happening are remote...especially if the med used has been around for awhile and is neither barbituate or a benzodiazepine. http://www.epilepsy.com/articles/ar_1161009025.html Hope that helps.. Btw.. a refusal to take meds, due to preganmancy, could cause you problems. You run the risk that your simple partials http://www.epilepsy.com/epilepsy/seizure_simplepartial.html could become complex partials http://www.epilepsy.com/epilepsy/seizure_complexpartial.html or even a generalied seizure. http://www.epilepsy.com/epilepsy/seizure_secondgeneralized.html hope that info helps, ~sol