Well like all of you guys Im scared to. Ive have grand-mal seizures since I was 10 and now Im 27. Ive been on lamictal for year and have been on keppra about a year. Recently I just found out I am pregnant. This is my first I have days when I worried and good days. But its scary because Im on two meds instead of one. Im defineitily glad there are others who have been on keppra. It gives me better hope.

I had my first child when I was 28 and was on Keppra (3000mg./day), Tegretol Xr 400 & 200(1200mg./day), and Topomax.  At my first visit to the neurologist, he went down a list of all the possible things that could go wrong.  By the time I left, I was concerned to say the least.  Because of my epilepsy though, I was considered a high risk pregnancy and there for saw my O.B. doctor more frequently than normal to keep in check.  As far as meds, I had to gradually go up about every two months on Keppra to keep up with the growing baby.  Long story short, all three of my little angels have come out fine.  Our middle child did have ear problems when she was first born, but this was more associated with family history than the meds.  I know it's scary, but the chances of any medical problems actually occuring due to anti epileptic meds are actually about 2%... very slim basically.  It's not like your baby will be taking the exact dossage of pills you take, she will only get a very small portion.  Just keep your chin up and talk to your doctor... ask alot of questions.  Hope this helps, good luck!

     My name is Debbie.  I became pregnant with my first child at the age of 24 of course while taking Kepra.  My Doctor and I agreed not taking medication to keep my seizures under control could be potentially fatal to myself and or my child.  I took Kepra all through my pregnancy.

     My son was born in 2005.  9pnd 11oz beautiful bouncing baby boy.  In the first 3 months we noticed a few develop mental issues.  He is now five and has a mild form of Autism.  I 18months after my first son I became pregnant with my 2nd son who is now 3 and has no issues except your typical hyperactive 3 yr old.  The difference between the 2 pregnancies; the first one I was on Keppra the second I didn’t take Keppra.  Am I saying Keppra caused the Autism no because honestly the effects of Keppra on children and prenatal are uncertain as the same is for Autism.  The reason I post is no matter what you take during pregnancy your little one is getting a direct line.  Do your research as did I and be prepared there may be complications but go with the flow.

I was diagnosed with petit mal seizures when I was 6 years old.  I started taking keppra about 6 years ago.  I was also very nervous about making the decision to stay on keppra with the little studies they have done.  I took Keppra through my entire pregnancy with no problems.  They did increase my medication by 250mg so I had to take 1250 a day as a precautionary.  I never had a seizure.  I ended up having a healthy baby boy and he is now one years old and perfectly healthy.  I also chose to breastfeed only for a month because there were only 12 studies done on it.  I felt that it would be better with such little studies for him to get him his main nutrients at first and stop after that.  There is a national aed program for pregnant woman ask your obgyn and they should have the phone number to call.  Good luck everything should go fine. 

hi    i have never posted a comment on the site before.but thought i should if it could helpsomeone or ease ther e mind during  pregnancy. i am23 yrs old and delivered a healthy 6lb 10oz baby girl 2 wks ago . istarted  having gran mal seizures aprox 4_5yrs ago and was placed on a low dose of keppra and always seem to have another seizure within afew monthes,with each seizure my med was  inceased . i now take 3000mg per day and did so through my entire pregnacy. my neuro never wanted to change or add any other meds in case i ever did beome pregnant, its suppose to be the safest.i did have 2 seizures while pregnant @14weeks and again @27 wks. i did  reqest to see a peri neonatologist while pregnant. i wanted every level2 sono an blood test i coulld have done. i dont think my ob thought it was necessary but i did, they  didnt seem to educated on epilepsy and pregnancy,acted as if it wasnt a big deal.also  please make sure  you are taking extra folic acid during your pregnancy, this also helps with birth defects because keppr  can cause nero tube defects  [clef palate, spina bifida]and this is why u need to be seen by high risk phycicians starting early in your prenancy.i worried alot an prayed alot during these past 9mths but everything has seemed to work out . icant say what the  future will bring for my baby as far as  learnig disablities or speech delays ect but she seems perfect now ,very alert and active.now all i have to worry about is the sleep deprivation[ haha].good luck and i will be praying for u and your baby

Stay on you meds whatever you do. If its working for you then stick with it. Me and my fiance were planning on having a baby so, I went to visit my neurologist. Even though there was almost no risk she wnted to switchme 1200mg to Keppra bc that is one of the safest.

Well, whats even more dangerous than medication, is having a seizure while you're pregnant. Since Keppra didn't control seizures, I ended up having a miscarrage and loosing my baby in addition to a gran mal seizure up to twice a month.

Hi, my name is Lyndsay and I've had epilepsy for almost three years. I currently take 1000/mg a day of Keppra and started taking the meds after my first son was born and have been seizure free since then. You have no idea how much your stories have eased my mind. My husband and I are discussing have another baby soon and I've paniced about what will happen to the baby during the pregnancy along with controlling my seizures.

I found out I had epilepsy after my son was born, sleep deprivation, and have yet to have another seizure since I began taking Keppra. I did breastfeed on Keppra with my son, but only for a few months because of worrying about the meds going into his system. Although the breastfeeding was fine, my biggest fear has been that of my next child and their health, but from all of your stories I feel like Keppra is the best medicine to be on and as many of you said, just control the things you can ie. sleep, eating right and exercising. 

Thank you so much for all of your stories. Best of luck with all of your pregnancies.

Lyn

Hi Everyone! Just wanted to post a quick update to this thread that I started in Feb. of 2008 when I had just found out I was pregnant. I took 2000mg of Keppra a day and had no seizures during my pregnancy. I kept a close following with my neuro and OB. At first, my OB had me as high risk, but after my PERFECT looking level II ultrasound, she stopped using that term because everything was going so well, but continued to take special care of me. I am so lucky to have been surrounded by such a great team of medical professionals. I agree with everyone who has said don't be afraid to get a second opinion and to get really involved with the level of care you are getting. I took a prenatal and 2mg of folic acid a day as well. It is now July 2009 and I have a happy, healthy, amazing 10 month old girl, Jordyn. I am still breastfeeding as well, and I am very happy to say that! I feel that the Keppra has no effect on her, as they say she was getting more of it in the womb than through my milk. She is on solids now as well, and I see no difference between any of her patterns than when she was exclusively fed breastmilk. She is a very bright baby, normal and happy all the way. She was 7lbs 9oz, we had a wonderful delivery with no complications. She started sleeping through the night at 8 weeks old, which I got lucky because my seizures always happen when I am sleep deprived. I took (and still do) extra good care of my self during pregnancy to make sure I was getting enough sleep, eating healthy, and staying physically active. I think for anyone pregnant and on Keppra, the worst thing to do is worry. I believe in getting the best medical care for you and your baby by people who genuinely care and who you can trust. Never be afraid to ask questions and demand straight answers. I didn't have any seizures after Jordyn was born either, so my neuro agreed to let me cut my dose to 1500mg recently. I hope my story has helped any others out there that are in or have been in my shoes. All of the other comments from you all after my original post really helped me through the beginning of my pregnancy. Many, many thanks to all you strong mommies.
Amy

I'm a new poster here.  I am 35 years old and have been having seizures since high-school, but rarely - only when tired/stressed and around menses.  I was on tegretol for a while, then had no insurance and spent many years without being on anything. 

Then, I suspected I might be pregnant, and went to a neurologist who wanted to put me on depakote.  i have heard bad things about this drug and pregnancies, and so asked for a second opinion.  he refered me to an epileptologist who put me on keppra - a total of 1500 mg a day.  i was part of the study, and was monitored monthly for levels, as well as by my obgyn and a specialist in fetal-maternal medicine.  As i had just started on Keppra, I did have some side effects - no hallucinations, but rage and tears - mostly i just figured it was pregnancy hormones.  As is now standard with anti-convulsants, they did a fetal echo and all the other tests and all was well.

 Son is now 2 years old - was 9 lbs. 15 oz and 23 inches long - no complications (he was a c-section).  I also breastfed, and he is a bright, chatty, active two year old boy.  Most of the phases (like not wanting to sleep) i chalk up to being two rather than any medication issues.  I stopped breastfeeding full time at 6 months as went back to work full-time, but continued to suplement until he was 9 mos when he weaned himself. 

I am now 18 weeks pregnant with second child.  have had one seizure in 3 years, right after I stopped breastfeeding - probably a hormonal thing.  did not have any while pregnant and none while breastfeeding.  Have not had any during this pregnancy. feel fine, tired, but have a 2 year old which is to be expected.

 for those inquiring on the safety, be willing to ask for a second opinion.  and, if possible go to a specialist rather than a neurologist.  get involved in your own care; ask questions, and be willing to be watched and examined more than a 25 year old without a medical history.  take the folic acid - while it's not known if keppra has the same effect, it doesn't hurt, and it's good for the baby.  don't stop eating, as you risk anemia, which makes you more suceptible to a seizure.  get sleep, and all the other things good pregnant women do.  While the breastfeeding is a choice you'll have to make, for me the benefits to my child far outweighed the slight risk (studies confirm only trace amounts in breastmilk).  My son had no withdrawl issues, and no noteable behaviour issues.  He just wanted real food. 

Don't let worry get the best of you - do genetic testing if it will make you more comfortable, and consider CVS or an amnio if you want some definitive answers prior to carrying to term.  These are not without risk, but worry, pregnancy, meds, and epilepsy do not make good bedfellows either.  We just had a triple screen, and our results came back as the risk rate of a 20 year-old with no health problems.  Fetal echo next month, which son Eli also had with excellent score.  I also had gestational diabetes.  and now, I am officially of advanced maternal age.  I am still on 1500 mg of keppra, and plan on breastfeeding.

 That's my story - hope it helps.

Hi Amy,

I can relate. I got pregnant Dec 2006 on Keppra.  My first baby.  I quickly entered the National Antiepileptic Drug Registry as well as the Keppra Pregnancy Registry.  I gained 30 pounds with pregnancy.  Thus I increased my dosage.  Prior to pregancy as well as now on the same dosage.  I take 3000 mg a day pre pregnancy.  Took up to 4500 during pregnancy.  High Risk OBGYN monitored us carefully during pregnancy.  I was warned the stress of labor might induce a grand maul seizures... so I said just plan a c section.   I took a high dosage of Folic Acid, prenatal vitamins, and the Expectra Lipil DHA supplements every day even throughout breast feeding.

I was so grateful to the entire medical community!  Bella was born 9/7/7 weighing 9 pounds 6 ounces.  Seems healthy.  I exclusively breast fed her till she was 17 months old!  Doctors told me she was exposed to more medication during pregnancy than through the milk.

Take good care of yourself!  Take each day as it comes and hope for support.  When I breast fed, I did have seizures.  But I did not take any adavan to stop them.  That medication would pass in the milk so I just dealt with the pain knowing it was best for the baby and one day she would be on solids. 

Facinating part is that I only got my period 4 times in the 17 months I breast fed.  Common if you breast feed not to have a period.  Which meant I only had seizures 4 times.  Seems most of my epilepsy has shifted to only happen prior to menses.  The progestron drop causes either a metabolism change or something that induces seizures.  For some women, breast feeding can help us to NOT have seizures!  Yes, I still have other types of small seizures when I do not have enough sleep or are under stress.  But amazing how strong I became once I had a child.  I have been so healthy!  I am now begining birth control pills to trick my body to think I am pregnant, will stop my cycle all together in hopes it will stop the seizures.  I will still need the Keppra, this is in conjunction with. 

I am thrilled with Keppra!  I hope you have a beautiful pregnancy and a healthy baby.

Jennifer

hi, just wanted to say, i was on keppra and working up on lamictal, when i found out my IUD was gone and i was 18 weeks pregnant. right away they did a level 2 ultrasound, sent us to genetic counceling, all that....but, baby is six months old now and perfectly healthy. the docs did advise me to bottle feed, which i did since i was afraid of what breastmilk might contain for her.my doc said if she got used to it, the theory is that once you wean her, she could start having seizures. anyway, bottlefeeding helped too, in the area of getting help in the middle of the night feedings, since sleep is so important for us with e.

after she was born, i had 2 grand mals in 2 months which dr. said was from lack of sleep. but my obgyn said it was probably due to hormone fluctuation. they have since put me on different drugs, and i am doing much better, but also baby is now sleeping thru the night so that helps too.

when we found out we were pregnant by the way, they took me off the lamictal, and instead upped my dose of keppra, said it was safer than being on 2 meds during pregnancy. however, i continued having complex partials the whole way. when she was born tho, my cps's stopped completely...hormones again? dont know, but havent had any grand mals since those last 2 right after her birth.

anyway...healthy baby, good news.

I know how you feel. I gave birth to my first child in just a few months ago. At the beginning of my pregnancy i was taking 4000 mg a day of Keppra (I know a LOT). IN MY OPINION my child's safety was more important than mine. I weened myself down to 500 mg a day by my second trimester. BUT I was also taking 500 mg a day of Carbatrol. They say the birth defects are most likely to happen in the first trimester, and let me say that my child is perfect. He is four months and developmentally ahead of the game. There were no complications with him, and everything went smoothly. There may be long term effects that we don't know about but we can't worry about that now. Chances are you will have a normal, healthy, wonderful child. If something does happen, then you will still have a wonderful blessing from the Lord.

Keep your heads up, all of you!  I've had epilepsy since I was 15, and am now 28.  For my first daughter I was on Keppra.  She's now 2, bright, and beautiful.  I just had my second daughter, thanks to God's miracles as I also have Endometriosis and multiple cyst issues to boot...  For her I was on Topamax, and I had several problems with that one.  Weight gain -- I was severely underweight the whole time, and my baby kept losing weight and sleeping tons until we took her off the breastmilk.  Now she's also thriving and healthy so far, at 3 weeks.

I know all aren't so lucky, and that there are risks, but I'd put Keppra up against Topamax any day.  It's a good drug, and the only reason I'm off it is because my seizures got worse.  If it works for you, kudos!  And stay on it.  It'll be nice and mild for you and baby.

Congrats and enjoy the ride!  :)

Good luck to everyone who is pregnant on medication and thank you for participating in the registry. My daughter's biggest problem at 14 is whether she will ever be able to drive. Of course, I've considered the many challenges her future may hold, but with all of you brave pioneers going before her, I'm sure the outlook will be even brighter if she ever decides to become a mom.

Hi,

I just wanted to let everyone know that the Keppra Pregnancy Registry released their Interim Report (studies from December 2004-August 2007) in December 2007. You can get a copy by calling the registry at 1-888-537-7734 (1-888-KEP-PREG).

There isn't a lot to it and it's pretty inconclusive but at least it's something.

 take care!

PLEASE REGISTER:)

According to the keppra advice leaflet.  It states if you are pregnant or may be pregnant please inform your doc.

Keppra should not be used during pregnancy unless clearly necessary.  The potential risk to your unborn child is unknown.

Keppra has shown unwanted reproductive effects in animal studies at dose levels higher than you would need to control your siezures.

Breast feeding is not recommnded during treatment.  Hope this was of some use.

Congrats on your pregnancy good luck with your epilepsy

plopdan u.k