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adritu...
adritu...

should I switch from topamax before getting pregnant?

Hi everyone,

this is my first post-- I'd really appreciate whatever feedback you can give me. I had an EEG the other day in hopes of getting off AEDs all together, but no dice, still spikes and my neurologist still said I should stay on.

I had my first seizure about 3 years ago, docs believe as a result of scar tissue from surgery to remove a brain tumor. . . and i've had a few more surgeries since then. . .I started with keppra which didn't work for me.  I've been on a low dose of topamax ever since,100 mg 2x a day, which is great for me.  BUT, as many of you surely know topamax is now considered not the "safest" for pregnancy.  My husband and I would really like to start a family and I just don't know what to do.  I'm just so scared. . .my neurologist seems content with me on the topamax and worried about me switching, he also mentioned that we'd have to up the dose into a pregnancy.

Anything you could offer as advise or your own experiences would be greatly appreciated,

Adrianne 

By adritu... at Mon, 10/26/2009 - 7:33pm | 23 views | 3 comments

Recent Comments on this Discussion

From what I've heard, it seems like the biggest fear from tht drug is the development of a cleft palate. The rate with the drug compared to others is a good bit higher. It is a pregnancy category D, meaning that studies have shown consistent harm to the unborn baby in women who take this med. I would talk to your dr about trying you on a med that is in a category C for pregnancy. There are a good many of them. I am pregnant and I take two category C meds, Keppra and Zonegran. This category has shown no proven harm to the unborn baby. I know you said keppra didn't work, and it didn't for me either until my dr paired it with zonegran and now I am seizure free! Have been since he put me on it. I take 2000mg of keppra a day, and 300mg of zonegran. Maybe you could talk to your dr about something like that? Hope this helps!

megsec...

From what I've heard, it seems like the biggest fear from tht drug is the development of a cleft palate. The rate with the drug compared to others is a good bit higher. It is a pregnancy category D, meaning that studies have shown consistent harm to the unborn baby in women who take this med. I would talk to your dr about trying you on a med that is in a category C for pregnancy. There are a good many of them. I am pregnant and I take two category C meds, Keppra and Zonegran. This category has shown no proven harm to the unborn baby. I know you said keppra didn't work, and it didn't for me either until my dr paired it with zonegran and now I am seizure free! Have been since he put me on it. I take 2000mg of keppra a day, and 300mg of zonegran. Maybe you could talk to your dr about something like that? Hope this helps!

megsec...

This is probably ancient history for you by now, but maybe it will help someone else. I am 35 and pregnant with my first child. I am tried every possible combination for my type of Epilepsy and I have to take 150mg of topiramate twice daily and 450mg of oxcarbazapine twice daily. It has increased abit since the pregnancy started but as it was described to me, the increase dosage seems scary but your level actually doesn't change because your body is just processing the drug differently than before. The baby is not getting any more or less of the drug either way than when you started. Also, the important thing to remember about those studies is that they are based off of a specific mg dosage per day (I believe it's 1200mg) before those effects take place (however, they are not tracking the levels which is what gives an accurate reading on how the drug is affecting each person). 300 mg in you, for example, may only give you a blood level of 3 but in me that same dosage would actully be therapuetic at 7. You just need to ask some educated question with your neurologist and you can have a healthy, happy pregnancy. My doctor has been very positive and I respect his opinion a great deal. There are aren't many docs I say that about these days.

ginsha...

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