New - Dilantin and Pregnancy?
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Thu, 2/9/2012
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jennrn81
Pregnancy and tegretol
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Hi. I am new new this site, but i am happy I found it. I am 29yrs old. My husband and I are trying to have a baby soon, but I am really scared. I started taking Tegretol when I was 15 yrs old for tonic clonic seizures. About 2 yrs ago, my dr changed me to Lamictal because he said it was safer for pregnancy, but I started having seizures in my sleep and a tonic clonic while completely awake back in October so he changed me back to the Tegretol 800mg a day. I have been doing some reading and it looks like all seizure meds are a risk for pregnancy, but Tegretol seems to be one of the worst. I know it would be too risky to stop taking the medication, but I am so worried about birth defects. I am trying to do everything else I can for a healthy pregnancy, taking folic acid, eating right, trying to get enough rest. I even stopped drinking caffeine, which was really hard! I have also heard that tegretol can make it harder to get pregnant for some women.
I am just wondering how many women took tegretol during their pregnancy and what your experience was like. Thanks!
-Jen
By jennrn81 at Mon, 03/08/2010 - 8:35am | 17 views | 2 comments
Topic: Women With Epilepsy
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Recent Comments on this Discussion
I am epileptic also. I have had two boys, ages 4 and 6. I took depakote for about 17 years. When I was 32 and was ready for babies my doctor put me on Neurontin. That was good until after my boy was almost a year old. Then my seizures got worse. I then started taking Topamax and Neurontin. When I was ready to become pregnant again the doctor said that taking both of those meds would be just fine. I did. My second boy was just as healthy. They are both normal :) My seizures got even worse and could not be controlled with meds. I just had a temporal lobectomy in November and I haven't ANY seizures at all for 18 weeks! AMAZING! I know that the right medicines will be just fine even through pregnancy as long as u take care of yourself with folic acid and sleep. Good luck on the pregnancy! Take care of yourself!
Really sit down and talk to your doctors. Not just your neurologist but your OBGYN. Take someone with you to take notes. Ask them what would they do? You did some research already go in with questions on paper. Don't be afraid to ask them anything. For my first child I was taking dilatin they stop me right away. ( I had a wonderful doctor then) no seizures for 2 years after that. I started having seizures when I got pregnant with my son. My next doctor put me on tegretol and he would not listen to me. I still had the seizures, just different ones. My son was born with a blocked tear duck, a testicle that did not fall down and his finger nails will not grow over his tips of his fingers. We really had to watch my pregnancy more with him, with me on tegretol than my daughter when I was not on any meds. I have a new wonderful doctor now and he listens to me and my family when we see him. I now take lamictal and topamax. My son will be 16 this month. DON"T STOP TAKING THE MEDICINES on your own, talk to your doctors. I wish for the best for your husband and you. I was once told don't stress over it, it will happen if it was meant to happen and the following month we were pregnant with our first.