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Alternatives to clonazepam
Tue, 03/03/2020 - 17:16Topic: Women With Epilepsy
Hi Ladies. This is my first time posting in any epilepsy forum. I have JME and have been using Lamicatal and Clonazepam for several years now. Clonazepam has been the only medication that has successfully stopped my myoclonic jerks. Unfortunately due to this I've also lived with the side affects of the medication. In December I tried going off the medication with the guidance of my neurologist. It was a nightmare despite slowly tapering off of the medication. Once completely off I still felt horrible and the myoclonic jerks came back. My husband and I are hoping to have kids in the near future and to my knowledge it is ill advised to be taking clonazepam while pregnant. Basically in short, have any of you had success with a clonazepam substitute and withdrawing from the medication in order to have a safe pregnancy and be able to nurse? I would love to hear your insights, feedback, and thoughts. Thanks!
Hi, Thank you for posting and
Submitted by Anonymous on Wed, 2020-03-04 - 09:55
Hi, Thank you for posting and we understand your concerns. Treatment and how the body may react to taking or stopping certain medications varies for each individual. If you have not already may want to consider seeking a second opinion for more specialized care at an epilepsy center. A comprehensive epilepsy center is a group of health care professionals who specialize in the diagnosis, care, and treatment of people with seizures and epilepsy. Usually led by an epileptologist, (epilepsy specialist), can follow you before, during and after pregnancy and can help explore all treatment options and help determine what individual treatment plan may be best and safest for you. https://www.epilepsy.com/living-epilepsy/find-epilepsy-specialist/find-epilepsy-center . For additional information about epilepsy and pregnancy and thing to review with your healthcare team, please visit: https://www.epilepsy.com/living-epilepsy/women/epilepsy-and-pregnancy .You may also want to consider using a journal or a diary like My Seizure Diary, which can help you organize your health records and is a great tool is a great tool for identifying & tracking seizures, setting reminders, managing medications, recording moods, behaviors, triggers, and other therapies or personal experiences, that may affect seizures and wellness, which can be shared with your healthcare team. https://www.epilepsy.com/living-epilepsy/epilepsy-foundation-my-seizure-diaryAdditionally, you may always contact our 24/7 Helpline, where trained information specialists are available to answer your questions, offer help, hope, support, guidance, and access to national and local resources. 1-800-332-1000, or contactus@efa.org. epilepsy.com/helpline Or contact your local Epilepsy Foundation: https://www.epilepsy.com/affiliates , to find support groups, events and programs in your community.