Is taking Lamotrigine(anti-epilepsy drug), safe for pregnant women?!
Question: This one was prescribed by my neurologist, but I still have seizures one in a while.
Answers: This one was prescribed by my neurologist, but I still have seizures one in a while.
Lamotrigine may cause a higher risk of cleft palates in babies whose moms take it during pregnancy. Unfortunately, there is no anti-epiliepsy drug that has been found to be safe during pregnancy. But seizures can be worse than the side effects. Work with your neurologist to find a balance between side effects for your baby and the need to reduce seizures. If you don't have seizures a lot, the doc may recommend going without meds while you are pregnant if you can.
It's safer than other antiseizure medications, though it does raise the risk of having a baby with a cleft palate. I doubt your doctor would take you off of the Lamictal. Talk with him about what you can do to make a pregnancy as safe as possible. Having seizures while pregnant can endanger a fetus.
"About 20% to 35% of women have seizures more often during pregnancy because of changes in hormones or changes in how their seizure medicine is handled by the body. This appears to be particularly true for Lamictal. It is helpful for the doctor to check the levels of medicine in the blood regularly during pregnancy so that the dosage can be adjusted if necessary."
-- http://www.epilepsy.com/medications/b_la...