Anti-convulsant warning

A doctor from the USA wants to send out a reminder.  Dr. Kimford Meador is a professor of neurology, and director of the epilepsy program at the University of Florida in Gainesville.  The concern is with anti-convulsant drugs, many of which are used to treat migraine.  This would include drugs like phenobarbitol and valproate (Depakote).

The problem?  Risk of birth defects, such as cleft palate, spina bifida, or heart defect.  There seems to be some risk with all anti-convulsants, but the risk with these drugs can be around 5-10% – pretty significant.

That’s all very well, but what do you do, just stop taking the drugs?  No.  These are preventative drugs that are not only taken for migraine but also for dangerous seizures and bi-polar disease.  You shouldn’t go off them without talking to your doctor.

However, for most patients there is a viable alternative, usually a less dangerous anti-convulsant drug for the time when you are pregnant.  Ideally, it’s best to start on a new drug 6 months before conception, so you can be sure your body is reacting well to the drug.

If you’re pregnant or trying, and taking anti-seizure meds, there are two things you should do right now:
  1. See your doctor, and discuss your options.
  2. If you live in the USA or Canada, visit the Antiepileptic Drug Pregnancy Registry, where you can be a part of a study on pregnancy and anti-convulsants.  See a list of the drugs here [link no longer available] that qualify in the study.  Best of all, there are prizes to be won by the participants (who can complain about that?).  I could use the DVD player, but I’m not a woman, and I’m not pregnant.  Are you?