Hi guys I was just wondering if any of you can tell me how much medication you've had to take while you were pregnant? and if you were controlled also if it harmed the baby! I am wondering because I might be pregnant soon! Thanks a bunch!

Mindy

Hi!
I am 31 weeks and 4 days pregnant right now, and I am on 1000mg lamictal a day, and 100mg phenobarbital a day. Before I got pregnant I was on 100 pheno and 400 lamictal, it has to go up alot because of blood volume.
So far (knock on wood) my little guy looks great! You probably already know all of this, but the main problems occur in the first 10 weeks, when the spinal cord is being formed, but his spinal cord is fine, and he is kicking like crazy! The other problems can be small birth weight, but he is ahead of the pack right now, lol. Bigger than 73% of all the other babies out there!
Anyway, to help counteract the effects of the medicine I started taking 4mg of folic acid (it has been shown that that can help reduce spinal defects) about a year before I got pregnant, and I went ahead and started takign a multivitamin, I tried to take the prenanals but they were making me sick, so the dr said, flintstone vitamins are just as good, just as long as you take the extra folic acid. I am a big proponent of folic acid, it seems to have helped me, and it cant' hurt you, you can't over dose, unless you took like a 100 pills or something, lol.
If you havent' already, find a maternal fetal medicine dr. they are specialists in high risk pregnancies and can help you out alot! You will also have to find a hospital that has a level 2 nursery or higher to deliver, occasionally babies on some of the AEDs have breathing problems, they go away quickly though.
What are you taking?
And good luck!

Thanks alot! At the moment I am reducing my medication but I don't think it can be reduced any more. I am on 1200 mg of Tegretol and 25mg of Frizium, I am also taking 5mg of Folic Acid and I am also on Calcium and Vitamin D as well as 1 Multivitamin a day lol that's alot eh? Well alot of pills to take lol. My Neuro told me to take 5 mg of Folic Acid. I have dropped quite a bit on the Frizium but now I am going to be dropping the Tegretol soon enough, I thank you for helping me in this concern. I just want to do the right thing for my child and me. Thank you ! Talk to you soon!

Mindy

Oh I am sorry I totally forgot to say that I am happy everything looks great with you and your child! I wish you luck with everything and it is a good sign that your little guy is ahead of the pack lol! I hope you will keep in touch! Take care of yourself!

:) Mindy

Yeah you are takign alot of pills, lol. I am too! It gets a little annoying, I have to take the stuff four times a day! But whatever to keep the baby healthy. Something that is helping me alot, is we bought a little at home doppler, you can order them off the internet, or rent them, and it helps me sooo much to get to listen to him anytime I want! good luck! there is lots of info on the pregnancy board on here, there are a couple of other women over there on AEDs too.

I can relate to the anxiety that comes with taking meds during pregnancy. Sometimes I feel so nervous about it but it has to be done. Compared to most I guess I am taking a relatively lose dose of meds..200mg of Tegretol in the AM, 400mg in the PM..but I still worry sometimes.

A year before we started trying for a baby (I'm now 18 weeks, 5 days along) I started taking 5mg of folic acid and had counselling with an Epilepsy Specialist nurse. She addressed all of my fears and worries and answered any/all questions I had. I still see her quite often as she's following me through the pregnancy. I'm sure your doctor could arrange something like that for you as well.

Take care and the best of luck to you!

Nicole :)

Reading posts like this is what makes me worry. Even as a man. I know sounds strange. Genetic disease I have, good chance to pass it on to any offspring. Myself having seizures. Not wanting my children to suffer. Knowing that I had a brain tumor at 5 years of age (when my seizures started)... The entire idea puts fear in my mind... and I wouldn't be the one carrying the child!! Just what the child may have to endure in life (looking back on what I did).

--Travis

This may make you feel better, but the chances of the baby getting seizures from you is pretty low. I am not exactly sure why, but DH and I talked to the dr. about the chance of the baby getting them from me, which is also pretty low, and he said, just randomly, that the chances of getting them from the Father is alot lower. He said that noone had been able to figure out yet if the reason the chance is greater from the mother is from the meds, or from the fact that she has it, or from her having seizures while pregnant. Now, i know that every dr will tell you something a little diff. But I have the same worries sometimes, too.

There is no history of epilepsy on either side of my family so I couldn't have inherited it from anyone. My E nurse told me that the chances of my child having E are slim to nil...as in it's nothing I can pass onto her. That's very reassuring but being a pregnant first time mom I still worry!

hi ALL of you .Well i'm 30 weeks now and taking 800mgs of Tegretol and 3000mgs of keppra the baby is looking real good in size and weight devolpment is also doing great .MY other two sons did great as well i was only taking Tegretol with both of them and they are just fine very smart and advanced in school there ages now are 10 and 8 plus i was also alowed to nurse the on tegretol don't now if they will allow it with this one .I hope it goes great for you .if you feel the need to ask me anything else about this pg let me know :wave: :)

Hi guys ! Thanks for your support in this time of need! I am reducing my medication at the moment and I am as well experiencing some leg jerks. I had a fall the other day but nothing serious. I hope the doctor can find some happy medium. I see that Dragon Princess you were on quite abit and as you claim, your children are fine that is a relief to hear! I hope all goes well this time as well! I hope to be pregnant by August as for my invitro, we will be implanting the embryo near August and I hope my meds are ok! I've been controlled all my life and it's a change when you reduce your meds like I am doing at the moment. I will pray for you and your child! Thanks guys! and I hope your delivery goes well Cattieos!

Mindy

Thank you Mindy!!! I hope your inventro goes well, keep us informed on how you are doing!

Hi dragonprincess I am a little late on the reply but I was wondering how many mg's were you on with the Tegretol when you were pregnant? Thanks a bunch

Mindy

I'm 11 weeks pregnant tomorrow and currently on 1500 mg depakote er. they have tripled the medication from 500 mg in the past two weeks, will possibly do it again. they say that the risks to the baby are super minimal, but since i have no choice i take them anyway. good luck!
:)

Amanda

i have had my meds almost tripled so far! I was told that they have to go up the most during the last half of the first trimester and the first half of the second. My nerou said the other that usually during the third they didn't have to go up much.

Hi dragonprincess I am a little late on the reply but I was wondering how many mg's were you on with the Tegretol when you were pregnant? Thanks a bunch

Mindy
I'm on 800mgs a day of tegretol and i'm now 32 weeks if you need anything else let me know. :D .

Thanks a bunch guys I really needed to hear all your stories and experiences because this will help me along my soon to be pregnancy LOL! I will keep you posted as well

Afriend always Mindy

Hi guys I was just wondering if any of you can tell me how much medication you've had to take while you were pregnant? and if you were controlled also if it harmed the baby! I am wondering because I might be pregnant soon! Thanks a bunch!

Mindy

I was on 100 mg of Phenobarbitol while pregnant with my now almost 6 year old son. He looks fine to me! I did however have a breakthrough seizure in month 7 due to blood volume changes...Good luck to you!

well I'm in my 33erd week of pregnacey and the baby has developed nicesly so far so that's good. Having to up my tegretol LEVELS ARE LOW.not good for me .Hope it gets better with the higher dose just hate to up it .Had a weiard seizure it lasted off and on about 20 mins not good but the ativn made the thrashing less so that was good for the babys sake. :eek: hope your doing well . And this to shall pass :) dragonprincess

Hi dragonprincess! nice to hear from you and I hope everything is better! Don't worry it will all fall into place! It's a waiting game for me at the moment since I am going through invitro fertilisation in July hope everything turns out good ! Talk to you soon! Thank you everyone once again for your thoughts!

Mindy :wave:

:wave: Hi MInsm , I'm doing better went for another ultrasound this morning and the doctor said the baby looks real good and that i should just worrie about him being a big baby at delivery his 5 and a half pounds now and i have intell july the 6th so by next month the baby will be around 8 and a half pounds so by july he would be big very .My biggest was 7 '12 so he said they mite have to deliver early a month :p :bouncing: . So that's real good conciderren that Keppra is suppost to cause low birth weight .I hope everthing is going good for you to :) . Let me know. happy thoughts :wave:

Hi Dragonprincess! Just wanted to send you an update! Well my neuro told me to stay on the meds I'm on now. I have reduced 1 1/2 Frizium but all is good! My egg donor is starting her hormone injections tomorrow and we will be getting pregnant hopefully on July 26th. Hope all is well with you. I haven't been on for a while because we just got married last week! Take care hope to hear from you soon!

Mindy

Hi Dragonprincess! Just wanted to send you an update! Well my neuro told me to stay on the meds I'm on now. I have reduced 1 1/2 Frizium but all is good! My egg donor is starting her hormone injections tomorrow and we will be getting pregnant hopefully on July 26th. Hope all is well with you. I haven't been on for a while because we just got married last week! Take care hope to hear from you soon!

Mindy
YAA you got married that is so great ! :bouncing: :D .I was getting worried about u but that is a wonderfull reason congrats to you both once agine YAAA.

Thank you girl, things are great I am doing good with the reduction, not much but still down 10 mg and I am controlled which is good I will let you know how things go. I won't be on for a while at the end of the month because we will be out of town for the invitro but as soon as I get the test I will let you know thanks again!

Love Mins

Hi everyone! I just wanted to send you guys an update! My egg donor is done her cycles so we are now driving down to Toronto today, we are having my Embryo transfer on the 29th of this month. So exciting! We will be gone for a week! I hope everything goes well considering my epilepsy medication! I have reduced a little but not as much as I would have wanted. I dropped 2 pills of 10mg which is my Frizium I am still on my Tegretol. I am taking 5 mg of Folic Acid and Prenatal Vitamins. We will know if we are pregnant on August 12th Wish me luck! I can take all the prayers at this time!!! Thanks everyone!

Mindy

Hi everyone! I just wanted to send you guys an update! My egg donor is done her cycles so we are now driving down to Toronto today, we are having my Embryo transfer on the 29th of this month. So exciting! We will be gone for a week! I hope everything goes well considering my epilepsy medication! I have reduced a little but not as much as I would have wanted. I dropped 2 pills of 10mg which is my Frizium I am still on my Tegretol. I am taking 5 mg of Folic Acid and Prenatal Vitamins. We will know if we are pregnant on August 12th Wish me luck! I can take all the prayers at this time!!! Thanks everyone!

Mindy
Good luck and you are in my prayers everthings going to be just fine :jester: .keep us updated.

Hi guys we're home now with 2 embryo's in me, so exciting! We will know in 7 days from now if they caught I will keep you posted! Thanks for your prayers!

Mins

That is so exiting ! have a good feeling about it i'm sure things are going to go great .I am still praying please keep us posted .good luck .

Hi everyone, we got our results on my husband's b-day and they were negative :( but we were ready for the best and the worst. We've decided to go right back and do another transfer so we are leaving for the 30th and we will be back shortly after. I will keep you posted again hope this time it works!!!!!

take care Mindy

I'm so sorry but you know the saying try try again and stay positive things will work out just fine .you'll see.

Hi Dragonprincess it's so nice to have support from others. We are going for our second try on the 30th of this month so we will keep you posted. Our IVF is very open as well so we are writing a book about it :) I hope this time it works but we will keep you posted!!!!

Thank you Mindy

Minsm it great to hear you such high spirts .i'm sure all will go great and your book will be great .can't wait to hear from you on how it goes .My update with my son is great he's 10 weeks and doing great Ive noticed he's more advanced then he should be but his health is great and so is his weight gain which is what they were most consernd about . keep us posted.

Minsm it great to hear you such high spirts .i'm sure all will go great and your book will be great .can't wait to hear from you on how it goes .My update with my son is great he's 10 weeks and doing great Ive noticed he's more advanced then he should be but his health is great and so is his weight gain which is what they were most consernd about . keep us posted.
Minsm where are you just checking if everything is ok. Hopefully your ok .please post soon to let us know. :D

Hi dragonprincess!!! Thanks for the concern I am sorry I haven't been on in a while. We went through 2 cycles of IVF. The first one was negative and so was the second try :( We are taking a break right now and we will return in November. Hope you are doing fine, how is your son doing so far? I'm gald to hear that he is doing great so far I hope he keeps it up!!!!! Take care and keep in touch!!!!

Mindy

so good to hear from u got worried about you .with all this hurricane stuff going around it had me worried cause did know if maybe u were from there or not .sorry to hear that it hasn't worked yet but don't give up it well work soon keeping you in my pryers it took along time for me to get pg to i thought i was broken and when i was just about ready to give up i found out i was pregnet after 2 misscarries and the pregantcey was very rough but it was so worth it .my son is now 3 months old and 15 pounds his a big boy .things will work for you to so keep trying k .keep postingto let us now how your doing.

Hi girl (Dragonprincess) hehe! No we are all ok here lol. We are quite a ways from the Hurricanes, thank god! I hope you are as well. We live in Norhtern Canada and I mean Northern hehe! Our clinic is 8 hours away therefore we have to drive there everytime we decide to have our transfer. I don't know if I have told you but we will be going back to Toronto in November to try again. Hopefully this time everything works well. I've also been thinking of going for accupuncture, they say it is good for infertility. I will keep you posted for sure. Take care!!

Mindy