tegretol and pregnancy??

[kristi28]

I am 28 and have been diagnosed with epilepsy since 13.For the past 10 years I have been on tegretol, dosages vary but now on 400mg/day. Recently, I have started considering having kids, but I have always heard about birth defects with tegretol. I went to see the dr. the other day with some general questions about this and he was horrid! he told me I couldn't have kids, DON'T get pregnant, etc. etc. He is a GP, and when I asked him if he had ever had firsthand experience with women and preg. and tegretol, he said no. How nice. I am just sick about this now. I take folic acid everyday, just in case the unforseen happens, but was wondering about a few things...How much folic acid would a person in my situation take? Is my dosage particularily high when thinking about preg.? What about going off for the first trimester-it wouldn't be my first choice, I now experience grand mal seizures and am completely out for 45 mins or so, its not pleasant. I've read a lot of comments from women saying their kids are fine, no problems, but has anyone out there suffered problems? An finally, anyone who has helpful sites, or any information I would love to personally hear from them kri25sti@hotmail.com

[Labs-R-4-Me]

Go to a epiltologist who can recommend a doctor who has delt with high risk pregnancies before. They can work together to make sure you have a smooth pregnacy and a healthy baby. I don't know all your medical history but if that doctor is saying that due to the epilepsy then you need to change docs. He's way behind the times. Whatta jerk!

Good Luck!

[nanita]

hello Kristy:

my name is Nanita. I am 28 years old and I had problms with seizures also but I dont have it right now, O f cours im still taking the TEGRETOL 400 MG A DAY.

in 2000 I've got pregnant and i had a miscarriage.

Last year i've got pregnant and i supposed to be 3 months.
Last week when i saw my obgyn we couldnt find the heartbeat and she sent to me for another better ultrasound. I went today and no heartbeat.
So they have to do D&C

I have been very sad because now there is another lose and i dont know if the TEGRETOL IS CAUSING ME THIS.

I HEARD that many women dont have problem with this kind of drugs but i heard other s that they have problems with preganncies and cannot have babies, My sister that was working in a hospital she told me that she had a coworker taking this medicine and after many attempts she decided to adopt.

I am very sad, terribly sad with a big hole inside me.
I would l ike to have the pleasure to meet you.

you can write me to my e-mail.
if you want

lilianawood@wowmail.com

[kimber27]

i am 27 and have had 2 kids on tegretol both pregnancy were great. i have also had 2 miscarrages, dont know if they were caused by the meds or not. the doctor prescribed 1 mg of folic acid a day for me. when i asked my doctor about the meds he told me i had a greater chance of hurting the baby by having a seizure and falling while being off meds then i did of taking the meds as perscibed and the baby having deformaties. he said that about 2% of women who are pregnant and taking tegretol actually have problems due to the meds. according to him tegretol is one of the best meds to take while pregnant if i remember correctly phenobarbitol was the best to take but i am allergic to it. when i got pregnant with my first son my doctor did the same thing your did scared me to death, when i walked in to his office he gave me directions to the nearest abortion clinic and told me he already made the appointment. i told him i would get a second opinion and walked out. i was so scared, but when i went to the 2nd doctor he reassured me that he would help me thru it and would do all the neccessary tests to make sure the baby is ok thru the entire pregnancy. the 1st doctor told me my son would never walk, talk and would be mentally retarded. my son is now 7 yrs old plays teeball, does karate, in the first grade speaking spanish and english, and is a great kid. there are days that i want to walk into the 1st doctors office with my son and tell him "look what you wanted me to kill". i hope everything works out for you i know how scary it is.

kimber

[roxanneu]

Good news, perhaps...

I went to my neurologist (young, female, and pregnant) who fully understood my concerns about epilepsy and pregnacy. Although I don't take a theraputic dose of Carbatrol (time-released Tegretol), she said there are new drugs on the market that can control seizures with far less adverse effects. Get out the PDR and get a new doctor...check out Lamictal, Neurontin, Topamax, and others.