I didn't know i was pregnant and was taking Valpro 200mg. Is this harmful to my baby ??

Question

I am 8 weeks pregnant and I have since stopped taking Valpro as i only have Noctural Seizures.

I would also like to know roughly when would i start to show ???

Answer 1

It is absolutely important that you do not stop taking your seizure treatment without medical advice. Suddenly stoppping anti seizure drugs can reduce your seizure threshold and cause you to have a seizure regardless of what kind of seizures youre having. Having a seizure during pregnancy will cause more harm to your baby than you, as rapidly dividing cells in your babys body are much more vulnerable to reduced oxygen in the blood than you. Your blood oxygen will reduce if you are unable to breathe properly during your seizure. You need to call or see your doctor immediately if you have stopped this drug without medical advice.

I dont mean to scare you but Valpro (sodium valproate) is a well known teratogenic drug that should not be taken during pregnancy. It is known to cause various congenital defects in babies. If you havent already seen a doctor you need to do so immediately with regard to your seizure medication. The following is an exerpt from the British National Formulary regarding anti epileptics in pregnancy;

"There is an increased risk of teratogenicity associated with the use of antiepileptic drugs (reduced if treatment is limited to a single drug). In view of the increased risk of neural tube and other defects associated, in particular, with carbamazepine, oxcarbazepine, phenytoin and valproate women taking antiepileptic drugs who may become pregnant should be informed of the possible consequences. Those who wish to become pregnant should be referred to an appropriate specialist for advice. Women who become pregnant should be counselled and offered antenatal screening (alpha-fetoprotein measurement and a second trimester ultrasound scan)."

Answer 2

Best bet is to talk to your neurologist or pharmacist. You will start to show about 1-2 months after you have to really start buying maternity clothes... I'm not kidding. I was wearing maternity clothes at 16 weeks, and nobody noticed. They thought I just liked baggy clothes. The problem is, your belly will get bigger than your pants before anyone can actually see that you are bigger...

Answer 3

It depends how far along you were when you found out you were pregnant