i need some advice about some medication?

Question

i have epilepsy and im pregnant the doctor took me off the drugs and told me about a drug anatriptalene he said it would stop seziures i spoke to some one yesterday who looked it up on the internet and said it was not used for stopping seziures does any one know anything about this drug and if it can be used for epilepsy and if so is it safe in pregnancy

Answer 1

I am a Nurse, and have over 12 books that talk about all the drugs that are out there. There are 5 categories.

Category A-well controlled studies. Has shown to be no risk to fetus.

Category B-animal studies have revealed no evidence of harm to the fetus, however,there are no adequate or well controlled studies in pregnant women...it is unknown.

Category C-Animal studies show adverse reactions in fetus, no studies on pregnant women

Category D- Studies, adequate, well controlled or observational, in pregnant women have demonstrated a risk to the fetus. However the benefits of therapy may outweigh the risk to the fetus.

Category X- Studies show definite abnormalities in pregnant women. Do not take while pregnant. It is contradicted for women who are pregnant.

Your med, which is spelled -anatriptalene

Is a category D. I looked in all my books to make sure. All Nurses have a drug guide book we use daily to check and recheck meds.
Yours is a D. I would talk to your doctor. Have you tried Neurontin? It is a C. I used that while pregnant. At a very low dose.
Call your doctor, and ask why you were put on a Category D drug??

I hope this helps. Doctors are human, they DO make mistakes.
Thousands of people die each year due to med errors alone.
Be a conscious consumer! Like you are. Good Luck to you and your baby :)

Answer 2

The Alliance for Epilepsy Research can be reached at:

Alliance for Epilepsy Research
1059 East 1479 Road
Lawrence, KS 66046

Phone Toll Free: 1-866-237-2929
Fax: [phone]

Email: [e-mail]

Answer 3

I don't know for sure if you have the spelling of this medication correct. I looked for it on webmd.com and it didn't come up. It sounds like a med I took once for migraines that started out as an antiseizure medication, but I can't be sure. Go to a website like webmd and copy the name of your med exactly into their search engine. It should tell you more about it. I doubt your doctor would prescribe something that isn't safe during pregnancy or that wouldn't help your epilepsy.

Answer 4

Well as with any medication, the side effections usually accure within 20-35 minutes of taking the pill and last 4-12 hours depending on the medication. Side effects usually wear off after the first couple of weeks but if they become a bother then definately call your doctor. Good luck...

Answer 5

Is it possible the drug you are referring to might be Amitriptyline?
If so, it has no use, that I am aware of, in epilepsy. It was once commonly used for depression and is now often used for certain types of pain. Also, its safety in pregnancy has not been established.

All of the antiepleptic drugs (AED) can increase the potential for birth defects. The rate in normal women is about 2-3%. The risk is about 4-8% for women taking AEDs and taking more than one AED increases the risk.

Answer 6

Ask the pharmacy about the risks involved with this medication and pregnancy. They are educated best in this. If they find it is unsafe.... I would ask a neurologist to recommend a safe medication. I would contact a neurologist anyways they are a specialist... Doctors study general medicine and don't always know what they are doing. He could have created a dangerous situation for you and your unborn baby by suddenly stopping and changing a medication that was working.
Good Luck

Answer 7

I would trust your doctor's advice over someone who doesn't have a medical degree, but you can always look up the drug yourself and get info on it. (The spelling you posted doesn't find anything.) Also remember that some drugs are used for more than one purpose.
If you still aren't sure, then getting a second medical opinion is always a good idea.

Answer 8

I tryed looking up the drug on web.md and couldn't find it.Your spelling might be wrong.You should be checking with your OB and Neurologist.I wouldn't think they would prescribe anything harmful to you or your unborn baby.I do know that Lamictal is used for seizures and is safe in pregnancy.That's what I took.

Answer 9

Do you mean Amitriptyline?
I don't think it is safe for pregnancy use, and as far as I know it is used as an antidepressant, and as a pain killer.
My partner has been taking this for about two years as a painkiller.

Answer 10

That's the least of your worries---you're the first pregnant man!

Just kidding, I'm assuming you're using another person's account. I don't know much about what's going on, but your doctor definitely would. Talk to your doctor about all your concerns. I'm sure he/she would be happy to help you. Congrats on the little one :-)