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Home > Archive > Multiple sclerosis support > March 2005 > Depakote
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| Rob Duncan 2005-03-23, 5:35 pm |
| I was going to mention this, then forgot to. Then forgot where I read it.
Depakote has been shown to cause an incredible amount of birth defects in
children. 1 of every 10 children born to a mother taking it for neuropathic
pain, epilepsy, or bipolar, is born with at least one birth defect. Much
worse than thalidomide. (the frequency of birth defects, not the severity)
This doesnt mean its bad for you to take as an adult, it means it has a
negative impact on fetal growth. If youre on it for anything other than
bipolar, and pregnant, or plan on getting pregnant, consult your doctor,
now.
Can anyone find that study? I cant, and its irritating me.
Rob
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| Rob
I don't lknow if this is the actual study but did find a large number of news articles on Depakote.
This is from the Mass General Hospital...: http://www.massgeneral.org/aed/aed_...t-VALPROATE.pdf
A Fox news article....: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,151072,00.html
And the results of a Google search..: http://tinyurl.com/58q7p
Addendum: I researched Valproic Acid many years ago and fround that it was originally used as an industrial solvent in England when they found that employees of companies that used it that had a history of Epilepsy found they had a reduction of seizures.
Hope this helps,
Pappy
"Rob Duncan" <robduncan@gbronline.com> wrote in message news:zZqdnXJIEM8hstzfRVn-rQ@gbronline.com...
I was going to mention this, then forgot to. Then forgot where I read it.
Depakote has been shown to cause an incredible amount of birth defects in
children. 1 of every 10 children born to a mother taking it for neuropathic
pain, epilepsy, or bipolar, is born with at least one birth defect. Much
worse than thalidomide. (the frequency of birth defects, not the severity)
This doesnt mean its bad for you to take as an adult, it means it has a
negative impact on fetal growth. If youre on it for anything other than
bipolar, and pregnant, or plan on getting pregnant, consult your doctor,
now.
Can anyone find that study? I cant, and its irritating me.
Rob
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| Rob Duncan wrote:
> Can anyone find that study? I cant, and its irritating me.
hi rob,
this isn't a study, just an article regarding depakote and birth
defects, from late '04 -- they give a toll-free number for women who
are pregnant and taking anti-convulsant meds to join a registry and get
info on risks and benefits, which may be beneficial:
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http://my.webmd.com/content/Article/98/104650.htm
Antiseizure Drug Depakote Under Fire
Evidence Linking Depakote to Birth Defects Is Mounting
By Salynn Boyles
WebMD Medical News Reviewed By Charlotte Grayson, MD
on Tuesday, December 07, 2004
Dec. 7, 2004 - The antiseizure drug Depakote has been linked to birth
defects and lower IQs among children exposed to it in the womb, but
millions of American women may be taking it without knowing the risks,
a group of epilepsy experts warned Tuesday.
Officials with the Epilepsy Foundation and the American Epilepsy
Society said as many as 15 million prescriptions for antiseizure drugs
are written each year to women in their childbearing years. The drugs
are commonly used to treat migraine headaches and bipolar disorder in
addition to epilepsy.
Depakote is one of the most widely prescribed antiseizure drugs. In one
ongoing study, one in four children born to mothers who took the drug
during pregnancy experienced serious adverse events including birth
defects and developmental delays. That compared to an adverse event
rate of around 10% in children exposed in the womb to the antiseizure
drug Tegretol and a 1% adverse event rate among children exposed to the
drug Lamictal.
"While our study is not definitive, it certainly raises serious
concerns," principal investigator Kimford J. Meador, MD, said at a news
conference on Tuesday. The briefing was held at the American Epilepsy
Society's annual meeting in New Orleans.
Meador said six other studies and national registries of antiseizure
drug users found that the highest rate of birth defects occurred among
children born to Depakote users. He added that the clinical evidence is
strong enough to argue against the drug's use as an initial treatment
for women who might become pregnant.
"That is not to say that [Depakote] shouldn't be used by these women at
all," he said, adding that the drug may be the only option for some
women since it is often prescribed for the most hard-to-control
seizures.
Getting the Answers
In addition to Depakote, there are increasing concerns about the safety
of the barbiturate phenobarbital, which is also used to control
seizures. The panel of experts said these two drugs are the most
"worrisome" of the large group of medications used in the treatment of
epilepsy, but they added that the safety of most other drugs is not
known.
Studies do suggest that the risk of birth defects and mental problems
among babies born to women taking Lamictal is no greater than among the
general population of pregnant women. Lamictal manufacturer
GlaxoSmithKline sponsored Tuesday's news briefing. GlaxoSmithKline is a
WebMD sponsor.
Most Babies Are OK
The news conference was held, in part, to urge pregnant women on
antiseizure drugs to participate in a national registry designed to
clarify the risks and benefits of the medications. So far, 4,000 women
taking 21 different medications have enrolled in the North American
Antiepileptic Drug Pregnancy Registry, but conference organizers said
much larger numbers are needed to get the answers they need.
The toll free number for the registry is (888) 233-2334, and the
hotline is available in both Spanish and English-language versions.
Neurologist Martha J. Morrell, MD, has been treating women with
epilepsy for 18 years. She said Tuesday that for years she had no
answer when her pregnant patients asked if the drugs they were taking
would harm their babies.
"So much of our decision making has been based on poor data and on our
own experiences," she said. "This is the first time that we have had
real information to give our patients, and the information on
[Depakote] is extremely concerning."
Most Babies Are OK
Neurologist Gregory L. Barkley, MD, of Wayne State University,
emphasized that most women taking antiseizure drugs during pregnancy
give birth to normal children. And he added that for many women the
benefits of treatment clearly outweigh the risks.
"We don't want women to abruptly stop taking these drugs," he said.
Morrell said while Depakote may be the only appropriate treatment for
some women, many others who are taking it for epilepsy, bipolar
disorder, or migraine headaches may do just as well on another
medication.
"Any woman taking [Depakote who might become pregnant] should talk to
her physician about whether it is appropriate to continue," she said.
SOURCES: News conference, American Epilepsy Society's 58th Annual
Meeting, New Orleans, Dec. 3-7, 2004. Gregory L. Barkley, MD, associate
professor of neurology, Wayne State University; chairman, Professional
Advisory Board, The Epilepsy Foundation. Lewis Holmes, MD, director,
North American Antiepileptic Drug Pregnancy Registry. Kimford Meador,
MD, Melvin Greer Professor of Neurology, university of Florida. Martha
J=2E Morrell, MD, clinical professor of neurology, Stanford University,
California.
=A9 2004 WebMD Inc. All rights reserved.
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