Hi all,
I have been diagnosed with epilepsy in pregnancy (not a side effect I was expecting!) I had multiple seizures as a child but they weren’t really investigated and then another two 5 and 10 years apart which were just associated with stress. However, when I hit my second trimester I began having 2/3 a week and I was referred for tests. Although my EEG has come back clear doctors believe my seizures are epileptic and want me to take keppra but have said it’s my choice if I take them or not. I’m leaning more towards not taking or delay taking medication for two reasons.
1. The side effects- from what I have read it seems okay for baby, however I’m worried about the side effects for me. It seems there’s a high chance of getting depression and personality changes and I don’t think it’s the right time for me to attempt this. With pregnancy hormones and the isolation that has come from the seizures I’m already feeling quite down, not depressed, but I am really having to work to keep my mental health well at the moment and I don’t want to mess with that before baby comes.
Further to the above, I don’t really have anyone close to me at the moment who would notice changes to be able to help. I have my husband who is amazing but not really good at things like that. My mother would be brilliant but my nan is currently very ill so it would be unfair of me to put more strain on her at the moment. If I wait a few months until after baby is born I might be in a different situation and able to try them.
2. The seizures are slowing- when I came into my third trimester I felt like a switch had been flicked and the brain fog had lifted. Also, since then (4 weeks ago) I’ve only had two seizures and they were little, I don’t think I fully lost consciousness, they were quick and I recovered quickly. I’m hoping they are stopping on their own. Looking at the ones I had in previous years they seem to be triggered by hormones- they started when I was going through puberty and fizzled out between 18-21 then one of the others I had I think may have been around a miscarriage. Is it possible that there were hormones in my second trimester that triggered them?
Could you please advise what you would do in my situation? Am I being stupid and I should just take the tablets? Also, if anyone has any good experiences of Keppra please let me know
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I have absent seizures and have only had 4 tonic clonic seizure in the past 4yrs due to stress. I’m personally on lamotrigine and have been for the last 8 years and through 2 pregnancies. Lamotrigine is one of the “safe” ones to be on during pregnancy. Did they mention it to you??? I have been on many different medications and Keppra is one I have been on. Unfortunately I cannot give you a good experience on it. You need to do what you think is right for you x

I have nocturnal seizures and have been on keppra for about 10 years. I just had my son in September and due to the pregnancy my neurologist actually increased my dose to ensure my body got the same amount of keepra as pre-pregency me. When I first started keepra the biggest side effect for me was the tiredness. I did not get depressed or feel like I lost myself but then again medication can affect people differently. Unfortunately only you can make this decision and all I can tell you is my own experience on the medication.