The Consumer Justice Foundation (CJF) is asking that pregnant women find an alternative treatment for their migraines to Topamax because of all of the new information that has come out about the drug’s links to birth defects.

This call to action is based on the new FDA safety announcement that is asking all health care providers to take some time out before prescribing Topamax to women who could become pregnant. The FDA wants doctors to properly consider all of the benefits in taking Topamax as well as the risks involved, especially when it is being prescribed for conditions that are not usually linked with permanent injury or death. It is for this reason that CJF wants women and healthcare providers to look for alternative treatments before using Topamax as a treatment for migraine headaches.

Topamax has been on the American market since 1996, and is approved as a treatment for epileptic seizures. It has been used to treat migraines since 2004. The active ingredient in Topamax is topiramate. Topamax used to be the most-prescribed medication for migraines until the new links to birth defects got out. Some of the birth defects linked to Topamax include cleft lip and cleft palate.

The FDA has been unusually slow in providing this warning to health practitioners. In the agency’s zeal to fully review information about drugs before making recommendations on what to do about them, many women and their babies have had to suffer the consequences of taking Topamax. If your baby has suffered from birth defects after you took Topamax, contact attorney Greg Jones today for a free consultation. I am experienced at fighting drug injury cases and may be able to help you recover money for your child’s injuries.