In what can only be referred to as irony, studies have shown that the epileptic drug Topamax, when taken by women who are also taking birth control pills, can inhibit the efficacy of the oral contraceptives by as much as 7 percent.
What this means is that epileptic women that use birth control as a way of preventing unwanted pregnancies have a 7 percent higher chance of getting pregnant if they take Topamax to combat epileptic seizures. The active ingredient in Topamax (topiramate) may be the culprit for this. The studies have also shown that drugs like Topamax cause an increase in the body’s metabolism of estrogen and progesterone. This is what causes the failure of birth control pills.
Women that are currently able to bear children shouldn’t take Topamax. Even if they don’t base their decision on the fact that the drug can actually help them get pregnant even when taking birth control pills, perhaps the fact that Topamax can cause birth defects in their baby may keep woman away from it. The drug has been linked to birth defects including oral clefts and cleft palate, which generally develops during the first trimester of pregnancy when many women don’t even realize they are pregnant.
Topamax has also been associated with other birth defects, according to information in the FDA’s Adverse Event Report database. So far, 244 reports have been made that talk about injuries to kids because of Topamax and 100 of those are specifically about birth defects. Those reports include 29 oral clefts, 29 limb malformations, 27 heart defects, 26 reports of other congenital defects, 23 cranio-facial defects, 15 reports of spina bifida/spinal malformations and 5 reports of persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN).
There are other methods of birth control that don’t manipulate the body’s hormones and may prove safer for women taking Topamax, such as condoms and IUDs. If your baby was born with birth defects caused by 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.