Patients are cautioned of abruptly stopping their Topamax medication as it may lead to
Topamax withdrawal side effects, after more and more studies link Topamax, the brand name of Topiramate, to more birth defects. The health of their babies could be compromised should pregnant women take Topamax despite its being the drug of choice in effectively reducing the frequency and intensity of epileptic seizures and migraines.
Recent studies revealed that pregnant women who are undergoing the Topamax treatment may be putting their babies at high risk of developing major birth defects. Compared to infants who are exposed to other antiepileptic drugs, infants exposed to Topamax during the first trimester of pregnancy have twice the risk of developing cleft lip and cleft palate based on the data from the North American Antiepileptic Drug (NAAED) Pregnancy Registry.Another study published on the Journal Neurology in 2008 suggested that infants exposed to Topamax are 11 times more likely to develop cleft lip or cleft palate, and 14 times more likely to develop genital defects like hypospadias, compared to the general population. The genital birth defect Hypospadias is a condition common among male infants wherein their urethras are misplaced. A normal male infant will have his urethra at the end of the penis but when he has Hypospadias, his urethra will be located on the underside of the penis.
Since its approval in 1996 as a treatment for epilepsy, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has reclassified Topamax from Pregnant Category C to D. This means there is positive human evidence that Topamax has the potential to cause significant harm to a fetus when taken during pregnancy. Aside from treating epilepsy, the FDA also indicated the antiepileptic drug for the prevention of migraine headaches in 2004. The seriousness of the malformations that may affect their newborns prompted the FDA to recommend to all women of childbearing age to consider alternative medications that have a lower risk of birth defects than Topamax.
Pregnant women or those still planning to get pregnant should also consult their doctors first before deciding to stop the medication because they could suffer withdrawal symptoms. The seriousness of these
Topamax side effects should be considered by both patient and doctor when deciding whether or not the benefits of getting treated with Topamax could outweigh the dangers it poses to an infant.
