Topamax Reduces the Effectiveness of Birth Control
Because Topamax birth defects include cleft lip and palate, which form early in a pregnancy, it’s important to note whether Topamax affects birth control levels in women’s bodies. According to Topamax’s drug label, Topamax can actually reduce the effectiveness of oral contraceptives in some instances. Fortunately, there is no evidence that Topamax causes false negatives in pregnancy tests, which is good because if it did not, then many women would not know they were pregnant before it was too late to take measures to prevent Topamax birth defects.
Under what circumstances does Topamax reduce birth control’s effectiveness? First, when it’s prescribed with valproic acid (often sold under the brand name, Depakote), it decreases the body’s exposure to ethinyl estradiol (EE), the estrogen pill, at statistically significant levels. At 200mg/day, 400mg/day, and 800mg/day, the amount of EE drops by 18%, 21%, and 30%, respectively. Norethindrone (NET), the progesterone only pill, was unaffected by Topamax.
Researchers conducted one study of Topamax’s effect on combination oral contraceptives. Women took 1mg NET along with 35mcg EE along with 50-200mg/day doses of Topamax with no other drugs. The researchers found that Topamax did not affect the women’s exposure rates to either drug. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advises women to report changes in their bleeding patterns if they take and EE contraceptive while using Topamax.
Because of the dangers of giving birth to a child with cleft lip or palate due to Topamax, the FDA advises doctors to discuss birth control with their female patients. However, for many it is already too late. If your child was born with a birth defect while his or her mother was on Topamax, you may be able to gain compensation from Ortho-McNeil in a topamax lawsuit. The lawyers of the Rottenstein Law Group are willing to extend to you a free consultation to discuss your case. Contact us by completing our contact form to the right or by clicking on this link.