Vigabatrin
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Vigabatrin may occasionally be recommended in pregnancy if epilepsy cannot be controlled with other medicines.
What is it?
Vigabatrin (Sabril®) is used to treat epilepsy, usually in combination with other medicines.
Benefits
What are the benefits of taking vigabatrin in pregnancy?
Vigabatrin can prevents epileptic seizures, which can be dangerous to the woman and also lead to pregnancy complications.
Risks
Are there any risks of taking vigabatrin during pregnancy?
Vigabatrin use in pregnancy is not very well-studied. While the available information does not strongly suggest that it causes problems for the baby, further research is required to prove that vigabatrin is safe.
As a precaution, vigabatrin is only prescribed in pregnancy when the benefits of controlling seizures outweigh the possible risks.
Vigabatrin is an anti-seizure drug and some of these can affect folic acid levels. Women taking vigabatrin while trying to conceive and during pregnancy should therefore be prescribed a high dose folic acid supplement (5mg/day).
Alternatives
Are there any alternatives to taking vigabatrin?
Possibly. Other medicines can be used to treat epilepsy. However, vigabatrin is generally only used if other medicines to prevent seizures have not worked. For some women, staying on vigabatrin will be the safest option.
Ideally, women planning a pregnancy should speak to their epilepsy specialist to determine whether vigabatrin is still the best medicine for them. Women with an unplanned pregnancy while taking vigabatrin should be reviewed at the earliest opportunity by their neurologist.
No treatment
What if I prefer not to take medicines during pregnancy?
It is very important to take any medicines prescribed to treat epilepsy. Uncontrolled seizures can be serious and can lead to pregnancy complications.
Your doctor will only prescribe medicines when absolutely necessary and will be happy to talk to you about any concerns that you might have.
Do not stop vigabatrin unless you have been asked to do so by a specialist.
Will my baby need extra monitoring?
All pregnant women in the UK will be offered a very detailed anomaly scan at around 20 weeks of pregnancy as part of their routine antenatal care. No extra monitoring for major birth defects is required following vigabatrin use in pregnancy.
Babies exposed to vigabatrin before delivery may experience withdrawal symptoms for a few days after birth. They will be monitored in hospital during this period and any symptoms treated as necessary.
Are there any risks to my baby if the father has taken vigabatrin?
We would not expect any increased risk to your baby if the father takes vigabatrin.
Who can I talk to if I have questions?
If you have any questions regarding the information in this leaflet, please discuss them with your health care provider. They can access more detailed medical and scientific information from www.uktis.org.