Birth control

Pills and other hormonal birth control.  This may result in birth control failure and an unplanned pregnancy.  Antiseizure medications that may cause this failure are:

• Phenytoin (Dilantin)
• Primidone (Mysoline)
• Carbamazepine (Tegretol, Carbatrol)
• Topiramate (Topamax)
• Oxcarbazepine (Trileptal)
• Felbamate (Felbatol)
• Rufinamide (Banzel)

But, there are solutions that should be discussed with your neurologist/epileptologist, and also with your gynecologist, to determine the best birth control method for you:

• Using antiseizure medications that do not interact with birth control pills
• Using alternative birth control methods
• Using birth control pills with higher dose of estrogen
 

The blood level of the antiseizure medication Lamotrigine (Lamictal) may be decreased by birth control pills, resulting in failure to control your seizures.

What should you do?
Be sure that the doctor who prescribes your antiseizure medications knows that you are on birth control.  The dose of your medication may need to be increased.