TTC with Topiramate

oregon123 · February 2017

My husband and I are trying to conceive but I am concerned that it would take a little longer with me being on Toperimate for long and at such at a high dose. Not only do i take that but I take Gabapentin. I am waiting to see the neurologist to see what his recommendations are but I wanted to see if there was any ladies out there that have had experiences with this medication or other medication.

kiwi2628 · February 2017

Hi OP, this is a great question for mostly your doctor, but if you really wanted to talk to someone, in the TWW or WTO threads. We don't love having random threads clogging up the board. With any medication, it is always recommended to consult with a doctor PRIOR to starting to TTC as some medications take a while to leave the system and can have really serious side effects.

LoveInDC · February 2017

oregon123 said:

My husband and I are trying to conceive but I am concerned that it would take a little longer with me being on Toperimate for long and at such at a high dose. Not only do i take that but I take Gabapentin. I am waiting to see the neurologist to see what his recommendations are but I wanted to see if there was any ladies out there that have had experiences with this medication or other medication.

QFP

[Deleted User] · February 2017

Bueller?

slaven · February 2017

Definitely talk to your neurologist about TTC. There are other problems that could happen with migraines or brain disorders during gestation and labor. And not even talking about the medicine affecting your fertility and length of time to get KU but they can cause problems to the baby when you get pregnant.

For gabapentin: "Gabapentin Pregnancy Warnings. Animal studies have revealed evidence of fetotoxicity involving delayed ossification in several bones of the skull, vertebrae, forelimbs, and hindlimbs. Hydroureter and hydronephrosis have also been reported in animal studies. There are no controlled data in human pregnancy." from drugs.com

Topiramate/Topamax: "Topamax and Birth Defects. Perhaps the most deleterious side effect of Topamax is its potential toxicity to fetuses. Infants exposed to topiramate in utero have an increased risk for cleft lip and cleft palate, especially if the drug is taken during the first trimester of pregnancy." from drugwatch.com

A basic google search shows they are not good for pregnancy.

[Deleted User] · February 2017

I was on Gabapentin for a short period of time and I can confirm the above info - do NOT be on this when you are TTC/KU. Definitely schedule an appointment with your neuro asap.

Also just throwing this out there - while yes, this is a question for her doctor, I'm fine with this being it's own thread. OP wanted to ask everyone on the board, not just half. I think it's fine. It's on topic, not breaking any TOU.

The board is not clogged up.

also ETA - if this had been in WTO/TWW I likely would not have seen this, which would have been a bummer since I have personal experience with neuro drugs and can off OP some help.

[Deleted User] · February 2017

<div class="Quote"><span>@slaven said:
A basic google search shows they are not good for pregnancy. </span></div><p>^^^This. Not sure how much personal experience you will find here with this pretty specific medical situation. That's not really how this board works. :/ hope your next visit to the doctor in informative. GL.</p><p>
</p><p>Eta nice to see @antoto has some personal experience to share. We must have been posting at the same time, bc I missed your reply until now. I agree, this is probably one of the few exceptions where posting its own thread may be fine bc it's such a specific and medically oriented ttc question, but also there may not be a tonne of responses for that same reason.</p><p><img src="https://us.v-cdn.net/5020794/uploads/editor/cz/79orq1yumsdu.gif" alt="">
</p><p>It is what it is.</p>

kpalt · February 2017

I was on Topamax before both times I've TTC, for migraines. In my experience I had to be slowly weaned off, then completely off for three months before I could even start TTC. So, it may take awhile before you are cleared! GL!

[Deleted User] · February 2017

Woohoo! Found [eta another] one! @kpalt I'm sorry- that sounds like kind of an ordeal. Glad you finally got cleared for ttc!

AL_TwinCities · February 2017

*coming out of lurking*

What happened to the TTGP board? Your obsessions with "cleaning up" worked well - now this board is all:

So, if you wanted to make a boring, unwelcoming place where the general attitude is one of unnecessary rules and unfriendly masquerading as "order" and less one of help/support, where you're never going to get new cool fun people to come hang out cause y'all are so fun to be around...Good job

NYTino24 · February 2017

First of all, @oregon123 I will concur with other ladies that said you need to go off. My twin was on Topamax and luckily her migraines actually did get better when pregnant.

@AL_TwinCities Oh hey, happy 5:20 in the morning to you too!

DontMakeMeAdult0903 · February 2017

AL_TwinCities said:

*coming out of lurking*

What happened to the TTGP board? Your obsessions with "cleaning up" worked well - now this board is all:

So, if you wanted to make a boring, unwelcoming place where the general attitude is one of unnecessary rules and unfriendly masquerading as "order" and less one of help/support, where you're never going to get new cool fun people to come hang out cause y'all are so fun to be around...Good job

hunnybunny17 · February 2017

*lurky lurker*

AL_TwinCities said:

...snip... masquerading as "order" ...snip...

Image: https://38.media.tumblr.com/3bc7ecbaa9adf84bef1d67cabe0d8691/tumblr_nx7lfdkgfp1tq7zlgo2_500.gif

[Deleted User] · February 2017

@AL_TwinCities. I respectfully disagree. The point of this board is to build a Community, so being used like a personal google by a constant stream of randos can become exhausting. I'd much rather be personally invested in each other's journies and be able to give and recieve real support during what can be a difficult time. While I hope OP would choose to intro and join us when she is ready, I don't necessarily think her post is out of order. That's why it didn't get shouted down. But at the same time, if someone is asking a pretty specific medically oriented question, it just may not get a tonne of action, either.

If you think the board is boring, start a GTKY! Throw a gif-party! No one is stopping you. That's the stuff that's <i>supposed</i> to be fun! But just lurk lurk lurking and then coming out of lurking to complain the board is boring on a one-off medical post, - when you could equally be contributing something FUN if you cared to, - is kinda lame, imho.

CupcakesRamazing · February 2017

NYTino24 said:

First of all, @oregon123 I will concur with other ladies that said you need to go off. My twin was on Topamax and luckily her migraines actually did get better when pregnant.

@AL_TwinCities Oh hey, happy 5:20 in the morning to you too!

Yikes. You obviously know nothing about @AL_TwinCities as she is the exact opposite of that. She's one of the most fearless, caring, supportive and open women I know.

Also, the the WTO and TWW threads from SUNDAY are still on the first page. I don't think y'all have a problem with clutter. Shutting down everyone and trying to force them into two threads where they feel unheard is not great to build "community". Everyone deserves compassion give OP a break and some support when all she wanted was some answers and like experiences.

[Deleted User] · February 2017

I dont really think anyone gave OP a hard time. I think we had one knee-jerk pat response initially, but nobody really jumped on board bc obv there is a time and a place.

saralee797-2 · February 2017

Oh here we go again.... Commence argument about idealistic board culture....

NYTino24 · February 2017

I agree with @BusinessWife. Let's turn this into a GIF party. OP got her answer and was welcomed to participate like all other posters in lurking. We don't need to be called boring. The board is already quite lively as you can see by the number of responses already. No need to start drama.

Happy Friday!!!

[Deleted User] · February 2017

slaven · February 2017

izza2 · February 2017

kiwi2628 said:

Hi OP, this is a great question for mostly your doctor, but if you really wanted to talk to someone, in the TWW or WTO threads. We don't love having random threads clogging up the board. With any medication, it is always recommended to consult with a doctor PRIOR to starting to TTC as some medications take a while to leave the system and can have really serious side effects.

I think the entire "argument" (which I haven't seen as an argument, but that may just be me) is in response to the fact that OP posted a general TTC question that ANYONE on the board could have answered, and was told that they shouldn't post one-off threads and it would have been better in TWW or WTO.
Which, are threads that, as @antoto said - some people just don't go in to.

Some questions obviously belong in those two threads, but some don't.

Also, the clutter argument is invalid because there is no clutter, which is what PP were saying. You can't say there's clutter on a board when posts from 4-5 days ago that haven't been used since then are still on the front page. *shrug*

As for OP:
I've taken Gabapentin. I was told that if I was going to TTC, I should not take it anymore. At the time I wasn't planning to TTC so I didn't think anything of it, but, that's what I was told.

[Deleted User] · February 2017

Everycol0r · February 2017

Migraines and pregnancy are not a such a specific medical condition that no one has personal experience. In fact, lots of woman are long time migraine suffers. My MIL in fact suffers severely from migraines and birthed 3 children.

I have migraines & am TFAS.

You know what's a super specific medical condition? PRES aka Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome. Raise your hand if you've even heard of it much less suffered from it. I have, and was diagnosed with it 2 weeks postpartum when suddenly I lost my vision. Now THAT is a super specific medical condition and I have yet to find anyone else who suffered from it. My OBGYN hadn't heard of it and it took a neurologist and 2 MRIs to diagnose. Only my REs fellow has heard of it because he's fresh out of the Doctor womb.

So don't tell me that migraines is so super specific that not one person can create fellowship with OP.

I don't even participate on this board anymore because everything is clogged up in those WTO/TTW threads. It makes me sad some days because this was my first home here on TB.

tripledaggerWed95976 · February 2017

Lurking..
OP, I was on gabapentin during my last pregnancy. I had to drop down from 1500mg a day, to the minimum dosage (300mg 1x per day). I also had to switch from seeing my regular doctor that was prescribing it to seeing a specialist who specifically works with pregnant women on higher risk medications. It is category C, mainly due to the fact that there have not been many clinical trials on pregnant women.
As it was explained to me by the specialist, it is believed (based off of animal trials) that any potential problems would arise during the first trimester while the bones are forming. If you plan to stay on these Meds during pregnancy I would highly suggest seeing a specialist and coming up with a plan before conceiving, as you will likely need to (at the very least) taper down to a lower dose.

kpalt · February 2017

@Everycol0r I agree. When I first was participating here, many many years ago, I actually asked pretty much this exact question and got great answers. I have seen my share of ridiculous TTC questions, this isn't one of them.

I only look around once in awhile here now and would not have checked WTO/TWW because I don't participate in those type of threads anymore because of my own personal IF journey. I saw this topic and immediately knew I could share my experience with this medication. I wouldn't have seen it in any other thread. Migraines are super common, and topamax is a common drug used to treat them and several other neurological conditions. Don't assume no one reading would know the answer just because you don't. We all have different experiences we can share, but if no one is allowed to ask, you won't see that happening.

sheknows6 · February 2017

So for the sake of moving forward as a community without having all the disagreement or the same "This is how the board should be run" conversation that's been done a million times over, can we all just agree to not flame individual threads, so long as they're not obviously ridiculous?

My reaction to this was not to flame, and I didn't comment on it because I don't have migraines. I agree that valid questions can and should be posted, especially if they can benefit the board as a whole, like this one. Even though I don't personally suffer migraines, I know lots of women here do, and this isn't the typical "am I pregnant, I'm spotting help, are there grants for ttc" nonsense.

In my mind, WTO/TWW threads are the place for general questions surrounding the time of the cycle you're in, and I agree that this kind of question could be lost in there, or missed entirely if the poster doesn't participate.

I think we could be a little more lenient as long as it's noted that flame-worthy posts can, should, and will be flamed.

Yes?

kiki75 · February 2017

#1. There would be more clutter if BGs would simply close problem posts instead of deleting them entirely.

#2. I don't think anyone who sits on the sidelines gets to complain about the board being boring. You want all sorts of stuff here? Do it. Every single time we've had this discussion, it comes back around to the same thing. No one has a problem with people posting things that involve/help the community as a whole. It's not the job of active participants to entertain you.
#3. @oregon123 I'm sorry that you're on medications that aren't compatible withTTC and pregnancy. That's gotta be stressful and scary. We hope you'll stick around.

lulu1180 · February 2017

@sheknows6

Image: https://media.giphy.com/media/NnGGHE0muVqpO/giphy.gif

[Deleted User] · February 2017

@Everycol0r I stand corrected. (Since I was not tagged, but I was the one calling this a specific medical issue). I have barely heard of these drugs, and my cursory googling made it sound like they were prescribed for what seemed like extreme neurological conditions, seizures etc. And not so commonly used as for migraines, which are obviously pretty common. So perhaps there's more personal experience here to be shared with them afterall!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I guess I don't understand why we can't just, if need be, come out of lurking or wherever we are hanging out and provide friendly, direct answers to OPs question. Again, the first knee-jerk response was nbd. I myself was skeptical how many relevant responses she would get, but I didn't try to shut it down, either.

Not sure why it has to turn into this whole spiteful "board culture" issue. Cos that's not actually "fun" to me. It's pretty boring actually. And that's not directed at anyone in particular, at. all. I just think it's kind of lame how this keeps getting trotted out.
<img src="https://us.v-cdn.net/5020794/uploads/editor/xj/etbgdd5f6j58.gif" alt="">

[Deleted User] · February 2017

<div class="Quote"><div><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://forums.thebump.com/profile/sheknows6">sheknows6</a> said:</div><div>So for the sake of moving forward as a community without having all the disagreement or the same "This is how the board should be run" conversation that's been done a million times over, can we all just agree to not flame individual threads, so long as they're not obviously ridiculous? ***snipped***</div></div><div><img src="https://us.v-cdn.net/5020794/uploads/editor/zy/b09qir6o3t1q.gif" alt="">
</div>

sheknows6 · February 2017

@BusinessWife FWIW, I don't think you said anything derogatory to the OP. Since we have some lurking regs that have brought this issue up again, it's worth trying to simply solve it and move on.

You're a wealth of knowledge here and I personally have learned quite a bit from you.

So, can we all just agree to allow threads as long as they're not violating TOU or just outright/obviously ridiculous?

Everycol0r · February 2017

Kiki75 said:

#1. There would be more clutter if BGs would simply close problem posts instead of deleting them entirely.
#2. I don't think anyone who sits on the sidelines gets to complain about the board being boring. You want all sorts of stuff here? Do it. Every single time we've had this discussion, it comes back around to the same thing. No one has a problem with people posting things that involve/help the community as a whole. It's not the job of active participants to entertain you.
#3. @oregon123 I'm sorry that you're on medications that aren't compatible withTTC and pregnancy. That's gotta be stressful and scary. We hope you'll stick around.

You know what, you've got a point.

I'll be in touch.

[Deleted User] · February 2017

<blockquote class="Quote">
<div class="QuoteAuthor"><a href="/profile/Kiki75">Kiki75</a> said:</div>
<div class="QuoteText">#1. There would be more clutter if BGs would simply close problem posts instead of deleting them entirely. ;)
#2. I don't think anyone who sits on the sidelines gets to complain about the board being boring. You want all sorts of stuff here? Do it. Every single time we've had this discussion, it comes back around to the same thing. No one has a problem with people posting things that involve/help the community as a whole. It's not the job of active participants to entertain you.
#3. @oregon123 I'm sorry that you're on medications that aren't compatible withTTC and pregnancy. That's gotta be stressful and scary. We hope you'll stick around.</div>
</blockquote>
All of this, lady @kiki75
<img src="https://us.v-cdn.net/5020794/uploads/editor/08/p11wcpouphtg.gif" alt="">

saralee797-2 · February 2017

Kiki75 said:

**snip**
#2. I don't think anyone who sits on the sidelines gets to complain about the board being boring. You want all sorts of stuff here? Do it. Every single time we've had this discussion, it comes back around to the same thing. No one has a problem with people posting things that involve/help the community as a whole. It's not the job of active participants to entertain you

^^this

[Deleted User] · February 2017

I mean. I feel like we have had this conversation a million times. You know my opinion. Not everything needs to go in TWW/WTO so please for the love of all that is good quit telling every single person who starts a new thread that they are "one off" and need to go to those two threads. (eta this is, though, a good response if someone is asking a cycle specific question about cycle days or cm or whatever)

That's all I will say on this topic. I might copy that paragraph for future use.

Anyways, @NYTino24 hey girl I don't know if you know this but that white knight meme you used is a weird tool of "men's rights activists" aka dudes who hate feminists. I figured I would tell you in case you didn't know.

I'm really glad that OP got some good answers.

zwink1 · February 2017

My 2 cents (sidebar, why isn't there a cents symbol on my phone?), which is about all this is worth:

1) This conversation comes up every few weeks, but no one actually does anything different. I'm open to change; let's get rolling with it.

2 ) I don't really mind individual posts for relevant questions and I think that this post fits that bill, however, I do like when the OPs at least intro before asking the question (ETA - this is not directed at OP, she introed).

3) I see the value of asking common TWW or WTO questions in the respective threads, but there are instances where the questions aren't really related to those times. Also, as others have said, I only sporadically post and/or lurk in either of those threads now, and I miss a lot of questions because of it....not that I think I have some super secret special knowledge that would be valuable, just saying, if I'm missing it I'm sure others are. Also, those CS/Q can definitely get lost in a post.

4) I am speaking for myself here, but think that it can be difficult for some ladies who have been here longer to remember that this is indeed the TTGP board and the vast majority of the ladies who come here (whether they lurk or post) will leave within a few months. Their questions are going to trend toward the more standard ttc stuff than the long-term IF stuff, and that is okay.

Anyway, sorry for hijacking another thread, I guess I'm on a roll today. Welcome OP, I hope you decide to stick around!

Edit: P.S. thanks @BusinessWife, now I'm going to have, "ba-na-nas, in pa-ja-mas are co-ming down the stairs..." stuck in my head. All day.

hartmich · February 2017

It hurts my little

when people complain that this board is boring or "worse" than it used to be because personally, I love it here. I think we're actually a lot more "active" than it was when I first started posting back in May. Every time I've come here for support or just to ask something random, there's always someone around!

Everycol0r · February 2017

hartmich said:

It hurts my little when people complain that this board is boring or "worse" than it used to be because personally, I love it here. I think we're actually a lot more "active" than it was when I first started posting back in May. Every time I've come here for support or just to ask something random, there's always someone around!

Last May was when we left, which is why it wasn't active.

ETA: Got my years wrong, ignore.

[Deleted User] · February 2017

hartmich said:

It hurts my little when people complain that this board is boring or "worse" than it used to be because personally, I love it here. I think we're actually a lot more "active" than it was when I first started posting back in May. Every time I've come here for support or just to ask something random, there's always someone around!

So having been on here for two darn years now (sighhhhhh) I will say that it has changed. I mean there is SO much support to go around. You guys started a damn protest thread and got me out of Bump jail!! There is no lack of support of members who already post regularly. I think sometimes I do notice that the new brand of "snark" is a whole lot more Mean Girls and less Saturday Night live like it used to be in regards to newbies. Like... we can have mad support and also have a good sense of humor and "go with the flow" attitude... that's all. Sometimes people on here start to sound like the BGs with their canned responses.

But again I have probably said the above a whole bunch of times.

sheknows6 · February 2017

Ok, so @antoto I said this way up the thread a ways- let's all do what we're saying and not flame the random threads, as long as they're actually not flame worthy.

I didn't even comment in here until I saw it was devolving into this same argument that's been done to death, and I even said- I didn't comment here because I don't have migraines.

If you see a post that isn't relevant to you and it's also not the standard "am I pregnant" nonsense, just keep swimming!

lund · February 2017

I think my biggest issue with threads like this is when complete strangers start one-off threads. Not that it isn't an appropriate question, but I think we'd all be a lot more receptive if we had ANY idea who the person starting it is.

I mean, it isn't hard to see that the OP is brand new and hasn't participated in ANY other threads. I know many other boards are find with complete newbies posting one-offs, and that's great for them, but that just isn't the culture here.

@hartmich totally agree.

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