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News and FeaturesRelated to Epilepsy

51. Topamax May Raise Risk of Birth Defects
    
    July 21, 2008 -- The epilepsy and migraine prevention drug Topamax has been linked to an increased risk of birth defects in babies born to epilepsy patients who took it during pregnancy, a small study shows. In a study published in the latest issue of the journal Neurology, taking Topamax (topiramat
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52. FDA Panel: No Warning on Epilepsy Drugs
    
    July 10, 2008 -- An expert advisory panel on Thursday backed away from an FDA proposal to place strong new warnings of suicide risk on the packaging of 11 common epilepsy drugs. The panel's vote applies to drugs including Neurontin, Lyrica, and Topamax. All of the drugs are approved to treat epileps
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53. Got Epilepsy? Take Medication as Directed
    
    June 19, 2008 -- Here's notice to persons with epilepsy: Not taking medication to control seizures could be deadly. That's according to a new review of medical records examined from 1997 to 2006. Study researcher Edward Faught, MD, of the University of Alabama at Birmingham's Epilepsy Center, and co
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54. Epilepsy Drug Dilantin May Speed Bone Loss
    
    April 30, 2008 -- Young women taking the common epilepsy drug Dilantin may risk bone loss and fracture with long-term use. A new study shows young women taking phenytoin (also commonly known as Dilantin) for one year lost 2.6% of the bone density in the femoral neck -- the upper part of the thigh bo
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55. Seizure Drugs OK While Breastfeeding?
    
    April 17, 2008 -- Women with epilepsy who wish to breastfeed their children may be able to do so safely without stopping their seizure medications, early results from a landmark study suggest. In animal studies, certain seizure medications can cause cell death in immature brains. Beta-estradiol, the
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56. Suicide Risk From 11 Epilepsy Drugs
    
    Jan 31, 2008 -- The FDA warns that 11 epilepsy drugs double a person's risk of suicidal behavior or thoughts, although the overall risk remains small. The warning comes from an FDA analysis of suicidality -- suicidal behavior or thoughts -- in placebo-controlled studies of 11 drugs known collectivel
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57. Many Adults With Epilepsy Not Treated
    
    Oct. 31, 2007 -- More than a third of adults living with epilepsy reported being too physically disabled to hold a job in a new survey, and one in four said they did not take medication even though they had active seizures. Based on the results, researchers with the CDC and the UCLA School of Public
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58. Epilepsy Linked to Higher Suicide Risk
    
    July 5, 2007 -- People with epilepsy are three times more likely to commit suicide than the general population, and women with the disease have a greater suicide risk than men, according to new research from Denmark. The Danish study is not the first to link epilepsy to an increase in suicide, but i
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59. Mom's Epilepsy Drug Can Hurt Child's IQ
    
    May 3, 2007 (Boston) -- Women of childbearing age should avoid taking the commonly prescribed epilepsy drug valproate because of a negative effect on their children's IQ, researchers say. They found that the intelligence quotient of 2-year-old children was an average of 12 points lower when expectan
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60. Best First-Choice Drugs for Epilepsy ID'd
    
    March 22, 2007 - Lamictal is the best first-choice drug for partial epilepsy, while valproic acid is the best first choice for generalized epilepsy, two major clinical trials show. But for patients who learn they have epilepsy, finding the right drug to control their seizures will continue to be a c
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