Topiramate, the generic version of Topamax, is a drug used either alone or with other medications to treat seizures associated with epilepsy and is also recently used for prevention of migraine headaches. Topiramate is in a class of medications called anticonvulsants. It works by decreasing abnormal excitement in the brain. This use of this drug for migraine headache symptoms is relatively new, so users may be less aware of the potential dangers associated with the drug.
According to recent research, there may be a connection between the use of Topiramate by pregnant women and the development of birth defects in infants, however many tests were found to be inconclusive. New information has now surfaced regarding the potential effects of the drug on unborn children of mothers who have used the drug for migraine headaches and who were unaware of the potential side effects. The potential risks of Topiramate birth defects include such problems as cleft lips, cleft palates and genital malformations in male infants.
Infants who were exposed to Topiramate developed a cleft lip or cleft palate eleven times the national average. The research also indicated that the rate of Topiramate birth defects was higher among women who took Topiramate with another anti-seizure medication.
Following this study the FDA issued an announcement warning about the connection between Topiramate use during pregnancy and its correlation to birth injuries. The FDA also increased the pregnancy category of the generic form of Topamax from C to D, meaning the drug has the potential to cause serious harm to a human fetus.
