Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0036572 (seizures)
 80,221 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Norplant, Depo-Provera, and the progestin-only pill are good for 35-50 year old women, since they are safe and have low failure rates. A beneficial feature of progestin-only contraceptives is the lack of thrombotic complications. They are good for couples considering sexual sterilization. Neither antibiotics nor antiseizure medicines reduce Depo-Provera's effectiveness. The only drug which reduces its effectiveness is aminoglutethimide (Cytadren), used to suppress adrenal function in some people with Cushing syndrome. Research indicates that Depo-Provera even reduces the frequency of seizures. Antiseizure medicines (except valproic acid) and the antibiotic, rifampin, greatly reduce the effectiveness of Norplant to prevent pregnancy. Antiseizure drugs increase hepatic enzymes, resulting in the breakdown of levonorgestrel. In those cases where women who already have Norplant need an antiseizure drug or rifampin, family planning practitioners should advise them to use another contraceptive. Many women using Depo-Provera experience amenorrhea (30-50% at 1 year, 70% at 2 years, and 80% at 5 years), but most find it to be a benefit. The most undesirable side effect of Depo-Provera is weight gain (5.4-16.5 lbs. after 1-6 years use, respectively), likely due to increased appetite. Women who use Norplant for 5 years gain on average a little less than 5 lbs. Once a woman is injected with Depo-Provera, she cannot immediately discontinue it, and its effects cannot be stopped. It takes 6 to 8 months to clear the body. Only 2 women have experienced anaphylactic reactions to Depo-Provera. Despite this rare event, it is important for practitioners to have epinephrine, steroids, and diphenhydramine to treat severe allergic reactions. A study finds reduced bone density among longterm Depo-Provera users, but it did not match for parity or smoking and did not determine bone density prior to injections of Depo-Provera. Further research on bone density and progestin-only contraceptives is needed.
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PMID:Ask the experts: progestin-only contraceptives. 1228 99

Anticonvulsant drugs used to treat epilepsy have been linked to an increased risk of birth defects among infants of epileptic mothers. Thus, effective contraception for epileptic women is especially important. Copper IUDs, voluntary sterilization, and correct use of barrier methods have been suggested. Most hormonal methods raise concerns, however. Some antiepileptic drugs (e.g., phenytoin, phenobarbital, carbamazepine, and paramethadione) may cause more rapid metabolism of the progestin or estrogen component of combined oral contraceptives. This, in turn, may reduce contraceptive effectiveness, resulting in pregnancy and exposure of the fetus to the potential teratogenic properties of the anti-seizure drug. Since anticonvulsant drugs also speed the metabolism of levonorgestrel, Norplant is not recommended for epileptic women. Depo-Provera is an appropriate method for epileptic women and may reduce seizure frequency.
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PMID:Epilepsy drugs may reduce method effectiveness. 1229 55