A young woman fears she’s been left infertile after she was put on medication to stop her seizures as a child – allegedly without being warned about the side effects by her doctor.
When Harriet Brant was prescribed a new drug to control her epilepsy, she thought she was finally getting her life back after eight years of hospital visits.
But instead, the 24-year-old from Birmingham says the treatment has left her terrified she may never be able to have children.
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To make matters worse, she claims to have received conflicting medical advice and is too scared to take a fertility test.
“I got put on a medication that stops you from having babies, and I wasn’t told until after I was already on it,” the content creator told Need To Know.
“My GP has told me this medication has left me infertile for the rest of my life, but another doctor said it could impact my fertility, but they don’t know to what extent.
“I am really worried, and I’m too scared to take a fertility test because I’ve had so much conflicting information.
“I would love to be a mum – it’s all I’ve ever wanted.
“I was very sad to hear this [that she may be infertile], and shocked.
“I keep pushing things to the side until the moment comes when I’m ready to have children – but when that time comes, I don’t know what will happen.”
Harriet was prescribed Topiramate – a drug used to treat epilepsy and migraines – in 2020.
But after suffering repeated kidney infections, she decided to look up its side effects online and was shocked by what she found.
The drug, also sold under the brand name Topamax, has been under growing scrutiny.
In 2023, the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) found it carried a “significant risk of harm” if taken while pregnant, including birth defects and developmental disorders.
After doing her own research, Harriet rushed to her GP and immediately decided to wean herself off the drug.
She said, “I was then sent a pregnancy prevention letter through my door and told I needed to sign something at my GP office to say I knew about these side effects of this drug, which infuriated me even more.
“I’m very angry at the doctors.
“I was only a young girl when I was prescribed this medication and was on it for seven years.
“There should have been a moment when a nurse, doctor or neurologist told me about the side effects of the drug.
“There are people and young girls who are not aware of this.
“At one point, I spoke to the neurologist who treats my epilepsy, who said not to listen to my GP because they had more knowledge about the drug, and she was wrong about the fertility risks.
“I just feel so let down as I’m now left not knowing if I’m actually infertile, and no one can give me a straight answer.
“If I had to pick someone to blame, it would probably be myself for not looking into the side effects of the drug I was taking for so long, but at that age, epilepsy and birth control were very new to me.
“I followed the doctors’ and nurses’ advice, and this is where it has led me.
“So I think they are partly to blame for my frustration and upset – I trusted them with my body.”
Harriet has now been off Topiramate for several months, but remains anxious about what it’s done to her body.
The ordeal has left her questioning how clearly patients are warned about the risks of prescription drugs.
She added, “I just wish I’d been given the facts before I started taking it.”
Harriet has also launched her own epilepsy awareness campaign and business, Purple Days, to highlight the struggles people with the condition face.
