Epilepsy and it's treatment may impact many aspects of puberty, pregnancy and menopause.  In females hormone levels are not constant.  Your reproductive system is controlled by several female hormones.  Two of these, estrogen and progesterone are important.  Every month, the levels of estrogen and progesterone go up and down to prepare your body for pregnancy or for menstrual periods.  They also affect the nerve cells in your brain.  As hormone levles go up and down, seizure patterns change, more estrogen may increase seizure activity and more progesterone may decrease seizure frequency.  A female with epilepsy is more likely than other woman to have problems with her menstual cycle and fertilitiy.  Some seizure medicines may lower the amount of the female hormones that regulate bone health, leading to thinning of the bones. (osteoporosis.).

Certain types of birth control work by using female hormones to prevent pregnancy.  These types of birth control include the daily pill, the weekly patch, Under the skin implants and iud's that include estrogen.  Some seizure medicications reduce the level of estrogen, this may mean that there is not enough estrogen of these forms of birth control to work properly, which can result in pregnancy.  As you can see, every female with epilepsy has to balance three important concerns female hormones may effect seizures, seizures may affect female hormones and Seizures may effect female hormones and Seizure medications can effect hormones.

At certain times in every females life the levels of estrogen and progesterone and the balance between them suddenly change.  These changes may have a greater impact than usual on the lives of females with epilespy.  Menstruation, Pregnancy and Menopause.

Did you know that taking one seizure medicine (monotherapy) may lower the risks of birth defects during pregnancy.

Females with epilepsy face possible challenges around pregnancy, you may find it hard to become pregnant and if you are pregnant seizure-activity may increase.

Over 90% of babies born to woman with epilepsy are normal and healthy.  The risks that the child of a woman with epilepsy will have a major birth defect of 6% compared to the 2.5% This increase is probably related to seizure medicines and perhaps some genetic factors.  Epilepsy affects women differently.  Their hormonal and menstrual cycles, pregnancy, menopause all of these life stages are affected by epilespy.

Two specific hormones are especially important: estrogen which increases the electrical activity of the brain. and progesterone, which has the reverse effect.  Many woman are hormonally sensitive so these life stages are affected by epilepsy.

Two specific hormones are especially important: estrogen which increases the electrical activity of the brain, and progesterone, which has the electrical activity of the brain, and progestrerone, which has the reverse effect.  Many woman are hormonally sensitive so these two hormones that act in opposite ways in terms of electrical excitability of the brain.  Most woman who become pregnant can have normal pregnancies. When a woman approaches menopause around fifty+ there is some evidence that it may occur a decade earlier in a minority of woman with epilepsy.  Woman that have gone thru menopause have about the same frequency and severity of seizures as a young woman.  It is a fact that the hormones produced by the ovaries including estrogen and progesterone can effect seizures.  Estrogen can increase the levels of these hormones change around the time of menopause estrogen can increase seizure activity but progesterone can reduce it.

During a study the woman who had epilepsy before menopause reported no change in their seizures.

Certain types of seizure medications such as Dilantin, Tegeratol, Mysoline, Trileptal and Topomax increase the breakdown of the hormones in birth control pills and make them less effective.

Some helpful hints to keep seizures under control

Find the right medicine in the right dose, take a vitamin supplement, get at least eight hours of rest. Don't smoke, Eat sensible and balanced diets and stay within your weight limits.

It is important for you to have a clsoe relationship with your doctors, only you know what is going on and how many seizures you get, so you have to inform your doctor with every change you make in your life.

Here is a website called Woman, Epilepsy and Sexuality

http://my.web.com/content/article/95/10325