WOMEN WITH EPILEPSY (WWE)

Epilepsy is a disorder of brain causing recurrent "seizures" or "fits". Symptoms of seizures depend on specific area of brain. Symptoms can be jerking of limbs, staring episodes, sudden falls, confusion, transient loss of consciousness, strange emotional feeling, anxiety, psychosis and many more. Though epilepsy can affect people with any age, gender; epilepsy in women raises special concerns, which are discussed in this article.

- Dr Soniya Tambe

Epilepsy and hormonal/menstrual cycles: Most important hormones in women are estrogen and progesterone. Estrogen in pro-convulsant (increases seizure risk), progesterone is anticonvulsant (decreases seizure risk). There are times in woman’s life when changes in hormone levels and hormone balance happen: during puberty, periods, pregnancy and throughout menopause, thereby increasing seizure risk during these situations. Some women have seizures during specific time around their menstrual cycle, specially just before menses, which is called “catamenial epilepsy” ( Katamenios is Latin for menses).

Contraception (birth control) for women with epilepsy: In most cases, anti-seizure drugs can make hormonal birth control less effective, but in some cases hormonal birth control can make antiseizure drugs less effective. Using either barrier methods(condom/diaphragm) for contraception or having intrauterine device is most suitable for women with epilepsy.