Community Forum Archive

The Epilepsy Community Forums are closed, and the information is archived. The content in this section may not be current or apply to all situations. In addition, forum questions and responses include information and content that has been generated by epilepsy community members. This content is not moderated. The information on these pages should not be substituted for medical advice from a healthcare provider. Experiences with epilepsy can vary greatly on an individual basis. Please contact your doctor or medical team if you have any questions about your situation. For more information, learn about epilepsy or visit our resources section.

Seizures after ovulation, tried Epilim, Keppra, Topamax, Lamictal, Tegretol. Suggestions?

Thu, 03/16/2017 - 20:48
Hey, I got my period when I was roughly 16 and my first big seizure was around the same age 15/16. I started on Epilim, then Keppra, am now on Topamax, Lamictal, and Tegretol. I have complex partial seizures diagnosed from the temporal lobe. I have my seizures in clusters and they usually occur from day 22-25 of my cycle. If you google hormone graph/chart then you can see that around this time progesterone dips in the body and this is what we think is a trigger, not a cause but the trigger. I have tried taking progesterone-only-pills that are meant for contraception to see if they would stop the seizures because they would be keeping my levels of progesterone constant, however, this didn't work. When I did some research the oral contraceptives which are synthetic aren't absorbed very well in the body which is also affected by the AEDs affecting their metabolism. I am going to try on the first day of my next cycle, so the first day of bleeding, the combined oral contraceptive, but at a higher level that what is normally prescribed to people without epilepsy to keep both hormones constant both estrogen and progesterone. I've tried the Mirena as it was amongst the only contraceptives I could use successfully with my long-term partner. Does anyone have any experience with seizures after ovulation that has tried these medications that can suggest something that has worked for them?

Comments

I had my first seizure at 9

Submitted by disneylover123 on Sat, 2017-04-08 - 16:00
I had my first seizure at 9 but didn't get my period until i was 14 (or whatever 8th grade is). I have my seizures before my period starts, but a couple times I've had them during my period.The pill and AEDs are weird. One may cancel out the other, but there's no way of knowing which will become less effective. Mirena is definitely the way to go, as it has no effect on AEDs as it delivers hormones directly to the "source". I've read on here that the Depo shot (every 3 months for non-epileptics, possibly more frequent for us, just depends) helps them with their seizures. I think that stops ovulation but I may be wrong...Something to ask your neuro about then possibly see a gyno as well. Good luck!

I started having seizures in

Submitted by Free 2 B Me on Tue, 2017-04-18 - 16:28
I started having seizures in 3rd grade and had them off and on during my childhood. I was controlled between ages of 18-23 so I was able to get my license for a bit. Then just out of the blue I had another when I was 23. I was driving at the time and had a pretty bad car accident and my car was totaled. I walked away with minor injuries and consider myself very lucky. I then continued to have seizures until I found out I was pregnant at age of 26 and didn't have any seizures during my pregnancy. After my daughter was born I began having seizures again and have continued having them around my monthly cycle. I am 44 years old now. They are definitely affected by my hormones and currently I am on the depo shot every 10 Weeks. It doesn't fully control my seizures but it has regulated me more and stopped my periods. I take keppra and lamictal right now and have been on that combination for over 15 years. I will usually have around 2 to 3 seizures every month. Mine start with an aura and some times I just have an aura and it doesn't go into a seizure. But I really have to calm myself down and do some kind of meditating to try to keep it from going into a seizure. It all depends on what's going on around me at the time.

Sign Up for Emails

Stay up to date with the latest epilepsy news, stories from the community, and more.