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Can seizures be caused by birth control?

Fri, 02/22/2008 - 17:02

Now, I know some of you may think this is strange, but here goes:

I'm 21 and have had only 2 seizures in my life. One in April of last year and the other in August.  Both were after being on birth control (tri-cyclen lo, to be exact) for 3 months. I stopped taking my birth control after my seizure in April, but I didn't really think anything of it. I wasn't seeing anyone at the time so I just didn't really want it in my system. I started taking my birth control again in June after I met a new guy. After I had the seizure in August (late August) I started to think maybe it was caused by my birth control. The neurologist that was assigned to me said that it was entirely 100% impossible, but my family physician told me there was always a chance. 

I have been completely off my birth control since that last seizure and have not been taking any medications either. I feel a lot healthier and I haven't had a single problem since then, but the neurologist still will not listen to my input about why I think this happened.

I sat down with one of my girl friends that also has epilepsy and told her what was going on. She told me that the same thing happened to her when she started taking the pill but that none of the neurologists here believed her. She went to a husband and wife team in Quebec (way far away) and they told her that it was entirely possible that it was her birth control that caused it.

Anyways, has this happened to anyone else? 

Comments

Re: Can seizures be caused by birth control?

Submitted by belc0011 on Mon, 2008-09-29 - 15:20
I had my first grand mal at the age of 24 during my first menstrual cycle after STOPPING the pill (I had been taking it for close to10 years prior to that).  I thought it was a strange coincidence, but none of my neurologists thought anything of it.  My EEG was abnormal so they started me on Keppra.  I am quite pleased about that because I had been suffering from horrendous headaches for a month leading up to the seizure, and the Keppra took care of the headaches within a day or two after starting.  I've always wondered if it was stopping the birth control that did it...anyone else that experienced a seizure after stopping birth control continue to experience them?

Re: Can seizures be caused by birth control?

Submitted by sparker001 on Mon, 2008-09-29 - 15:34
Hi belc0011 - see my post that came right before yours.  I think we have something in common in terms of stopping the birth control and then the big seizures starting after that.

Re: Can seizures be caused by birth control?

Submitted by belc0011 on Mon, 2008-09-29 - 15:47
Ahh, yes it seems we do!  My neurologists all dismissed it.  So you controlled the seizures by going back on the pill rather than starting on an AED?

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