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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 sparker001 on Mon, 2008-09-29 - 16:09

I am on AED's (Trileptal) and on the bc pill.  My 1st neurologist just wanted me on the AED's, but a second one ( who I think has more common sense ) wanted me to be on both.  Before I went to the second neurologist, I was having complex partials that seguewayed into generalized tonic clonic seizures every month or two, but now it's every 5 or 6 months.  I always have mine around my period, so mine are cateminial (sp?) seizures. 

 

Apart from the hormonal aspect, some BIG triggers for me are lack of sleep, not eating enough, and stress. I sleep at least 8 hrs every night, I try to make a point of eating as soon as I feel hungry, and not letting that dazed kind of hunger feeling last for too long, as it can go right into a complex partial that could go full-blown tonic clonic.  And stress is a biggie, trying to not let things get to me too much.  I hear a lot of people mention lack of sleep and stress as triggers, but I haven't heard people mention not eating enough, which could possibly mean low blood sugar. 

I am on AED's (Trileptal) and on the bc pill.  My 1st neurologist just wanted me on the AED's, but a second one ( who I think has more common sense ) wanted me to be on both.  Before I went to the second neurologist, I was having complex partials that seguewayed into generalized tonic clonic seizures every month or two, but now it's every 5 or 6 months.  I always have mine around my period, so mine are cateminial (sp?) seizures. 

 

Apart from the hormonal aspect, some BIG triggers for me are lack of sleep, not eating enough, and stress. I sleep at least 8 hrs every night, I try to make a point of eating as soon as I feel hungry, and not letting that dazed kind of hunger feeling last for too long, as it can go right into a complex partial that could go full-blown tonic clonic.  And stress is a biggie, trying to not let things get to me too much.  I hear a lot of people mention lack of sleep and stress as triggers, but I haven't heard people mention not eating enough, which could possibly mean low blood sugar. 

Re: Can seizures be caused by birth control?

Submitted by Musicalgirl on Sun, 2009-08-02 - 02:05
Don't worry about what comes of your tests as I've been on Keppra too and nothing came of it so I got taken of it! Keepra is for refractory epileptics like me so don't take it unless it will cater for your type of epilepsy not just your headaches!!! Thats why they invented ASPRIN!!!!

Re: Can seizures be caused by birth control?

Submitted by pagem on Wed, 2009-01-28 - 23:36
i am 27 and started having seizures last year only in my sleep, after i had stopped my birth control. i have never had a seizure while i was awake, they are grand mal seizures and wake my husband up everytime. i had been on birth control for 5 yrs and quit because we decided to have another baby. i chose not to take any of the anti convulsants because of the risks for the baby and have still not taken them because it was important to me to breastfeed for at least 6 months and the medicine can pass through the milk. we had a perfectly healthy baby girl who is about to turn 6 months so i am debating whether or not to take the meds or not. there is no pattern to my seizures i can go 3 months without one and then have 3 in a week. i am hoping that if i were to start my birth control back up that maybe it would stop the seizures but my neurologist acts like its a ridiculous thought, but he also can never seem to remember that they only happen in my sleep or my name. has anyone had luck with stopping the seizures just from starting back on the pill? also has anyone else heard of people only having seizures in their sleep?

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