107 citations
,
August 2002 in “Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry” Women with epilepsy should be monitored for reproductive issues, which can be caused by epilepsy or its treatments, especially when using valproate.
46 citations
,
December 2014 in “Epilepsy & behavior” Some antiepileptic drugs can cause weight gain and hair loss, especially in women.
40 citations
,
December 2012 in “Epilepsia” Neurosteroids change how GABA_A receptors work in the brain, which could be important for treating temporal lobe epilepsy.
38 citations
,
November 2005 in “Epilepsia” Levetiracetam is widely used and generally well-tolerated for treating idiopathic generalized epilepsies, with tiredness as the main side effect.
34 citations
,
January 2008 in “International Review of Neurobiology” Epilepsy and certain epilepsy drugs can lead to reproductive problems in women, but changing medication might improve these issues.
13 citations
,
November 2013 in “Seizure: European Journal of Epilepsy” Levetiracetam may cause hair loss, which can potentially reverse with lower doses or stopping the drug.
10 citations
,
October 2016 in “Epilepsy & behavior” Levetiracetam often causes behavioral issues, while oxcarbazepine is more likely to cause sleepiness in epilepsy patients.
5 citations
,
May 2011 in “European Journal of Medical Genetics” A genetic duplication on chromosome 5 was linked to a woman's unique combination of medical conditions.
4 citations
,
August 2001 in “Epilepsia” Treating epilepsy is complex, requiring careful drug choice and patient adherence to manage seizures and side effects.
2 citations
,
October 2018 in “The journal of pediatrics/The Journal of pediatrics” The document concludes that specific hair and blood vessel abnormalities in infants with seizures and developmental issues may indicate Menkes disease, which lacks a cure and is often fatal by age 3.
January 2024 in “Wiadomości Lekarskie” Effective epilepsy management involves accurate diagnosis, understanding seizure types, identifying causes, and choosing the right treatment.
March 2018 in “New scientist” 
October 2010 in “Epilepsy Currents” Ketogenic diet, neurosteroids, and HMGB1-TLR4 signaling pathway are potential targets for new epilepsy treatments.
March 2023 in “Epilepsia” Trilostane may help delay epilepsy development by increasing certain brain chemicals.
49 citations
,
March 2012 in “Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics” Neurosteroids help reduce seizures, but their withdrawal increases seizure activity.
30 citations
,
February 2003 in “Annals of Neurology” Progesterone and related compounds may help control seizures linked to the menstrual cycle but have limitations that need addressing.
24 citations
,
January 2007 in “The FASEB Journal” Neurosteroid withdrawal increases seizure frequency in a rat model of catamenial epilepsy.
6 citations
,
April 2019 in “Russkij žurnal detskoj nevrologii” Some epilepsy drugs can cause reproductive and cosmetic side effects in women and affect pregnancy, but most women still have healthy babies.
4 citations
,
January 2018 in “General Physiology and Biophysics” The steroids allopregnanolone and allotetrahydrodeoxycorticosteron worsened absence seizures in rats.
2 citations
,
February 2003 in “Annals of Neurology” Neuroimaging suggests that treatments targeting brain steroids could help control epilepsy, especially types linked to the menstrual cycle.
Antiepileptic drugs can cause cosmetic side effects and affect menstrual cycles, fertility, and bone health in women with epilepsy.
August 2022 in “Metabolic Brain Disease” Ferulic acid may help control menstrual cycle-related epilepsy by affecting female hormones.
64 citations
,
March 1989 in “PubMed” Valproate is effective for epilepsy but has side effects and requires careful monitoring.
44 citations
,
December 1975 in “Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology” Sodium valproate effectively controls petit mal seizures in children but is less effective for other types, with minimal side effects.
17 citations
,
October 1980 in “PubMed” Valproic acid is effective for controlling seizures in children, especially as a single treatment, with some side effects.
13 citations
,
February 2013 in “BMJ Case Reports” Stopping finasteride improved seizure control, suggesting neurosteroids affect seizures and treatment.
8 citations
,
April 2022 in “International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health” Most children with epilepsy on antiepileptic drugs experience side effects, especially those on multiple drugs, but these drugs help reduce seizures.
6 citations
,
January 2012 in “Annals of Indian Academy of Neurology” Women with epilepsy on certain medications might gain weight and have higher thyroid-stimulating hormone levels, but not more polycystic ovarian syndrome.
3 citations
,
April 2023 in “Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine” Dogs with epilepsy have different hair mineral levels than healthy dogs, possibly due to epilepsy or its treatment.
January 2025 in “Seizure” Dual anti-seizure medications, especially valproic acid with lamotrigine, often cause more side effects like hair loss and memory issues.