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Can menopause trigger seizures?

Author

James Craig

Updated on March 08, 2026

Can menopause trigger seizures?

We know that the hormones produced by the ovaries, including estrogen and progesterone, can affect seizures, so we should expect changes as the levels of these hormones change around the time of menopause. The relationship is complicated, however. Estrogen can increase seizure activity but progesterone can reduce it.

Consequently, can menopause cause epileptic seizures?

The menopause and seizures

Catamenial (cyclical) epilepsy is when seizures follow a pattern related to the cycle of your periods. Women with this type of epilepsy may have more seizures in the run up to and during their menopause. But after the menopause, they often have less.

Secondly, what things can trigger seizures? Missed medication, lack of sleep, stress, alcohol, and menstruation are some of the most common triggers, but there are many more. Flashing lights can cause seizures in some people, but it's much less frequent than you might imagine.

Moreover, can Hormonal changes cause seizures?

CE is affected by the hormones estrogen and progesterone. The amount of these hormones in the body changes throughout a woman's menstrual cycle. The drop in progesterone just before menstruation may trigger seizures in women with CE. The rise in estrogen during ovulation may also rigger seizures in women with CE.

What is a catamenial seizure?

Catamenial epilepsy is defined as a pattern of seizures that changes in severity during particular phases of the menstrual cycle, wherein estrogens are proconvulsant, increasing the neuronal excitability; and progesterone is anticonvulsant, enhancing GABA-mediated inhibition.

Does Catamenial epilepsy go away after menopause?

The perimenopause is associated with hormonal fluctuations and may worsen the epilepsy in women with catamenial epilepsy. It has been suggested that seizures may improve after menopause, particularly in the women with catamenial epilepsy. There is still however, limited data on the effects of menopause on the epilepsy.

What does a seizure feel like?

Seizure signs and symptoms may include: Temporary confusion. A staring spell. Uncontrollable jerking movements of the arms and legs.

Can iron deficiency cause seizures?

Iron deficiency is a risk factor for simple febrile seizures but not for other types of acute seizures. However, iron deficiency is associated with two other disorders that cause enhanced brain excitability: restless leg syndrome (RLS) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Does Catamenial epilepsy go away?

Sometimes, but not always. In some women, seizures do seem to just disappear. This usually happens in women who have catamenial epilepsy. For other women, menopause doesn't seem to make a difference in their seizures.

Can hormones cause non epileptic seizures?

Summary: Too low a level of a hormone in the blood which protects against stress may be the cause of epilepsy-like seizures which doctors had otherwise believed had solely psychological causes. New research results may help to improve the diagnosis and treatment of an otherwise mystifying disorder.

What are the 34 symptoms of menopause?

The 34 symptoms of menopause
  • Hot flushes. One of the most common symptoms of menopause, hot flushes affect around 75% of menopausal women.
  • Night sweats.
  • Irregular periods.
  • Mood swings.
  • Vaginal dryness.
  • Decreased libido.
  • Headaches.
  • Breast soreness.

Can severe panic attacks cause seizures?

What is a pseudoseizure? Pseudoseizures, also called psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNES), are seizures that occur as a result of psychological causes, such as severe mental stress.

How do doctors induce seizures?

Patients with inserted electrodes often undergo cortical stimulation, a procedure that applies electrical current to the brain to map brain function but also to induce seizures for better understanding of the epileptic network.

What causes sudden onset of seizures?

Anything that interrupts the normal connections between nerve cells in the brain can cause a seizure. This includes a high fever, high or low blood sugar, alcohol or drug withdrawal, or a brain concussion. But when a person has 2 or more seizures with no known cause, this is diagnosed as epilepsy.

Can menses seizure?

The hormonal changes during the menstrual cycle are the most likely cause of changes in seizure frequency. The brain contains many nerve cells that are directly affected by estrogen and progesterone, the main sex hormones in women. Studies in animals have shown that high doses of estrogen can cause or worsen seizures.

Is coffee bad for seizures?

Moderate doses of caffeine may benefit patients with epilepsy, whereas high doses – four cups of coffee per day or more – may increase seizure susceptibility, said Julie Bourgeois-Vionnet, MD, of the department of functional neurology and epileptology at Hospices Civils de Lyon in France.

How do you treat a catamenial seizure?

While there is no specific treatment of catamenial epilepsy, conventional antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) are used as the first line of treatment. However, more than one medication from this group is necessary in at least a third of subjects, because they are intractable to ordinary treatment.

Can a seizure delay your period?

Any change in estrogen or progesterone can affect the menstrual cycle. Seizures can change the release of hormones that control estrogen and progesterone levels. Some medications may also affect the breakdown of estrogen and progesterone in your body.

Can a chemical imbalance cause seizures?

There are many possible causes of epilepsy, including an imbalance of nerve-signaling chemicals called neurotransmitters, tumors, strokes, and brain damage from illness or injury, or some combination of these. In the majority of cases, there may be no detectable cause for epilepsy.

Can endocrine problems cause seizures?

Seizures may also occur as a result of electrolyte imbalance secondary to primary endocrine disorders, such as hypocalcemia (4) from hypoparathyroidism and hyponatremia from primary adrenal insufficiency (5).

Can pituitary gland cause seizures?

Extremely large pituitary tumors can even cause pressure on the brain, leading to seizures or blockage of the normal flow of cerebrospinal fluid (a condition called hydrocephalus, or “water on the brain”).

Can endometriosis cause seizures?

Further, rare symptoms of the disease include chest pain or coughing blood due to endometriosis in the lungs and headaches or seizures due to endometriosis in the brain.

What are the 3 main phases of a seizure?

Seizures take on many different forms and have a beginning (prodrome and aura), middle (ictal) and end (post-ictal) stage.

How do you know when a seizure is coming on?

Some warning signs of possible seizures may include: Odd feelings, often indescribable. Unusual smells, tastes, or feelings. Unusual experiences – "out-of-body" sensations; feeling detached; body looks or feels different; situations or people look unexpectedly familiar or strange.

Can cell phone trigger seizures?

Conclusion: Our data suggests that the continued and prolonged contact with the mobile phone radiation might increase the risk of seizure attacks and should be limited.

What are the 3 types of seizures?

There are now 3 major groups of seizures.
  • Generalized onset seizures:
  • Focal onset seizures:
  • Unknown onset seizures:

What foods can trigger seizures?

Stimulants such as tea, coffee, chocolate, sugar, sweets, soft drinks, excess salt, spices and animal proteins may trigger seizures by suddenly changing the body's metabolism. Some parents have reported that allergic reactions to certain foods (e.g. white flour) also seem to trigger seizures in their children.

What do drop seizures look like?

"Atonic" (a-TON-ik) means "without tone." So in an atonic seizure, muscles suddenly become limp. Part or all of the body may become limp. The eyelids may droop, the head may nod or drop forward, and the person may drop things. If standing, the person often falls to the ground.

Can you fight off a seizure?

In cases where the aura is a smell, some people are able to fight off seizures by sniffing a strong odor, such as garlic or roses. When the preliminary signs include depression, irritability, or headache, an extra dose of medication (with a doctor's approval) may help prevent an attack.

Can milk cause seizures?

Among different foods which may trigger the seizure occurrence, dairy products are major concerns because of excess use of a variety of them in dairy diet and several studies demonstrated cow's milk protein allergy which may induce epilepsy [7].

How do you stop a seizure permanently?

If anti-seizure medications aren't effective, other treatments may be an option:
  1. Surgery. The goal of surgery is to stop seizures from happening.
  2. Vagus nerve stimulation.
  3. Responsive neurostimulation.
  4. Deep brain stimulation.
  5. Dietary therapy.

Do seizures damage the brain?

Seizures sometimes do cause brain damage, particularly if they are severe. However, most seizures do not seem to have a detrimental effect on the brain.

What are reflex seizures?

content highlights. Reflex epilepsies are a group of epilepsy syndromes in which a certain trigger or stimulus brings on seizures. 85% of reflex seizures are generalized tonic-clonic seizures. The most common form of reflex epilepsy is photosensitive epilepsy, in which flashing lights trigger seizures.

How is Catamenial epilepsy diagnosed?

Catamenial epilepsy is identified by charting seizures and menses in a diary. Seizures during each phase of the menstrual cycle are noted, and this is done for at least two menstrual cycles.

How common is Catamenial epilepsy?

About 42 percent of women with epilepsy have the catamenial pattern of the disorder. And among women with refractory epilepsy — whose seizures are uncontrolled, even when taking seizure medication — about one-third has catamenial epilepsy.

Can birth control help with seizures?

6 Some women say hormonal birth control increases their seizures, but other women find it decreases their seizures. Still other women say hormonal birth control does not affect their seizures at all.

Can Epilepsy be inherited?

Most children of people with epilepsy do not develop seizures or epilepsy. However, since genes are passed down through families, it is possible. Epilepsy is more likely to occur in a brother or sister if the child with epilepsy has generalized seizures.

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