Epilepsy is a common condition that can affect both men and women. Approximately 5% of people have epilepsy, but only 1% of those people suffer from seizures that result in pregnancy. There are two types of epilepsy: generalized and partial.
Generalized epilepsy affects the whole brain, not just the temporal lobe where seizures are typically treated.
Partial epilepsy syndrome (PES) is a term used to describe conditions in which there is still some seizure control but overall cognitive decline and socialization are negatively affected. This usually occurs in people over the age of thirty-five.
People with PES have a decreased likelihood of getting pregnant because seizures cause damage to the fetus’ brain. However, there is more evidence for women than for men, likely due to less research on male epilepsies.
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Is it possible to get pregnant?
As mentioned earlier, women with epilepsy can become pregnant if their pregnancy is going well. There are several ways to determine if a pregnancy goes well though.
The first sign of a pregnancy is usually an increase in heavy vaginal bleeding and/or a change in the woman’s cycle. These symptoms usually occur within the first few weeks of her period.
If this happens, then the baby’s mom has passed its birth control into the baby’s bloodstream and it is starting to take care of her.
Usually, this blood gets into labor sooner than normal because it’s coming back out faster. It also can help spread the babies arms and legs as she gets ready in the womb.
What are the chances of getting pregnant with epilepsy?
Pregnancy has a way of making epilepsy worse. It increase the likelihood of seizures during and after your pregnancy. Because of this, it is important to get pregablin during your pregnancy to reduce the chance of seizures for your baby.
Get pregablin is a medication used in epileptic pregnancies to prevent seizures. It is usually administered around week 4-5 until birth when the baby takes a gabble from its mother.
This medication can be life-changing for the baby as it reduces the likelihood of seizures in early development.
If you have epilepsy, you should never take get pregablin during or just before an epilepsy treatment, because it may make your condition worse. You must be able to avoid this medication by having it around when it is needed.
What should you do if you want to get pregnant?
It can be hard to stay motivated when you have a condition that is difficult to manage, but there are ways to try and get pregnant. In order to complicationly enter pregnancy, your doctor must see that you are healthy enough to conceive and take the necessary steps to care for the baby.
Most fertility treatments do not work in women with epilepsy, as it is hard to control ejaculation and stillness required for medication-induced conception. However, there are some things that can be done vaginally, which may work!
A few ways to try and get pregnant are by taking an early birth control method or by having an abortion if the husband wants one. Neither of these methods are recommended for women with epilepsy, as they could possibly cause seizures during early labor or delivery.
Only after the pregnancy is established does it become safe for them to treat again.
See your doctor immediately
Epilepsy is a condition that causes seizures. There are two types of epilepsy, generalized and focal. Generalized epilepsy occurs in almost every person and focal epilepsy occurs in less than 20% of people.
Any person can have generalized epilepsy, but women with generalized epilepsies are more likely to develop abnormal pregnancy outcomes such as premature delivery, still birth, and fetal death shortly after birth.
Women with focal epilepsies do not usually experience seizures during pregnancy, but if they do, they may be difficult to detect. Pregnant women with focal epilepsy should see their doctor immediately if they experience any signs or symptoms of seizures during or after surgery or around the time of delivery.
A sudden change in tampon size or bleed can suggest a partial seizure occurring during labor. The doctor should look for stillbirth or baby death within 24 hours after surgery.
Go to the hospital
If you have an epileptic seizure, you should go to the hospital as soon as possible. An attack can happen in a matter of seconds or hours, and you do not know until it happens!
An epileptic seizure happens when neurons in the brain fuse together to form a larger nerve network. When this happens, it can be difficult to tell which part of the network is working and which is not.
Some of these networks may be producing an electric shock or other negative effect that feels like a seizure. Nobody knows if this happens with pregnant women, but it might cause some labor problems or fetal malposition.
If your wife has epilepsy, she should go to the hospital every few months for checkups to make sure her seizures are being controlled. She also should keep track of what kind of medication she is on so she can add another prescription for her condition.
Stay on your medication
For people with epilepsy, it is very important to stay on your medication. This includes taking your seizure medication every day, and for as long as needed.
It may be hard to function and carry out normal daily tasks if you do not take your medicine. Even if you are only taking your medicine for a few weeks, you will need to continue taking it for a few weeks after that due to lack of tolerance.
Many times, doctors suggest changing medications or seizure medications when the person has been taking them for a long time. However, this can sometimes be hard to do when you are dependent on your medication.
Understand the risks
Epilepsy is a common neurological disorder that can occur in both women and men. There are more than 1 million Americans with epilepsy, making it the third leading cause of injury-related medical care.
Despite widespread access to seizure medications, up to 50% of people with epilepsy still do not experience a complete response. This can be problematic as it can make life difficult at times. For example, people who have rarely or never had a seizure may not understand what could be stressful or feeling like the world is coming to an end.
Another risk factor for infertility is male infertility. Infertility due to male factors such as testosterone deficiency or female fertility issues such as estrogen deficiency has increased with time of no response to therapy.
However, even after two years of drug treatment, nearly 50% of people still do not have a definite response. This makes it important for people with epilepsy to remain on their medications until they see an improvement in seizures.
Talk to your partner
Epilepsy isn’t a sexually transmitted disease, but having an orgasm can help a women with epilepsy achieve an erection. An orgasm can help a woman with epilepsy achieve and maintain an erection.
There are some women who have only one or two sexual organs, like their vagina, penis, and internal sex organs. These parts can be used or manipulated during sex.
Epilepsy is not related to gender, so having a seizure doesn’t affect a man’s sex life. But for women, it can make getting pregnant difficult or impossible.
Many times, men with epilepsy don’t know how to have sex or control their seizures. This can make it harder for them to get pregnant and keep the baby safe.
If you are married and have epilepsy, talk to your partner about this important note about pregnancy.