EpilepsyBlogger's Women - Crazy Periods

Irregular periods. They can be caused or affected by seizures, or they can even cause seizures themselves. Women have a bit more to watch out for when it comes to seizures... As if our menstrual cycle wasn't tricky enough, right?

NOTE: I am in no way trying to diagnose any illness/problem and I must disclaim any decisions you make based on this information. All the information about to be shared (including resources, links, etc.) has all been gathered from professional medical websites such as WebMD or MayoClinic. These websites are approved, monitored, and hosted by medical professionals and links to these websites can be found throughout this article. Although this information is completely valid, you must always check with your doctor and avoid attempting to diagnose yourself, as every woman is different and there may be underlying problems that you do not see. This article is only meant to inform - PLEASE consult your doctor, regardless.

What are 'irregular periods'?

• Heavy bleeding: This means you are probably changing your pads or tampons more than once an hour, or maybe you are simply bleeding more heavily than usual.
• Very light bleeding: Blood is present, but not very much of it. This is also known as the term "spotting". Spotting is more often benign, and will occur between a period or right before one. But it is also commonly related to pregnancy and premenopause. If it happens more than once and it is bothering you, be sure to call your doctor and let him/her know so that further testing can be done. To learn more about spotting and some of it's more serious causes, click HERE.
• Long/Short periods
• Periods that come too early or too late
• Missed periods: This can happen due to an irregular menstrual cycle, however you may also be pregnant. To learn more about missed or late periods, click HERE.
• Severe menstrual cramps: Cramps are never going to be comfortable. If they were comfortable they would probably be called "menstrual angels" instead, right? However, if they are so severe that you find yourself in terror for a week then there is probably an underlying issue that needs to be looked at. Click HERE to learn more about menstrual cramps.

Do I have irregular periods?

You may be wondering if you have irregular periods. The answer is a little complex, but like my doctor told me, if you're even having to consider this then you probably do. "Periods are always going to bother you, Amanda. But a woman's body will know when something is wrong and that's when you must come to me." He's such a sweetie!

Okay, so I have irregular periods. How is it affecting my seizures? I don't get it.

Women are full of hormones that change constantly. We are far more complicated than men, who have normal and extremely even hormonal "cycles" throughout their entire lives. When our hormones change, it's a big deal, and our brain changes too. Why do you think we get so moody during that week?!

WebMD does a fantastic job at explaining this seemingly complicated issue, so here's a little copy and paste to save my brain the hell.

"Doctors have learned that both of these hormones interact with brain cells. Estrogen is an "excitatory" hormone, which means that it makes brain cells give off more of an electrical discharge. Progesterone, on the other hand, is an "inhibitory" hormone, which means that it calms those cells down.

When the body is making more estrogen than progesterone, it can make the nervous system "excitable." In other words, you could be at greater risk for seizures. The hormones aren't actually causing the seizures, but they can influence when they happen.

Some women with epilepsy have more seizures when their hormones are changing. For example, some young women have their first seizures at puberty. Other women have more seizures around the time of their menstrual periods. This doesn't happen to all women, so doctors are still learning about how hormones and epilepsy interact."

Click HERE to read more of this article on hormones and Epilepsy.

What can I do to ease symptoms or regulate my cycle?

If you've thought about it and you are experiencing one or more of the above (this means even just one issue!) DON'T PANIC. There's no need to rev up that Estrogen! I'm not here to worry you and you should not worry! Women have had irregular periods since the beginning of time, and many deal with them on their own, without medical treatment. However, you do want to do the following. This is what I was instructed to do by my OB/GYN and Neurologist. It is not necessarily in order, so read them all!

1. Keep a period/seizure calendar - You want to keep one that is a little bigger. Not just a tiny little "X" chart. Buy a cheap monthly calendar from the dollar store and keep track of the days you have seizures with an "E" and period days with an "X". Also write in your side effects. If there isn't enough room, you can use more letter codes. "N" for nausea. "F" for fatigue. "C" for cramps. "SC" for severe cramps. And so on. After about three months, you should see a correlation if there is one, and you will notice if your period cycle is regular or irregular. Since neither of us are doctors, be sure to bring it along when you visit your doctor to ask him/her if they see a correlation being that they are a professional.

2. Exercise - Exercise is a simple way to help keep your period as normal as possible. The best part is that your exercise doesn't have to be super complex. Going for a simple 45 minute walk each day is enough to help cramps and bloating too. And for most folks, a simple walk will not overload them and cause any seizures like a jog or run would. Be sure to call your doctor and ask if he approves this exercise. Everyone is different and there may be a reason why a daily walk is not okay for you. Also, don't forget to bring a partner in case of a seizure. Be safe!

3. Consult your doctor about treatment - As I mentioned in the overview post, and this post, there are methods of treatment if your doctor feels it is necessary. For many women it is as simple as birth control pills. Since they are taken on a regular cycle, they help your period and hormones adjust to a regular cycle as well. There are other methods of treatment and you can learn more in this article HERE.

4. Period protection methods - Cramps are vicious, and that's no mystery. Although cramps and Epilepsy don't really have any relation, they are still never fun and many women have wondered if their "period protection" (pads/tampons) play any part in causing them. Why do they wonder? Well, tampons leave bits of fiber that can get stuck to the vaginal walls upon removal which hold bacteria.  Does this cause bits of infections we don't know about or irritate the canal during our periods? I can't prove that it causes irritation, but I can prove the fibers through my experiment done this morning. See the photos from my experiment below for proof!

This amount of fiber was present after only ten minutes. Imagine what is present after an hour, or two, or three... So what does all of this mean? Well, maybe it's time to switch to just pads. Many women have said - both in articles that I have read and personally to me on Twitter and Facebook - that they have less cramps when NOT using tampons. At first this made me think "What? So pads is my only option?" But a woman introduced me to menstrual cups a few years ago and my life changed forever!

- No more cramps! I have had no cramps whatsoever (with the exception of my use of the Mirena IUD. God rid of that, so I'm back to normal!)
- So comfortable I can't even feel it!
- Much cheaper as it is reusable. However there is a brand of disposable cups here in the US.
- Made from 100% Silicone, medical grade. Silicone does not have any pores which means it cannot harvest any bacteria whatsoever. Cleans fully with soap and warm water.
- Hygienic. Leaves no fiber behind, and holds no bacteria since menstrual fluid is not exposed to air inside of you.
- No smell since they do not hold bacteria.
- Protection for 8-12 hours.

Sounds weird? Or too good to be true? Well stay tuned for tons of reviews on different menstrual cups! Each will have its own article with pictures so you can see what they look like and get my judgement on the comfort and protection!

5. Losing or gaining weight. Maybe you are under weight or overweight. You may or may not even know this or not. Ask your doctor what he/she thinks might be causing your symptoms or irregular periods and if it is relative to your size. Might be time to have an extra serving at dinner time or maybe one less serving!

6. Drink more water to reduce bloating.

7. Limit salt and salty foods to reduce bloating.

8. Eat food rich in calcium or take a calcium supplement.

9. Avoid caffiene and alcohol. This is important also if you have Epilepsy, as both caffiene and alcohol can trigger seizures and cause medications to work improperly.

10. Take a daily multivitamin supplement such as Women's One a Day Plus.

Click HERE to read more at-home treatment recommendations from Mayo Clinic.


Hope you enjoyed this article! Stay tuned for the next one this week!