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seizures?

by shawn
(nh)

is it possible to be getting unexplained seizures from low progesterone? my otherwise healthy wife began having them 6 weeks after our daughter was born. all test given by doctors have come back normal.

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Feb 24, 2012
 seizures?
by: Wray

Hi Shawn Absolutely. I wish the doctors had as much knowledge as you, would save a great deal of heartache. Progesterone drops after birth, which can cause so many problems in, as you say, healthy women. Progesterone raises the seizure threshold, oestrogen lowers it. We do have a page on Epilepsy with plenty of studies. But not one on postpartum epilepsy in women who've never experienced it, in fact a search of PubMed and Google Scholar yielded nothing. I imagine this is why her doctors found nothing out of the ordinary. Seizures do increase after delivery, but the studies are all on women who have a history of epilepsy, unlike your wife. Much is known about catemenial epilepsy, which occurs at points in the menstrual cycle when progesterone is low, and oestrogen high. So taking the catemenial studies, plus the increased seizures in women with a history of them, it makes sense to me the problem is a fall in progesterone causing your wife's seizures too. Did her doctors check her progesterone levels, as more often than not it's never checked. And if it is, the ratio of P:E2 is very rarely checked. One is merely told levels are 'normal'. We've found from Saliva Tests the P:E2 ratio should be 600:1 to feel well. Dr Dalton used progesterone to cure her patients of pre-menstrual epilepsy, see here. I recommend 100-200mg/day, more if symptoms are severe. I feel your wife should use a minimum of 200mg/day if she should consider using it. Please ask her to read our page on Oestrogen Dominance beforehand. If it should occur, it's essential to increase the progesterone, not reduce it as many do, blaming the progesterone. Progesterone initially stimulates oestrogen, unless enough is used. Interestingly it's not something Dr Dalton ever mentioned, and she covered all aspects of hormonal imbalance in women. It appears the very high amounts she used prevented it from occurring, up to 2400mg/day for post natal psychosis. Because this stimulatory effect of too low an amount of progesterone has on oestrogen, it could cause a lowering of the seizure threshold. Please be aware of this and if your wife feels a seizure is going to occur, to immediately rub some cream on. Progesterone should be used a minimum of twice a day, many women use it hourly if symptoms are severe. We do have more info on our page How to use progesterone cream. Do let me know how she gets on if she should try it. Take care Wray
Feb 25, 2012
 seizures?
by: shawn

thank you so much for verifing my thoughts. we have been unable to find a dr to believe us. just meds, meds, and more meds. we started on 500mgs of keppra and had a seizure. 1000mgs. seizure. 1500mgs. seizure! have now been given dilanton to be used with the keppra. looking forward to trying a progestrone cream. dont want my wife on these meds for the rest of her life! again thank you so much.
Feb 26, 2012
 seizures?
by: Wray

Hi Shawn I can't believe all those meds thrown at her. Do let me know how she fares and if there are any question arising please come back to me. Please also be aware that the seizure threshold can be lowered if too little progesterone is used. I would recommend speaking to your doctors, but they've been little help it seems. I wish I could tell you of one who does have experience, but know of none. Unfortunately Dr Dalton died some years back. You could I suppose take the papers I gave you to them and see if it convinces them. But at least you are aware this could happen, as it did with the drugs she was given. Take care Wray
Mar 04, 2013
 progesterone and seizures in post menopause
by: Anonymous

Hi, I have had app 10 seizures in my life , i am now 55 years old. at age 36 to 38 after my children were born and then at age 48 to 55. I am now in post menopause. My doctors will not admit a hormonal influence because I am through menopause. However. would progesterone be a help at this time. I find the time of my events very curious.
Mar 05, 2013
 progesterone and seizures in post menopause
by: Wray

Hi there There could be a hormonal connection to the seizures. Particularly if they occurred after giving birth. At age 48 you would be going through the last stages of Peri-menopause. Both these times coincide with dropping or low progesterone levels, but normal oestrogen. We do have a page on Epilepsy you could look through. You might find from it that progesterone could help, there are also a number of nutrients which help too. Take care Wray

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