how do hormones affect seizures?
605283
My daughter suffers from seizures and she is much more likely to have seizures just before she menstruates.  It's just something about the hormones causing more activity in the brain.  I don't really understand it, but I know it's true.  Another thing that affects her is overworking herself.  Doing too much at one time.  when I'm around her, I try to keep her from too much strenuous activity.
895021
There are two schools of thought on this. One says that yes, it does due to an effect known as kindling. There's an article here about it: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epilepsy and although it talks about epilepsy, it also applies to bipolar disorder.\n\nThere is also a theory that while the cycles become more frequent with age, they become less severe. I have never seen any explanation of this theory, nor any evidence to support it. My personal experience was that cycles became faster and more extreme.
325307
The hormones in the endocrine system help keep the body in balance.\n\nCertain organisms can either release too many of a hormone or not enough.\n\nThese organs are vital in the endocrine system (this is not all of them): thyroid, pancreas, pituitary gland, kidneys, reproductive organs, adrenal gland, etc.\n\nChanges in hormone levels can affect the whole body.\n\nMost notorious of endocrine disorders:\nHypothyroidism, Hyperthyroidism, Diabetes, etc.\n\nFor more information follow the link below...
497811
No, but there are doctors who are searching for a cure. I have included a VERY brief list of sources of people who are researching this. Ask your doctor about all of this. Some of the newer designer drugs work quite well with different types of seizures.
1017693
Divalproex (Depakote) sodium affects chemicals in the brain that may be related to seizures, migraine headaches, and manic episodes in bipolar disorder. \n\nDivalproex sodium treats seizure disorders such as epilepsy, complex partial seizures, and absence seizures. This medication also helps to prevent migraine headaches, and to control mania associated with bipolar disorder.
1146394
Birth control pills use hormones that interact with the hormones already in the female body.  The pill changes the body chemistry so ovulation does not occur, as the body chemically "thinks" it is already pregnant.  Fail to take a pill or two and the body may ovulate and pregnancy could occur. You have to take every single pill without fail.\n\nAs for males and females and the way they act... hormones again are the culprit.  Differing amounts of various hormones cause all sorts of differences in behavior. Men have a little bit of the same hormones women have a lot of, and vice versa.  Change the hormone levels, and behaviors change, along with physical traits.  \n\nGive a male certain female hormones and he develops breasts. Give a female testosterone, and she grows a beard.\n\nMany behaviors are learned during childhood. Playing with toys is a normal behavior. Give a boy some dolls and a set of toy dishes, and he will play with those. Give him trucks and he'll play with those.  Give a girl a stethoscope and lab coat, and she'll play "doctor".  \n\nRaise a boy amidst only girls, and he will move his body more like a girl typically does.  Raise a girl amidst only boys, and she'll behave just like her brothers do.\n\nBut, add hormones to the mix, especially those that come at puberty, along with sexual attraction, and things can get interesting.  \n\nWhy does one person like to paint pictures to the point where they only want to do art, whereas another person is totally into mathematics and pursues physics as a career?  Some people can't get fashion out of their heads and live to dress up.  Some people love the fashions that society "says" the opposite sex is supposed to wear. \n\nBehavior is affected by things within the human body, and by external things such as peer pressure, societal expectations, family life, tradition.
25966
Hi, 2 of my daughters' had seizures. My oldest daughter had them on and off for about 8 yrs. There were conflicting diagnosis's as to the cause. My daughter is a diabetic and Diabetes can cause seizures, that was one diagnosis. The other diagnosis was Epilepsy. My daughter was treated with medication for Epilepsy, but has been seizure free for 10 years now, and has not had to take medication for 9 years. My other daughter had seizures also and she too is diabetic. Her seizures were not caused from the Diabetes or Epilepsy but from high fevers. She never took medication for them and eventually "out grew" them. In my opinion seizures can be very complex or relatively simple, however even doctors don't know all the causes of seizures sometimes the cause is never known. Hope this helped somewhat. I also have a nursing degree and what I learned about seizures from my schooling I think just covers the very basic knowledge we know and there is alot more to learn. I hope your aunt finds out the cause and is able to get treatment. Let me know if this info helped you or not. Email me at s_34_28_36@yahoo.com Good luck and God Bless you.
532432
Melatonin affects the brain chemical balance.  Some who take it, have the opposite affect; hyperactivity.
333607
Definitely go to the doctor.\n\nAlso maybe explore some diet issues. I saw some show where some epileptics went on strict nutritious diets and it helped control their seizures.\n\ngood luck
335249
That is something you should be discussing with your doctor.  You need to provide him/her with all the details, and have tests run to find the cause of the seizures and memory loss.
109932
There are hormones that your doctor can give you.
676259
Ha  ha.  That is funny.  Sorry honey - it is hormones and hormones alone that control those things.
940515
It's not listed as a major adverse effect of zyrtec, but the med may interact with your seizure meds if you're on those.  \n\nIf you're simply worried about the possibility, you could try a drug interaction checker online to check. \n\nIf you are having seizures, obviously call the doctor, because it could be serious and you could have some sort of interaction going on.
328043
Your first answer is very correct, seratonin has a lot to do with how your brain funtions. However, there are other factors involved such as minerals and other chemicals. It also has to do with electrical impulses sent into the brain. That is why medications that are used to treat epilepsy now are being used to treat Bipolar disorder. (Medications like Lamictal [Lamotragine]). Newer drugs are also on the market that treat bipolar disorder without the side effects of other drugs, like Abilify and Zyprexa. Lithium is also used. Sometimes your doctor may proscribe traditional SSRIs (Select-Seratonin Reuptake Inhibiters) like Prozac or Zoloft. Another effective medication is Lithium. The side effects are usually mild. \nIf you want to learn more go to www.nami.org or feel free to e-mail me.
980218
Migraine IS a neurological disease.  Although it isn't necessarily seizure related (though it can be), bright lights and flashing lights can trigger migraines for so many of us.  Epilepsy/seizure drugs are now being prescribed for migraines - Topamax and Neurontin, for instance.  \n\nYour doctor may want to do an EEG to rule out the possibility that your migraines are seizure-related, btw.  As my doctor explained to me when she insisted I get one, not all seizures are the "twitchy" or the "grand mal" kind.  A seizure can also just look like daydreaming.\n\nIf one of your triggers is bright lights or flashy stuff, it's not a bad thing to eliminate.\n\nTake care, and may your days be pain-free!
454539
You need to find a very good neurologist who understands children. She probably will need medication to avoid seizures.  I suspect the doctor will tell you that she stands a good chance to lead a good normal life if she is treated correctly. Good luck.
182137
What causes epilepsy? \n\nEpilepsy is caused by abnormal electric impulses in groups of nerve cells (neurons) found in the brain. For diagnostic purposes, epilepsy is divided into two main groups\n\nIdiopathic epilepsy \n\n(From Greek idos = self.) In cases of this type, the cause is unknown. However, it is believed that attacks are caused by the lack of a particular group of chemical substances (the neurotransmitters) used to regulate the electric impulses in the brain. \n\n\nThere may be an hereditary (genetic) background, since epilepsy of the same type is often seen among relatives. Moreover, EEG irregularities similar to those of the patient are often seen among family members, even if they do not suffer from epilepsy - a kind of genetic mark. New research has shown that certain cases of idiopathic epilepsy are clearly hereditary, caused by chromosomal abnormality. \n\n\nThe patient has no other signs of neurological illness or mental defects. CT and MRI scans are normal. \n\nSymptomatic epilepsy \n\nEpilepsy of this type is caused by a known illness in the brain. \n\n\nEpilepsy triggers \n\nNumerous illnesses or types of brain damage can cause epilepsy. The following are the most common.\n\n\nDevelopmental anomalies\n\nDamage occurring to the brain as it develops during the first three months of pregnancy. This can be revealed by modern MRI scans and causes many of the difficult-to-control cases in children. On the other hand, damage inflicted during delivery (cerebral palsy) is fairly uncommon.\n\n\nTrauma to the skull\n\nUnlike ordinary concussion, trauma can be so serious that the patient is admitted to a neuro-surgical ward. The possibility of epilepsy following trauma varies from 5 to 50 per cent, with the highest risk following a depressed skull fracture where the brain tissue has been partly damaged, or a gunshot wound to the head. \n\n\nBlood clots (infarcts) and haemorrhages in the brain\n\nAbout 10 per cent of all brain infarcts cause epilepsy. \n\n\nBrain tumours\n\nEspecially slow-growing superficial tumours. Since these can be surgically removed, it is important to check for these if a patient develops epilepsy, especially if the attacks start in a limited part of the brain (focal attacks - consult the article on the types of attacks). The most important techniques are CT scans and MRI scans. \n\n\nEncephalitis\n\nProlonged seizures and fever convulsions could induce brain damage. \n\n\nAlcohol abuse\n\nMay cause epilepsy as a result of the cramps associated with delirium tremens. In certain cases, an MRI scan reveals abnormalities in the brain, but no evidence of neurological illness. Such cases are called cryptogenic (from Greek: kryptos = hidden).