Epilepsy has a gender-related pathophysiology and consequences. Therefore, being a woman with epilepsy is not the same as being a man with epilepsy (Taubøll et al, 2008); in fact, the frequency and severity of seizures can increase on certain days of the menstrual cycle (Herzog et al, 1997). Seizures generally exacerbate during the 3 different periods of the menstrual cycle: in perimenstrual and periovulatory periods in normal cycles, and in inadequate luteal phase in abnormal cycles (Figure 1). This type of epilepsy is defined as catamenial epilepsy and is under the influence of estrogen and progesterone. Estrogen has been shown to increase seizure activity, while progesterone decreases.
