Women with Epilepsy: A Handbook of Health and Treatment Issues (Chapter 15)

Sexual dysfunction in epilepsy (Excerpt)

Martha J. Morrell

Summary

Sexual dysfunction may arise in as many as one-third to one-half of men and women with epilepsy. The dysfunction appears to occur because of disruption to the brain regions controlling sexual behavior, disturbance of the hormones supporting sexual behavior, and the effects of AEDs. Although problems with sexual desire may occur, it is more likely that men or women with epilepsy will experience difficulty with sexual arousal. In a woman, this may include painful intercourse because of lack of lubrication and excessive tightness. In a man, it may involve difficulty achieving and maintaining an erection.

Help for sexual problems can be given if these difficulties are brought to the attention of a knowledgeable physician, which may be a neurologist, gynecologist, urologist, or internal medicine physician. An appropriate diagnostic evaluation will exclude other causes of sexual dysfunction. Treatment will then focus on seizure control, including alternative medications and the provision of directed therapies, which may include biofeedback, behavioral medicine techniques, newer medications to improve physiological sexual arousal, and more traditional couple or individual counseling.

New research is underway to define more clearly the types of sexual dysfunction occurring in individuals with epilepsy in order that more effective treatments can be devised. In the meantime, physicians treating people with epilepsy are increasingly recognizing this as a serious concern and are willing to work with their patients to find the best solutions.

-- Excerpted from "Women with Epilepsy: A Handbook for Health and Treatment Issues" edited by Martha J. Morrell, MD and Kerry L. Flynn, M.A. Published by Cambridge University Press, 2003. It is available for purchase in our marketplace.