Some women have a form of epilepsy called catamenial epilepsy. This refers to seizures that are affected by a woman’s menstrual cycle. Doctors aren’t completely sure how many women with epilepsy have this, but they think it’s about 10% to 12%.
The exact cause of these seizures is unknown. However, some women have most of their seizures when there is a lot of estrogen in their body, such as during ovulation. Other women have seizures when progesterone levels tend to drop, such as right before or during their period.
If you have seizures that start around the last half of your menstrual cycle and continue through the second half of your cycle, then you might have another type of catamenial epilepsy. This is when a woman has menstrual cycles that do not release an egg. These are called “anovulatory” cycles.