Women's Epilepsy Program

Leading-edge treatment for women with epilepsy

Epilepsy Specialists Caring for You

The Epilepsy Center at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) offers comprehensive care for women with epilepsy. We offer specialized care to serve women with epilepsy throughout all stages of your life.

All people who have seizures need individualized attention for their medical condition. However, women face unique challenges and have specific needs and questions. These are some special concerns of women with epilepsy:

Antiepileptic medication that’s safe during pregnancy
Bone health
Changes in epilepsy control throughout the menstrual cycle
Effective birth control methods that are less likely to interfere with epilepsy management

Fertility treatments and interactions with epilepsy treatment
Genetic counseling
Menopause
Planning a healthy pregnancy
Postpartum care and breastfeeding

We will work together with you to minimize the impact of epilepsy and maximize your quality of life.

Trusted Expertise in Epilepsy Care

At BIDMC, we’ve earned designation as a Level 4 Epilepsy Center. This is the highest level awarded by the National Association of Epilepsy Centers. With this designation, you can be assured of our ongoing commitment to best-in-class patient care, quality and outcomes.

The Women’s Health and Epilepsy Program also is involved in research to improve epilepsy care. We actively engage in research with the hope of improving epilepsy care for women.

More About Women's Epilepsy Program

Focus on Patient & Family Education

A central goal of our program is to educate you and your family so you can make informed decisions about your care. We strive to empower you to take charge of your medical condition.

Our epilepsy nurses play an integral role in this process, focusing on a variety of relevant topics.

Bone health
Breastfeeding
Contraception
Family planning
Fertility treatments
Hormone replacement

Labor and delivery
Menopause
Menstrual cycle
Postpartum care
Pregnancy and medication adjustments

Specialized Epilepsy Care for Women

Impacts to the Menstrual Cycle

Some women notice a pattern in which their seizures tend to happen at certain times during their menstrual cycle. This is a phenomenon known as catamenial epilepsy. At times, we can use hormone treatments for these women, usually in addition to standard anti-seizure medications.

Special Concerns with Pregnancy

Most women with epilepsy have normal, healthy babies. Supplementing folic acid is important. What’s more, certain epilepsy medications have risks. Our team may take special care to regularly check blood levels of certain medications you take.

For women who are planning to become pregnant, choosing the right antiepileptic medication(s) before pregnancy is important. This can optimize seizure control and minimize any potential risks to the developing baby.

During the first visit to our center during your pregnancy, you’ll meet with one of our epileptologists (neurologist with additional epilepsy training) who specializes in women’s health. The epileptologist coordinates your care with BIDMC gynecologists, obstetricians, maternal-fetal medicine specialists and other providers as needed.

We work with you to develop your personalized care plan. We continue to follow you and your baby closely throughout your pregnancy in our unique joint neurology/obstetric clinics.

Bone Health

Prolonged treatment with some antiepileptic medications increases your risk for decreased bone density and developing conditions such as osteopenia or osteoporosis. This also increases your risk for bone fractures, even in men. Together with endocrinologists in the Osteoporosis Prevention Center, we coordinate appropriate monitoring, diagnosis and treatment for you.

Menopause

Symptoms of menopause such as hot flashes, disrupted sleep and hormone therapy may affect your ability to control your seizures. Our team will work together to find the best regimen to control your seizures while minimizing these symptoms.

Additional Services

The Women’s Health and Epilepsy Program works with your neurologist and other providers throughout the BIDMC care network to ensure that you get the complete care you need. These providers may be part of your multidisciplinary care team.