Drugs of choice for menstrual epilepsy

The preferred therapeutic drugs for menstrual epilepsy have not yet been standardized, and the commonly used therapeutic drugs in clinical practice include antiepileptic drugs, sex hormones and acetazolamide. 1. Antiepileptic drugs: affected by the level of circulating sex hormones, the metabolic rate of antiepileptic drugs increases during menstruation, and the blood concentration decreases. Increasing the dosage of antiepileptic drugs appropriately before menstruation or during menstruation can reduce the number of seizures in menstrual epilepsy. The use of lamotrigine add-on therapy or monotherapy is effective in menstrual epilepsy and can increase serum progesterone levels. 2. Sex hormones: menstrual epilepsy is closely related to cyclic changes in ovarian sex hormone levels, and it is feasible to add sex hormones periodically to treat menstrual epilepsy; medroxyprogesterone has a direct antiepileptic effect, and can significantly reduce the frequency of seizures. 3. Acetazolamide: Studies have shown that 30%~40% of patients with menstrual epileptic seizure frequency and severity improved after taking acetazolamide, and the possible mechanism of action is that carbonic anhydrase inhibitors lead to intracerebral CO2 accumulation, which reduces neuronal excitability. Menstrual epilepsy should follow the doctor’s instructions to standardize the use of drug treatment, not unauthorized use.