Catamenial Epilepsy Treatment

Overview

Epilepsy is a disorder in the brain. The brain is full of "nerve" cells. Nerve cells have normal electrical activity to control the many functions of the body. Sometimes nerve cells do not function normally due to many different reasons such as disease, an injury or because the brain didn't develop normally at birth. When nerve cells do not function normally the electrical activity that controls things like muscles and body movement can get mixed up and cause seizures. When a seizure occurs, sometimes a person loses control of body movement, and/or bodily functions. When a seizure occurs, a person may become unconscious, and/or senses may be affected. Seizures can occur at any time, without warning, and can lead to many health problems. "Catamenial epilepsy" is specific form of epilepsy in women. It is closely related to the menstrual cycle. In this form of epilepsy seizures increase around the menstrual period. By doing this study, researchers hope to learn whether Keishibukuryogan add-on therapy with antiepileptic drugs is safe for women with epilepsy.

It is known that the female hormone levels in epilepsy patients are different from healthy women. These hormonal differences may be part of the cause of catamenial epilepsy. It is estimated that at least 1 in every 3 women with epilepsy have catamenial epilepsy. Although many antiepileptic drugs are available, it is very difficult to control these seizures. In the past, studies using antiepileptic drugs and hormonal agents were done to treat catamenial epilepsy. However, those medications did not work well and caused side effects. Keishibukuryogan is a traditional Japanese herbal medication. It is made of 5 natural herbs (cinnamon bark, hoelen, moutan bark, peony root, and peach kernel). It is used to treat disorders in women like menopause and menstrual cycle problems. This is the first study to examine the safety of Keishibukuryogan in women with epilepsy. As such, Keishibukuryogan and your current antiepileptic drug(s) will be given to you during the study. Keishibukuryogan is a dietary supplement in the United States. It can be bought without a prescription. The safety and efficacy of Keishibukuryogan has not been studied in epilepsy. However, it has been used safely in Japan and other Asian countries for years.