Fertility and your periods (the menstrual cycle)

Most women have a menstrual cycle which lasts 25 – 35 days. If you have epilepsy you have a higher risk of having a longer, shorter or more irregular menstrual cycle than a woman who doesn’t have the condition. This may be due to having epilepsy itself, your seizure pattern or even your anti-epileptic drugs.

If you have a menstrual cycle which doesn’t follow the same pattern each month, this can make it more difficult to know which times of the month you are most likely to get pregnant.

If your menstrual cycle is shorter than 21 days or longer than 35 days, or your bleeding lasts longer than seven days, it would be advisable to seek advice from your doctor. They can look into the possible causes and suggest treatments that may help you to have a more regular menstrual cycle.

• More information about epilepsy and the menstrual cycle

November 2008

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