Sex, women and epilepsy

Many people with epilepsy have normal sexual relationships. However, it’s not unusual to worry that your epilepsy might affect your sex life. We hope the following information will help.

Seizures during sex

Some women worry that they will have a seizure when they are having sex. In fact, you are no more likely to have a seizure during sex than at any other time. 

Sexual problems

Any woman may have problems with sex from time to time. These may include problems getting aroused or having little interest in sex. Here are some common causes of sexual problems that can affect anyone.

• Stress
• Tiredness
• Illness
• Alcohol

Here are some more possible causes of sexual problems if you have epilepsy.

• Your own feelings about your epilepsy might make you lose interest in sex.
• You might be taking certain anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs) which can cause some women to have less interest in sex.
• Your seizures might affect the way that your body releases hormones that affect your sexual responses.

If you have any worries about your sex life, you are not alone. It’s really worth talking to your family doctor.

Your doctor may suggest over-the-counter treatments which may help. If your family doctor feels that your epilepsy or AEDs are causing your problems, they may refer you to see an epilepsy specialist. The epilepsy specialist may make changes to your AEDs to see if that can help.

If your doctor thinks that your problems are connected to how you are feeling, they may refer you to a relationship therapist or psychologist.