Catamenial Epilepsy
Conditions
Keywords
epilepsy, seizures, menstrual cycle
Brief summary
One in 3 epilepsy patients have refractory seizures. This drug resistance is likely related to the over expression of multidrug resistance proteins (MDR). Progesterone is a known inhibitor of MDRs and the low level of this hormone during the menstrual cycle may exacerbate seizures, perhaps explaining catamenial epilepsy; i.e. seizures occurring during the menstrual cycle. Verapamil suppresses seizures in animal models of epilepsy perhaps by inhibiting MDRs and thus may help patients with refractory seizures. If the study shows improved seizure control, the results will help establish the role of MDRs in refractory epilepsy.
Interventions
DRUGverapamil hyrochloride
80 mg daily by mouth, 5 days prior to menses for 3 months
Sponsors
University Health Network, Toronto
Study design
Intervention model
CROSSOVER
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
FEMALE
Age
18 Years to 60 Years
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
* females * at least 2 seizures per month * more than 50% of the seizures occur 7 days before or 7 days after the onset of menses * patient of the Toronto Western Hospital Epilepsy Clinic
Exclusion criteria
* cardiovascular history
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| the percent reduction in seizure frequency | 3 months |
Countries
Canada
Outcome results
None listed