Anti-Epileptic Drugs Can Cause Reproductive Disorders

Filed in archive Epilepsy , Sexual Health , Studies , Treatment on October 29, 2007

In both men and women, the use of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) can lead to decreased fertility and increased incidence of reproductive endocrine disorders.

The study finds that reproductive endocrine dysfunction resulting from AED use is reversible, even after years of treatment. After withdrawal from CBZ and VPA, sexual hormone levels returned to pre-treatment levels, and treatment-associated reproductive endocrine changes reversed.

Findings are published in the journal Epilepsia.

According to Morten I. Lossius, author of the study:

"These findings provide further evidence of the potentially negative effects of epilepsy treatment on reproductive endocrine functions in men and women, but they also show that some of these changes may be reversible."

Well, what's the alternative to AEDs? Epileptics cannot do without those, otherwise... so epileptics may just have to suffer the consequence?

Find more details from Science Daily.