Epilepsy drugs may cause sexual disorders

Some anti-epileptic drugs can lead to decreased fertility but more reproductive endocrine disorders in both men and women.

Reproductive endocrine disorders include gender identity disorder, polycystic ovary syndrome, Kallmann syndrome (decreased functioning of the sex hormone-producing glands) and amenorrhoea (absence of a menstrual period in a woman of reproductive age).

A Norwegian study, published in the journal Epilepsia, looked at the effects of common anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs) on the sex hormones of male and female epilepsy patients.

The researchers looked at the progress of two common AEDs, carbamazepine and valproate.

The study found that the drugs caused reproductive endocrine dysfunction. However, the side-effects were reversible, even after years of treatment. The research found that after withdrawal of the drugs sexual hormones returned to pre-treatment levels, and reproductive endocrine changes reversed.

The researchers said that these findings provided further evidence of the potentially negative effects of epilepsy treatment on reproductive endocrine functions in men and women.

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[Posted: Sat 27/10/2007]