Posted by susan C on July 6, 2001, at 14:13:08
In reply to Re: Bipolar and Light/color Sensitivity;Seizures? » Noa, posted by Mitch on July 5, 2001, at 23:42:21
Mitch, just a note about your mom and dr comment about pregnancy starting or stopping seizure: estrogen is a powerful proconvulsant and progesterone a powerful anticonvulsant. Both are obviously female hormones and progesterone is very abundant in pregnancy (I think I got that right). My new pdoc diagnosed me a bipolar, genetic (father with depression and ect and brother suicided)and seizure due to history of severe pms that started in puberty and helped dramatically by sustained release natural progesterone. Needless to say, I felt GREAT when I was pregnant. We have a complicated illness.
> Noa,
>
> Just another quick follow-up. My mom had generalized nocturnal epilepsy with daytime panic symptoms and she has told me several times that when she had to ride the bus(she wasn't allowed to drive back in the 50's when she was diagnosed with the seizures)she would get "panicky" whenever the sun would be shining through picket fences etc. and "flashing" in the morning while she was going to work and she had to look away or it made her "nervous". She was on Dilantin 400mg/day + Phenobarbitol for decades. My Sister has migraines. My Mom's mom had to have ECT for psychotic depression. Her seizures started in 1950 with the birth of my older brother and they stopped after my birth in 1960. I thought that was bunk a long time ago-until I talked to my doctor and he said that pregancies can stop and start seizures (wow-that was news for me!)
>
> Mitch
>
> > Kind of makes me think about the possible connection between bipolar and seizures, for some reason. Guess I was thinking about a friend who has bipolar II and migraines and often wears sunglasses in the house because too much light gives her a headache and/or makes her really irritable. She is prone to agitation and panic symptoms.
poster:susan C
thread:69052
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20010701/msgs/69192.html