Comparatively little has been written specifically for men with epilepsy. But this is not because epilepsy affects men any less than it does women. The numbers are generally seen as being pretty much equal between genders even though it has reported that slightly more men have epilepsy than women.
For a number of reasons epilepsy support associations usually see more females than males. When, for instance, a child has epilepsy it is more likely that the child’s mother will make contact than the child’s father. Some men will only seek information about their own epilepsy once their partners have made an appointment for them. Perhaps it’s the old thing about men being less inclined to take responsibility for their own adverse health situations than women.
For men a wide range of specific issues have not been articulated in contrast to the number of specific gender issues for women. They exist however, and they can be quite complex, varying with such things as age, seizure type and severity and with a male’s overall health and lifestyle circumstances.
Those men who play sport, and in truth most men watch rather than play, tend to play more physically aggressive sports than women. There are major sports stars who have epilepsy who compete in some of the toughest sports played, but these guys have their seizures controlled. Without freedom from seizures it is inadvisable to play rough contact sports. Interestingly, head protection gear is increasingly seen as an important element to playing contact sports safely, but from basketball to football there seem to be very few men with the guts to actually wear even the most comfortable helmets.
Likewise participation in sports like weight lifting or bodybuilding, skydiving,
mountain climbing or diving should only occur under well-
Sport
For many men the idea of supporting a family is what keeps them going to work; often at jobs for which they don’t particularly care. It’s the idea of being the traditional breadwinner and it’s tied up with notions of male physical strength and the ability to protect those you love. Well the truth is, seizures can threaten this. They can lose you your job. They can cause you to have a serious work injury. They can leave you without an income, at home with the possibility of seizures while your partner is out earning money.
An experienced epilepsy counsellor will have talked about this with many families and will be able to help you get your head around where to go for help. Some insurance schemes offer periods of temporary ill health cover. Sickness benefits and carer benefits and a range of support that you might need for a period should be talked about and arranged if possible.
Being a good provider
While some seizures [central or parietal lobe seizures] can involve sexual feelings and actually cause erections and ejaculation, the experience of epilepsy is more likely to lead to a decline in sexual energy or libido rather than an increase. The culprit most often blamed is the sedating effect of many antiepileptic drugs. While this can be a difficulty, for many men the fatigue from the drugs usually wears off or at least becomes quite manageable. What is now understood however is that the mechanisms of seizures can be implicated in reduced libido [or sexual drive] and reduced sexual function [potency] even without the added impact that some medications bring into the picture.
Of course if your libido has decreased you might not be too fussed about it. But your partner may be. If your libido is strong but your capacity to perform physically is reduced then you will no doubt be more likely to want to do something about it. And there is a range of things that you can do to help ensure that you are functioning optimally. All men face issues around libido and potency at different times and the first thing you need to do is to reduce all the other factors that can diminish your sexual prowess. This means you need to attend to those old bug bears of exercise, diet, sleep minimising stress and concentrating on your partner’s needs as well as your own. If a lack of erections or temporary impotence does become a problem then attending to these same things can help, as can remembering that it is not necessarily your epilepsy or its treatment that is causing the difficulty.
There is in fact a range of solutions to impotence and newer drugs such as Viagra appear to be compatible with antiepileptic medications. If such drugs help it is likely that they are redressing difficulties that are not based on epilepsy but are the same difficulties that millions of other men without epilepsy experience. And there is a lesson there. If you do have sexual function difficulties and epilepsy, do not assume that one is necessarily the cause of the other.
And you can’t just assume that your doctor or neurologist has some special knowledge about achieving a fulfilling sex life, and even if they do, a counsellor or sex therapist is probably a more likely bet. Talk to your doctor or neurologist as they should be more aware of the side effects of your medication.
Sex
Most men and women like a drink. And epilepsy shouldn't stop you having a beer or two or a glass of wine with dinner, but you need to be honest with yourself about it. Alcohol can increase the sedating effects of some antiepileptic medications and it can trigger seizures under some circumstances. Some anti epileptic medications specifically recommend that you not drink while taking them and some neurologists expect their patients to follow this restriction to the letter – especially until they get their seizures under control. If it is a problem for you, speak about it with your doctor.
Alcohol
This section explains driving law in the United Kingdom in relation to seizures. Other nation’s driving regulations may vary.
Because of the nature of seizures, it is required by law that anyone who has experienced a seizure of any type stops driving. Licences can be reapplied for after you have been seizure free for a period of twelve months with or without medication. You are responsible for informing the DVLA if you have a seizure. If you fail to do so your licence will be legally invalid, as will your insurance meaning that you will be driving illegally.
Provisional Licence
In order to apply for a provisional licence to learn to drive, you must have been seizure free for twelve months. The DVLA needs to be informed on your initial application form of your medical condition. They will then send you additional forms asking for details on your epilepsy and may contact your doctor for further information.
Nocturnal Seizures
If you have a nocturnal seizure (a seizure whilst sleeping) you are also legally required to surrender your driving licence for one year. However, if you continue to solely have nocturnal seizures for three years you can apply for a new licence. You can continue to drive whilst only having nocturnal seizures.
Provoked Seizures
If your seizure is considered to be provoked such as an immediate effect of a head injury, this may be considered by the DVLA to be an exceptional circumstance. If this cause is rectified, the DVLA may consider allowing you to drive. Such cases are viewed individually by the DVLA and factors such as alcohol and drugs are not considered to be exceptional circumstances.
Medication Changes
Because of the risk of changes to seizure activity as a result of changing or stopping medications, the DVLA recommends that you stop driving for six months following such changes.
Group 2 Vehicles
Vehicles that are covered by a Group 2 licence (LGV or PCV) have different regulations
than Group 1 vehicles. To obtain a Group 2 licence you need to have been seizure
free for 10 years without the assistance of anti-
Insurance
Your motor insurance premium should not be increased because of your epilepsy. This is covered in the Disability Discrimination Act.
Travel Costs
If you are unable to drive due to your epilepsy, you may be able to receive help
with travel expenses in the form of reduced fares for buses, coaches and trains.
Further information on rail cards can be found at www.disabledpersons-
Bus discounts normally vary regionally; contact your local bus station for further information.
Epilepsy and Driving
Epilepsy is a serious health condition and being a man doesn’t mean you have to tough it out!
