This chapter stresses that each woman must know whether her medical therapy can interfere with hormonal contraception. There is a variety of contraceptive methods from which to choose. These fall into two main groups: hormonal and nonhormonal methods. Epilepsy and its treatment do not alter the effectiveness of any of the nonhormonal methods of birth control. These nonhormonal methods include the intrauterine contraceptive device (IUD), barrier methods, the rhythm method and other methods of 'natural' family planning with or without spermicides, and sterilization. Hormonal methods involve taking the combined oral contraceptive pill, (which contains two hormones, an estrogen and a synthetic form of progesterone called a progestogen), or the progesterone-only pill ('mini' pill), or long-acting preparations such as medroxyprogesterone (Depo-Provera) injections or a depot hormonal implant (Norplant). Nowadays, many neurologists discuss the issue of contraception with women before starting a drug to treat their epilepsy.

This chapter provides a comprehensive and comprehensible review of the major antiepileptic drugs (AEDs). Patients often hear their physician talk about 'drug levels'. A drug's effectiveness is determined by its ability to control seizures. Unfortunately, the drug, by its actions on the body or brain, may cause unwanted side effects as well. There are several types of side effects, but the most common are dose-related side effects. Dose-related side effects may include fatigue, dizziness, lack of coordination, or double vision. Diet and exercise can help, and the weight usually returns to baseline if the drug is discontinued. Phenytoin, in particular, can cause some cosmetic side effects that are troublesome to women. Several new AEDs have recently been approved by the Food and Drug Administration. These include gabapentin, lamotrigine, topiramate, tiagabine, levetiracetam, and oxcarbazepine. A newer technique recently approved for epilepsy treatment is the vagal nerve stimulator.