Anticonvulsant Drugs Effects on Sex Hormone Levels and Sexual Function in Men with Epilepsy

Abstract

Aim: Sexual dysfunction is common in patients with epilepsy. The aim of this quasi-experimental study was to evaluate the effect of anticonvulsant drugs on hormonal and sexual function in men with epilepsy. Methods: Newly diagnosed patients with epilepsy were divided into three groups of 23 subjects who received monotherapy with sodium valproate, carbamazepine and levetiracetam, respectively. Findings: At the beginning of the study, sexual function and sexual hormones were comparable between the control group and the patient group (p > 0.05). After 6 months of treatment, patients who received sodium valproate had the weakest sexual function. Conclusion: According to the present findings, levetiracetam appears to be a good choice for sexually active patients compared with other conventional anticonvulsants.

Keywords::

• antiepileptic drugs
• epilepsy
• sexual function

Supplementary data

Financial & competing interests disclosure

The current study was supported from Hamadan University of Medical Sciences. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.

Ethical conduct of research

The study protocol was approved by ethical committee of Hamadan University of Medical Sciences. Informed consent forms were obtained from all study participants. The authors state that they have obtained appropriate institutional review board approval or have followed the principles outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki for all human or animal experimental investigations. In addition, for investigations involving human subjects, informed consent has been obtained from the participants involved.

Additional information

Funding

The current study was supported from Hamadan University of Medical Sciences. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.