With a new campaign recently launched by the Government aimed at taking the mystery out of menopause, we are delighted to show our support for this campaign through this special event for women with epilepsy.
Menopause, when periods stop permanently, is a biological phase that all females undergo at some point in their lives. Menopause can cause symptoms like hot flushes, changes to periods, mood swings, anxiety, and brain fog. These symptoms can start years before periods stop and carry on afterwards. For some women with epilepsy, symptoms of perimenopause and menopause can impact their epilepsy and seizure frequency. By understanding perimenopause and menopause, recognising, and managing symptoms that may be affecting quality of life or causing stress we may be able to achieve better outcomes.
As part of this event, we are pleased to welcome Claire McElroy, Kathy Maher and Sinéad Murphy – who will be on hand to give direct presentations and inputs on this entire subject which will be of benefit to all women with epilepsy in attendance.
Claire is the Clinical Nurse Manager 2 in the Complex Menopause Service in the National Maternity Hospital. This service was the first of six complex menopause clinics to be established nationwide and began seeing patients at the end of 2021, it is dedicated to helping patients with serious medical conditions manage their menopausal symptoms.
Kathy Maher is a pharmacist in Co. Meath and is Chairperson of the Irish Pharmacy Union. She is a strong advocate for Women's Healthcare, firmly believing in shared decision making with women being fully informed and in control of their own health. She is currently working to break down barriers to women's healthcare, particularly in the area of access to contraception. She also holds a diploma in Women’s Health Management in primary care.
Finally, Sinéad Murphy is a Registered Advanced Nurse Practitioner, specialising in the care of women with epilepsy – and runs specialised clinics in a number of hospital sites for women with epilepsy.
Finally, the event will also be attended be hosted by our Community Resource Officer, Mary Baker, who like her colleagues across Ireland, is there to support people with epilepsy on their journeys with the condition.
This event will cover a range of topics, specific to women with epilepsy who may be perimenopause or experiencing menopause, including but not limited to:
- Understanding changes due to peri menopause and menopause
- Recongising and managing symptoms
- Treatment – what can we do?
- Making space for self-care during menopause
- Where to get support
If you’d like to attend this event, see details on how to register below.
We look forward to welcoming women with epilepsy to this online event on the night.
- WHEN: Thursday 18th May , 7:00pm - 8:30pm
- WHERE: Your home, via Zoom!
- WHO: This event is for women with epilepsy only, with particular focus on those who may be perimenopause or experiencing menopause. However, all women with epilepsy are encouraged to attend. Healthcare professionals are also welcome to attend.
- REGISTRATION: To register for this event, visit our Zoom Registration page. If you have any further question about this event, please contact our Community Resource Officer, Mary Baker, by emailing mbaker@epilepsy.ie.
**For further information on menopause, you can visit the Gov.ie website. **