Epilepsy and impulsive behavior?

I have an adult friend with epilepsy and she was never good with impulse control. She is 40 now, but still will shop till she drops, and spend beyond her means. She doesn't drink or do drugs, but also has a quick temper. Could her negative attributes be associated to her relatively mild epilepsy?

Science doesn't fully understand epilepsy yet. While a type of automaton behaviour called pseudomotor epilepsy can cause sufferers to behave in very odd ways (of which they have no knowledge), it is possible that a lower level of impulsivity can be associated with epilepsy - (especially temporal lobe epilepsy). Alternatively, she could just be a hot-tempered shopaholic. It's impossible to know.

Believe it or not, I'm training under the worlds expert on compulsive buying (you might see him on the national news...they tend to interview him during the holliday season). I can tell you that many things are associated with epilepsy, but compulsive shopping is not one of those. Her problems have nothing to do with epilepsy.

Compulsive buying is often related to Bipolar disorder, and usually medication for epilepsy is used for treatment of that disorder as well. I'm not sure how co-morbid (how often they occur together) they are, but it'd be something to look into. If put on the right medication, your friend could tackle two birds with one stone, because spending money too much can be very, very bad.

It could be that it's a symptom of epilepsy, but I'd only trust a professional on that one. Since it's mild epilepsy, I'm not so sure. You could always give a call to a psychiatrist in your phone book and just ask them over the phone (they'll know about epilepsy since they have an MD). I think that'd be the best way to go about things. Also ask about how often Bipolar disorder and Epilepsy go together, because your friend very well could be both.

I am epileptic for past 7 yrs n now 51yrs of age - still under medication. Of course, no more attacks for past 1yr and medication is being tapered down. I used 2 b very cool tempered but now a snap at anything and without realizing the after-effects of it. I can understand the mood swings of ur friend like aggrasive shopping. As per own experience I can say that one gets more aggrasive with these medicines although doctors tend not to look at this aspect. Your friend needs lot of support from good friends like U.