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UPDATED: Mon, 01/23/2006 - 5:45am
brian ...
kepra
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does anyone know anything about kepra?
By brian ... at Mon, 01/23/2006 - 5:45am | 18579 views | 65 comments
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does anyone know anything about kepra?
Recent Comments on this Discussion
hi, i have been on keppra for two years and it has made my life just a little crazy. i have lost some of my hair and my nails grow like wild flowers. my moods sometime suck. i cry sometimes and m doctor has had to put me in the hospital twice for bowel problems. but, it has had it good times too, i have not had a seizure since march of 06 and i am happy.
What type of bowel problems did you have? My 9 year old son has been really gassy and has had horrible stomach pains. He has had spells where he gets real red in the face and then thinks he is going to vomit or need to go to the restroom. This last for ten minutes and then he is fine again. He has an appointment with his pediatrician to have some blodd work done. He has been on Keppra for 1 year and the only problems he has had is being moody and irritated with his sisters more than usual. He did have loose bowel movements last week. We are not sure if he has had a touch of the flue or what?? email me at curtis.wybourn@qbeamericas.com
gratefulmouse---I take the pill and instantly I get this huge belly..and I know its air or gas...it makes noise like something is living in there..and then if I wait a bit..I start passing this gas.....well, I decided to check it out...Im that kind of person and the keppra enhances it...sort of nervous and a little neurotic...so...I did a search online to see what keppra was made of...I dont understand any of the actual stuff it is made of but one thing I noticed and I know a lot about that..and that is ...iron oxide...I decided to ask my family doc during my well woman check up about it and what it was exactly..I think its a form of iron and its listed for the actual outside color of the pill...it makes up the coloring...and my doc did say yes that is a form of iron.....fe as it where from school....and i am sensitive to any kind of iron...always have been...it bloats my stomach something awful and then sometimes it causes diahrea..as when I was pregnant a 100 yrs ago they use to give us ferrus sequals which is iron for pregnant women and it would cramp me so bad and give me diahrea...so lets say that I did more reserch and found that the 500mgs is the one will yellow iron oxide and the 750mgs is the ones with red iron oxide...so...I called my neuro's office and told them my findings and then said since I am going up on my mgs I dont want the 1000mg pill as it doesnt have it I think ..it wasnt described in detail like the rest but the 250mgs was and it didnt show as having any iron oxide..so I asked them to get some for me and gave them my pharmacy phone number to call in a perscription for the 250gs ...which is a lot as Im on 1800mg for the entire day...so that has to be broken up ...I did have extreme nausea as well and that may be part of the side affects...I had dizziness, weakness, anxiety and depression..mood swings crying jags...muscle pain but not extreme...Im trying to get through all this ...I took it before with other meds as it was given to me while I was on other medication for other stuff and that is why keppra is good you can take it with other things...but getting thru the side affects is awful...the moods are so bad...you never know what to expect...and if you have some kind of stomach upset and have diahrea it takes some of the medicine out of you and you might feel different...until it catches back up....well, I get the 250mgs tomroow I havent tried them out yet..I will let you know how it turns out...
May I ask you how often and what kind of seizures you suffer from? Do you take Keppra only?
I take Keppra too combined with Zonesamid/Zonegran, Frisium and antidepressiva called "Seropram". Keppra in the morning and evening, each 1000 mg. Yes, it's a lot, but I've daily seizures and tried a lot of combinations in my life. All of them make me very tired and I'm not able to concentrate myself as the average of the people.
In the mid of March, I'll be ready for the second surgery.
gratefulmouse---Hi, I only had three seizures in my entire life...my first was when I was 47 and then one at 54 and then my most recent one 56yrs old....so I consider myself blessed in the fact that I raised 5 kids and never had this. when I do have them I do go out and dont remember what happened. I have been fortunate in the fact that the first time...I was at work and two nurses attended me so I could breathe as I fell backwards and then my husband was home for the second one I fell backwards and let out this warhoop sound...a yelp if you will and then the third one I was home alone and fell forward thank God and woke on the floor with my head turned to the side. I was alive and crawled to the toilet and then to my bed where i had to remember how to dial the phone to call my husband...thank goodness for cell phones with phone numbers already in them...he came home which took an hr as we live in the houston area....then he took me to the hospital where i waited 5 hrs to see a dr....everything was checked but my body which sustained a painful fall....my ribs and back still hurt and that was about 5 wks ago.....so keppra is the only pills im on and Im at the point of 1750mgs now....I was on 2000mgs but I had this huge headache come up and severe depression which incapacitated me...so I went down to 1500mgs and then am slowly going up again. I have to say though....the side affects are pretty severe...dizziness, nausea, headaches, depression, anxiety, aches and pains....I guess the depression and anxiety might be considered moodiness which might seem normal side affects for this meds to a dr...I mentioned it when I changed over and they acted like it was normal....anyway...I did change from the 500mgs pills to the 250mg pills....it does make a difference in the fact that as soon as the tablet hits my stomach it doesnt explode or my stomach doesnt explode...however, there is still a stomach upset later..when the actual pill breaks down....you see women over a certain age and sometimes just women cannot handle iron in any form which means just a sensitivity to iron ...in the 500mgs and the 750mgs pills of keppra there is iron oxide ...yellow and red....its just the coloring on the outside of the pills and the reason why gas and air begin to happen immediately when the pill enters the stomach....then it goes away but leaving air in the abdomen which has to be passed and sometimes causes other problems....so..I have at least eliminated the instant gassy air in my stomach by going to the 250mgs...the 1000mgs is a white pill and that means it may not have the iron oxide in it either....so when and if I get to the 1000 twice a day I shouldnt have that problem. I only wish I didnt have to take this meds at all since I only had three seizures ever...also it seems to make my pains my body incurred from the fall hurt more...ouch.....hope this helps ...God bless you and keep you...
Just curious about the bowel problems? I just started Keppra about 2wks ago and have noticed stomach pains and nausea can this be related to the meds. I too am very irritable and cant sleep at night. I get frequent vibration sensations in both arms and legs its driving me crazy any suggestions? Is the hair loss common? I certainitly hope not yikes? thanks Mary Beth
I have been on kepra for about 4 months and have the same symptoms but worse. I have been to the emergency room 20 times for anxiety attacks, breathing problems and bowel problems because of the kepra. I would call your doctor and have him or her put you on dilantin. If you continue on kepra the symptoms will get worse. I called my doctor and had him take me off of kepra and put me on dilantin. Kepra also made my potassium level real low.
gratefulmouse---hey mary beth.....two weeks ago huh....hmmm...well, some of my side affects didnt happen until later actuallly.....I felt lots of energy when I first started and no sleep ...I was a little more acertive as well. I spoke my mind. then slowly I began to feel emotional...crying, depression, anxeity. I think all this came about as I had to raise my millograms and the first thing I did notice was my stomach literallly blowing out with gas and explosive diahrea.....well, I decided to research and find that keppra 500mgs and 750mgs both have iron oxide on the outside of the pill...its the covering...500 is iron oxide yellow and the other is iron oxide red....but iron oxide is ...iron....and a lot of women esp older ones cant handle iron or are sensitive to iron ...I have been for a long time...it gave me cramps and gas and diahrea....so I looked at the other millograms which is 250mgs and 1000mgs.....the 250mgs has fd&c blue 9 and some other blue color....which I dont know if its safe...but it isnt iron and doesnt cause the explosion the minute the pill hits your stomach....however, I do still have problems with my bowels taking this....as I have loose bowels but not diahrea....I have since gotten over the dizziness...so that does go away....and I do have however, depression and anxiety....I find that this happens after I eat.....why that is I dont know....it almost makes me dread eating...but by evening it isnt so bad....it doesnt stay...but if you drink a lot of water then it helps....I noted I had to stay away from green tea with caffiene....I dont drink anything or eat anything with caffiene in it as I was told not to do when i was young because of breast lumps....plus my religion has health reasons not to do caffiene...so I normally dont do caffiene but I was drinking the green tea and caused some depression.....so I quit that and got with my water adn drink plenty of it which helps with the depression and the stomach upset.....I find that when you go up or down in the millograms you go through the side affects....you have to wait it out....but it puts your life on hold...thank God I have raised my kids already ...all 5 of them....but....I am praying to feel normal one day....I have only had 3 seizures in my lifetime....no one knows why.......but that is a whole other story..right now Im only on 1750mgs....Im suppose to go to 2000mgs...I dont kn ow if i can...the side affects are awful...depression and anxiety to me are the worst....the rest can be dealt with.....I am praying that it all is temporary and goes and I can stay on it and it works....however, my stomach no longer explodes on impact of the pills.....I take 3 and a half of the blue 250mgs in the morning and evening...my head is clear and my visiion is ok now...the nausea is a little there.....the depression is off and on and the anxiety is off and on....i dont do much around my house....hopefully this will all go away and I can get back to normal ....at first I was my usual being busy cleaning house and making super.....I have to go up again to the 2000 and that will start the entire thing all over again....I am also trying to get over the pain and the injury from the fall...I was and am blessed to be alive as I fell forward and was breathing.....I was alone when my third one happened.....I felt that God was watching over me and wants me here otherwise I wou ldnt be.....I just want the depression and anxiety to go...its not always there but when it is it isnt fun.....I dont want to take an antidepressant....I got off one and it was the reason I was having seizures...getting off it caused it ....I figured once off it wouldnt happen again....it was exactly 6 mos when this last one happened....so Im hoping that it just wasnt out of my system is the reason it happened. I was put on an antidepressant beause I was allergic to premarin an estrogen after a hysterectomy...and I couldnt sleep or eat so they put me on that and I stayed and was ok...then I tried to get off three times and had seizures from getting off...my first eeg showed spiking but i just had the seizure...and after that none showed and my mri's are all ok.....actually really good......who knows....my hysterectomy took 8 hrs instead of 4-5hrs....it makes me wonder about them giving me breathing stuff ...so who knows....God bless you and keep you....I pray constantly for relief....I know when one has to go through hard things in life we stay close to God ...however, I do anyway....I pray constantly....Trust in God and pray and He will give you answers and one answer I got was to drink a lot of water..it helps with the depression and it doesnt last..it doesnt actually......walk around some.....when your bowels are emptied out by the end of the day you feel a lift in mood and.....the medicine is excreted or leaves the body through the kidneys.....God bless you... oh...one more thing...it is said to cause hairloss.....I took it before....500mgs in the morning and evening with my antidepressant that I was trying to get off...and I think I might have lost some hair....I havent so far as I just got back on it.....I have been on it since feb 1......so...brush your hair and stimulate your scalp.....see if it comes off a lot on your pillow.....maybe down the road they might come up with something better that doesnt have so many side affects...esp the depression and anxiety....if you dont have that you have hope .....but if you do have it hang in there..hold on and trust in God he will get you through.....
SLD
Hello--I've been on Keppra for 3 years and I now take 1500mg in the AM and 2000mg in the PM. I also take Topamax and Lamictal. The next step is surgery but I have to get things squared away job-wsie to get ready for it. As far as side effects, my biggest struggle has been with severe mood swings. I also have problems with my appetite. I can go an entire day without eating because I'm just not hungry. So my metabolism is ZERO and that's no good. I have had problems with hair loss but I have a stylist that has started doing scalp massages and it seems to be helping. Feel free to ask your partner/spouse to do it for you on a regular basis because it will help after a stressful day.
If I can help out with anything else, I'm only a reply away :-)
Hi, I'm glad that I came upon this topic. Started keppra about 21/2 weeks ago. 500mg twice daily. Have been drowsy, groggy, out-of-sync & sluggish. After 1st week felt the change of mood--was not my usual sunny self; was impatient, snappy and easily irritated. At night it kind of knocked me out after an hour or two.That was great --i was sleeping thru the night. Still making me very sleepy at night, but the A.M's are not as brisk and fresh as I used to be. Have been reading all the comments here and alternating between, 'Oh, good' and 'Oh No! Will relay all to my Dr. next visit.
Peace & Harmony
Hi Brian
My husband just started Keppra with his Trileptal recently because he was having break thru seizures. Hes only been on it a lil less then two weks and we will up the dose come friday then lower the trileptal a little bit. He is also on antidepressant Lexapro. I was concerned about him starting the Keppra because of the horrible things I keep reading about it. But Doc said he should be ok because of the antidepressant Lexapro. I hope Doc is right. SO far, so good...he seems ok...his normal self. We will see when the dose gets up'ed. He hasnt had anymore breakthrus for two weeks so I think its helping that at least. He is ALOT more tired though...not sure if its the Keppra or the high doses of Trileptal (2400mg) plus the Lexapro plus the now added Keppra (500mg). He just falls asleep whereever he is, no matter what time it is. I feel bad for him.
I wish you luck. I hope it works for you. Ill keep fingers crossed for ya ok?
HUGS
-Diane
gratefulmouse,
I had my 1st seizure at 47. I consider myself lucky. I was put on dilantin and within 7 days broke out in a rash and was taken off. I then took nothing. I was trying to get off desepramine an antidepressant I was put on after a hysterectomy because I was allergic to premarin. When dr's cant figure what to do they stick you on an antidepressant. I was on it from 1989..the 1st time I tried to get off..down the road I had a seizure at work. then I got back on my antidepressant and was fine. then later in 2006 I was trying again and had another seizure but this time I was determined to get off anyway. I was then put on keppra. I had no side affects that I noticed. I took 500mgs in the morning and at night. I was told to get off when I was off my antidepressant. it took me awhile to get off the antidepressant and I just got off my last keppra last night. I waited awhile for the antidepressant to get out of my system and Im not sure its all out yet..but I had to start getting off keppra. I got off one of the pills morning two weeks ago or 3--dont remember..and then the last pill last night..so Im getting off 500mgs at a time...I think smaller doses would be better but I dont think your suppose to cut them in half. I did have a bout with depression while getting off the 1st pill and itching like crazy. but I was getting off an antidepressant as well. There is dizziness and ticks in getting off. I just hope I can ride this out. I have gotten off other meds before, like zanax, timed released, which was a nightmare. I was taking it for an extreme case of IBS. I was bed ridden for each drop on that and it affected everything. I pray to God as I get off this last thing. I will be meds free except for taking supplements for type II diabetes which seems to be working. Whatever you take wether it be natural supplements and herbs or reg medicine..they all can have sideaffects because we are all different. I guess we are guinea pigs trying to find what works. God bless...
gratefulmouse---got to say I have noticed one thing about keppra...if you are having stomach problems...I looked up the content of keppra and it has iron oxide in it...the 500 mgs have iron oxide yellow and the 750mgs have iron oxide red...iron ...enough of it can mess up your stomach...even eating foods wont help...I am suffering with my stomach blowing up with gass and it just wont stop and causes me diahrea....its su ppose to cause constipation...not diahrea...but if the iron is in it like I read...then it causes the reverse...also Im not sleeping..hello..............I would love to sleep...at least that would go away after awhile...I finally get to sleep at night...and then wake up with an awful feeling..moody as heck....I had the usual...weak feelings and dizziness and moodiness....depression and crying....and was talkative....bfore all that started...actualy I wasnt too bad until i got up to 2000mgs....before that I was ok...crying and moody...but then when I upped my meds to the two thousand that is when depression set in...so I went back down and it took awhile but it went down and then Im upping it slower....I was depressed all yesterday and I took my pills tonight abt 1800mgs....and my stomach blew up and gas came out..its awful..no smell...its the iron oxide...I will ask for the other ones that dont have it...probably the 250 or the 1000 as it is white...I hate that but I have always been sensitive to iron...anything iron...so anyone having problems with the stomach its the iron....Im not having seizures all the time..my first as I said was when I was 47 then at 54 and then recently at 56 almost 57.....I was getting off decepramine when all this took place and had just finished this time ...so what a pain...I will take this meds if it suits my intestines and moods for at least maybe 1-2 yrs then get off and see what happens..if I have another seizure then....I will get back on...yuk...I hate that but at least I will know that the iron oxide messes one up...God bless you with your trials and remember the savior suffered during the attonement for everything we are going through now....the Holy Spirit will help you get through your trials....I hope this helps with any stomach problems.....see if you change your pills without the iron oxide....and remember its the 500 and the 750.......maybe they can take that out..I might write to them about it....thanks gratefulmouse
I have been on Keppra since 2001 and seizure free from tonic clonic until July of last year. Coincidentally I started an anti depressant last year in July also. I decided to take myself off of the a/d recently to see if that decreases the episodes. Keppra has been pretty good compared to dilantin which was horrible.
Hello Brian and everyone,
I was on Keppra for about 3 years. I have intractable complex partial seizures, and I hoped, when I started Keppra, that it might be the "magical drug" which would finally control my seizures, but no such luck. Although some people have positive experiences with the drug. I must warn anyone taking the drug of a rare but very possible horrific rash. If you have very sensitive or fair skin, the drug can sensitize your skin, and give you a rash which is just awful. It is a rare (and thus not discussed) but possible side effect. Just to let anyone know, if they are experiencing such a side effect. It gets worse with time, if you stay on the drug. By the way, I just saw that the person who last wrote found dilantin to be horrible. Is there anything one should really look out for, if you're just on the drug for "short term?" I've been on it for about 8 months, and am now preparing for surgery. Wish me luck.
Thanks, and good luck to all,
KR
Hello Brian
I started on keppra 1,500 twice aday with lamotrigine 3 in moring 2 at night 100 mg each . Everything was going fine did not have a large sezuires for 10 years but had the petit'mal . When i went on the keppra and lamotrigine i had 2 big seizures 2 weeks ago i ended up staying in hospital for 3 days in a sizurer . The doctor want's to send me to hospital
to change my drugs to epilim but change it fast has anyone been on epilim and how good is it
take care sk
I have 17 1/2 year old daughter who had absence seizure since she was 3. At age 9 she was seizure free. Unfortunately the seizure came back 2 years later. She was put back on valporic acid until early this year and was switched to Lamictal because of the vomiting. On 3/07 she had a breakthrough seizure (Grand Mal( which was the first one in her life. Her doc put her on Keppra 1500 mg twice a day. She is now seizure free except the space out that she continues to have. Any one knows about Keppra for absence seizure?
Thanks
Hey Brian,
I have been on Keppra about 8 months. I was on Dilantin before and all it did was make my lamictal level drop and cause more seizures. I have had good side effects from Keppra and Lamictal. The only problem is that I stay tired ALLLLLLLLLLLLl the time. There are times at work that I would like to lay my head down and go to sleep. The lamictal and keppra have not controlled my seizures completely (that could be the fact I take 1000 mg lamictal a day and 1500 mg keppra a day). I now have one partial seizure about every three to four months (before it was one every month), but it still has not controlled. I do go for tests to see if I am a candidate for temporal lobe resection (which I hope I am). Other than that Keppra is a good drug (other than the fact that lamictal and keppra are expensive) =(
well, i hope you do good with keppra. it has helped me, but it does cause tiredness for me (24 hrs a day and 7 days a week).
Pan06
Keppra is a dream come true. I have had epilepsy since my brain surgury in 2000. Since they put me on Keppra I have been siezure free for almost three years!
hi brian,
i started kepra a month ago and i was hesitant to do so with the lists of side effects. however in my case those side effects were not that intense and they lasted til my body got use to the drug. as for seizure control, i can say kepra has decreased the activity as well as the intensity of a seizure. i started out with 500 ywice a day and now i take 750 twice a day..it doesnt make me tired at all. i function on less sleep now than beforre and i am more alert too. goood luck hope it works for you
I have been on Keppra for about four years and for the most part have no negative side affects. I had surgery because the seizures were not controlled by the meds I take. I am still on the medications but overall am as satisfied as a person taking a medication can be; drowsy and all for a couple hours, but no double vision or dizziness, etc. I also take trileptal and that makes me a lot drowsier than the Keppra. Maybe Keppra alone if that is enough would really be a great meds. Hope I answered your question.
Cyndee1965
Hi to all!
I have been in Trileptal also for 10 years. But in the last year my seizures become bigger and bigger. So my Doc proposed to add Kepra. He told me that is a new and very good medicine, but usually comes as a second medicine.I am afraid of doing that, but it seems that I don't have any other choice... What are you saying???
Andreas.
I've been on Keppra now for about 2 weeks. Really nothing negative other than it seems I'm a lot more depressed, but with all the reading, I can't tell if it's from Keppra or from the epilepsy.
I was losing my hair a bit on the Metformin, so no difference so far with adding Keppra. Been using Nioxin, and that seems to have at least stopped the loss. Expensive yes, but I use it every other day and it works fine. I think they say everyday to make you buy the stuff.
Anyhow, waiting to talk to the neuro about changing doses. It seems that about 1-2 hours BEFORE I'm due for my next dose I'm getting auras and/or seizures, so maybe I need to be raised up on the dose.
But so far other than that doing well on it.
I'm on Keppra too, and when you first begin the medication reigment you do tend to experience mood swings. Depression and elevated annoyance are common durning the first few weeks. Other than that, there are no serious side effects of Keppra. If you are on it long enough, the mood swings will gradually fade, as you get used to the medication. Hope things go well for you! Best of Luck!
Hello, I've been on Keppra a week, and will begin withdrawing Dilantin by 50 mgs per day next week.
Since beginning Keppra, my balance has been WAY off. I spoke with my Dr. Today and we both agree to give it a bit more time. Has anyone else experienced a change in walking, balance, coordination? My upper arm muscles and thighs feel very weak.
Thanks,
Sicilianna
"...Only God never changes." St. Theresa of Avila
Yep, experianced dizziness, double vision and off-balance. Just wondering, but why no more Dilantin? I took it for a short while and my gums swelled. We said goodbye:)
cyndee1965
Dilantin was horrible for me. I had every symptom you can think of. It made things worse rather than better. Keppra has done the trick however. I have been siezure free for almost three years!
For you guys out there on Keppra for me it is a wonderful drug.....however I was told to take one more tablet in the am and that is what caused me to have vision problems once I went off the extra tablet in the am I was fine and have been for at least 1 year. However even though I'm doing fine now I'm considering the surgery anyone out there that has been there with any comments?????
Hello Dee-
Keppra has it's downfalls I will admit that, it does help on the other hand. I also am thinking about surgery, going through the testing now what kind of surgery are you looking at???
~*Samantha*~
Hi Anna, my daugter Samantha is 16. She is also autistic. No speech to express her feelings. We noticed that after 2 months on Keppra ( replacing Epilim) she started to have what doctor described as myoclonic seizures. Mostly her arm shakes, and she is losing balance when she walks. This new Neurologist denied any possible relation between the Keppra and the new symptoms. When we suggested of the possible side effects of Keppra ( they are exactly what you described), she said that " depends on your sources of information". I feel at peace now after reading your message. This Doctor tried to take me into a new trip of fears that I refused to dive in: degeneration of nerve system. God help us all. Regards, Joseph
Good Morning Joseph,
I should let you know that the reason I am coming off 40 years of Dilantin and beginning Keppra is in part because I now have Peripheral Neuropathy. Nerve degeneration is a very serious matter, and while I applaud your resolve to not become overly fearful of this possibly, I encourage you to not to dismiss whatever information/warnings you receive in this department. If motor complications are due to a particular medication, the neuropathy information sites all seem to suggest that removal of the medication is the necessary step that must be taken to prevent any further nerve damage.(Of course, this should only be done under a doctor's supervision) Watch carefully. Take notes to document time periods.
I wish Samantha well! Your task as a parent to a child who is unable to express her feelings is certainly challenging. As a teacher who has had students with various forms of autism I understand how difficult it can be to discern precisely what the child is thinking/experiencing. Keep up the good work.
God bless,
Anna
"...Only God never changes." St. Theresa of Avila
Dear Anna,
Hope this message finds well. I wanted to update you on Samantha's condition. We have been rolling back to Epilim for the last 3 weeks and we still have one week to go with Kepra. So far, Samantha is going back to her old routine. Better nights and better days. This week she went back to school and she seems happy when she comes back home. No seizures for the last 2 weeks. I pray that she contiue this way. Hopefully her moods will be better after Kepra is out of her system.
I wish you the same peace. Blessings. Joseph
Dear Joseph,
Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know how your precious daughter is doing. I am pleased to hear that Samantha has returned to school and seems happy. No seizures in 2 weeks is certainly something to celebrate! I too shall pray that Samantha continues to rest easily at night and that her seizures remain under control.
I am doing well. We are still in the process of adjusting medications. So far, so good. The osteoarthritis in my joints and peripheral neuropathy are troublesome, but thankfully, I'm finding ways to deal with both conditions. Thank you for your kind thoughts and prayers.
God bless you and your family. Please give Samantha a big hug for me.
Anna
"...Only God never changes." St. Theresa of Avila
Dear Anna,
Thank you for your kind toughts and prayers. I believed in prayers to gain my strength and guide me through all this. Please look into self-healing by connecting to the energy in you and around you. Reiki is one them. It is free to learn and simple to use and will never hurt you. If you need to know more about it let me know. There are few free guides on the internet.
My email is CHAMOUNKL@GMAIL.com. Best regards,
Joseph Chamoun
i HATE HATE HATE keppra. after i was diagnosed with e my doctor put me on lamictal, but because lamictal can cause a life-threatening rash, you have to get put on it ever so slowly. thus, my doc wanted to make sure i was protected by the keppra while he carefully upped my lamictal. for two weeks i was an EMOTIONAL WRECK. i've suffered from bouts of depression my whole life, but this was a drug-induced horror show. if you have a generalized, manageable case of epilepsy like mine, there's no reason you should be subjecting yourself to such agony. also, if you've never suffered from depression before, don't think that this is just one of those things that you have to go through. it's not. depression is hell, and i wouldn't wish it on anyone unless they were a really horrible person.
if you're going through torment on keppra, maybe you should consider another drug. depression destroys lives, it really does.
best wishes, guys
beware I was one of those that broke out from the RASH it was the reaction that you can get from lamictal. we must all be very careful of all the cocktails these docs like to put together. I was taking Keppra 1500 mg. and lamictal at the max dose at the same time and woke up one morning from head to two in a rash (they say it can turn into Johnsons sundrome) be care ful and follow warnings
Dear Mary,
Thank you and good luck to you too. Tomorrow is Samantha's last encounter with Keppra. We do not know what to expect after it is gone and for how long it will take to totally clear from her body.
Best regards,
Joseph
Thank you for the reply and for your advise. I shall watch and get informed about Nerve degeneration. I started reading after I received your reply. On the other hand, we started today to roll back Epilim ( blood tests did not show any damage to the liver). It is uncomfortable period for us. But hopefully, that will eliminate the doubts about the side effects of Keppra first, and if they continue, we shall be prepared to deal with a new situation. I will keep updating. Again thank you for you kind words. Joseph
Hello I have been on Keppra for several years at a 3000mg a day dose.My balance and coordination have changed,for myself the side effects have not really gone away.Dizziness and drowsiness are the major side effects.
I am currently taking dilatin and am in the process of switching to keppra, how did keppra work out for you as apposed to the dilantin?
I don't know a whole lot about Keppra, but I have been taking it for about 9yrs now. It seems to do the trick. I was up to taking 6000mg/day
for a long time prior to my having my Right Temporal Surgery in Oct/07 and now I am only taking 4000/mg. I have no side effects that I can see. I was taking Lamictal along with it up until just recently when we stopped that. As far as my opinion, I couldn't have done without it.
I joined because my daughter has epilepsy. Her seizures were finally controlled when she was put on Keppra. Recently she started having some extreme mood changes...anger screaming etc I was totally freaked out. Called her Nuero after looking at possible side effects and described what was going on . Didnt really want to loose the siezure control. So he started her on Lexipro for the moody problem so far so good. My daughters name is Nikki she is 35 and has had seizures most of her life with a big increase in seizures at puberty onset.
Hi I am 23 and I take keppra I have awful mood swings (my poor family) I also do end up with some "kepprarage" I have heard they give out mood stabilizers, not sure how I feel about adding another med to the cocktail but I am glad its working for your daughter. Congrats to her being seizure free!!!
~*Samantha*~
Hi there,
I've been on keppra for 3 years, I started taking it when it was very much in the trial stage in the U.K. but i know this sounds incredible but once it got bedded in with my other meds (epilim and clobazam) i have never had another seizure again in fact i've got more energy than ever and my memory has improved. Plus as a bonus i get very spaced out trippy dreams which are like an added extra. Sure i still get the bad days depression-wise but i had those before i was even diagnosed, but I've got excellent support staff whenever i need them plus after having only just joined all you guys I feel as though i can help and support others which can only be a good thing.
Are you on Keppra by itself, or with other medication?
Sweetsue
Please read my discussion!
I take Keppra for years, but unfortunately it didn't help me very much. Therefore my neurologist hat to combined it with a different medication, otherwise, I'll get terrible depressions, very moody etc. Take care.
nelly