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How Long to Feel the Side Effects of Keppra?

Thu, 07/24/2008 - 07:57

Topic: Medication Issues

I have been on Keppra 48 hours and I was wondering how long it takes to feel the side effects? I have felt the drowsiness within hours of the first dose. I know the first month is supposed to be the worst. Can anyone tell me when I will feel the side effects at their worst? I have been on Dilantin and know what an idot I became on that drug. Since I have a technical job, I need my brain to function! It seems there are very few "success" stories related to Keppra, as everyone is talking about the side effects. Or perhaps that is simply the nature of fourms and drug reviews - you tend to have users with negative reviews more likely to post than users with little side effects. I am definitely worried about the mood swings and increased depression typically associated with Keppra, so I am hoping it will not hit me hard. I have never had a weight problem, so I am hoping Keppra will not affect me in that way either. I technically do not have epilepsy since I have only had one seizure. Any feedback is greatly appreciated. This is my first post! Don't mind my username - it is a guy from a Three Stooges episode ("Jip The People").

Comments

Re: How Long to Feel the Side Effects of Keppra?

Submitted by vj on Wed, 2008-12-10 - 01:01

I have severe complex partial siezures which I handle with 1500 mg Keppra AM and 1500 PM along with 250 Tomapax AM and PM and Verapimil. I am allergic to Tegretol. It has taken my Doc and I 4 years to get me where my daily seizures are very minor. I have found by adding B12 and Folic Acid I can control the moods and by adding sunshine and daily exercise I can control the emotions. Coffee does wonders (especialy Starbucks) for when I need a pick me up and the caffine helps control the aftermath of the siezure headache. Prior to the Keppra the siezure headache would put me in bed. It is important to take Keppra on a regular schedule and don't skip doses, and give it time and give your body time to work for you.

Re: How Long to Feel the Side Effects of Keppra?

Submitted by 3Hours2Live on Sun, 2008-11-30 - 02:05

discussion/977293 bottom of forum page 11/29/2008 10:55 PM PST I was on Dilantin with Keppra for a couple months. I stopped the Keppra over the emotional side-effects from it, and now from the osteoporosis side-effects from Dilantin I am slowly going off of it too. AEDs have moderated my gran mals fairly well, but not my partial ones. I plan on going back to Keppra intermittently as my only AED. I hope Keppra is fast acting enough to stave off gran mal seizures if I take it at their usually unique aura warning. I've tried various techniques to stop an aura from spreading into complex seizures or from generalizing into a gran mal, such as Pavlovian and operant conditioning, to such simple things as sticking myself with a pin or stomping on my own foot to try to interrupt the "cascading seizures" from spreading (sorta like setting a back fire to stop the main fire); they start as primitive limbic seizures, spread to interfere with my speech, and during these seizures, trying to speak or think in "vocal" words speed their spreading, which then interferes more with my use of words in all modes (i.e., typing, sign language, writing, etc.). Minimizing remote external environmental stimulation otherwise helps, but for me, trying to talk myself out of them hastens their intensity and rate of generalizing. Sorry for being so wordy, but seizures seem like the Second Law of Thermodynamics and Entropy after a spreading surge on the Power Grid. I like hearing any evidence that an impending seizure can be minimized or stopped at the moments of any warning by taking an immediate action, especially an "internal" action like talking one's self out of having one, as this illustrates that many other such techniques should be possible; the main problem is finding the particular one that works for the individual, or if it doesn't exists for him or her. Before starting AEDs, did you have frequent success at stopping smaller seizures?

Re: How Long to Feel the Side Effects of Keppra?

Submitted by TW on Sun, 2008-12-07 - 20:20

I am interested in learning about taking Keppra on an "as needed" and a "just in time" basis. I take Dilantin and still have partials on days that I haven't gotten enough rest or just got tired out from the previous day. I had a TC break through seizure about ten days ago and was put on Keppra as an add on AED...the side effects are very annoying, and I would like to discontinue it (except for days that I need a little extra protection). Anyone heard fo using it this way? Thanks.

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