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Keppra and depression

Wed, 06/10/2009 - 15:08

This topic may already be addressed on this site. If it is, I apologize.  I'm new to epilepsy.com, and have a quick question regarding keppra and antidepressants.

I'm a 23 year old female and have been medicated for epilepsy for about 5 years.  I've been taking keppra for about 2 1/2 years and it has worked wonders for me.  I suffered from nocturnal grand mal seizures and have only had 2 since I began taking keppra.  Since taking keppra I have felt emotionally stunted. Life is bland, and I have no motivation to do or accomplish much of anything.  The longer I'm on the drug, the more I realize that I'm truly missing out on being my "old" self.  I don't want to stop taking keppra because it really has controlled my seizures.  I talked to my neuro about the depression and she offered to refer me to someone for depression/medication/etc. I'm wondering if anyone who takes keppra is also on an antidepressant?  Which one? Has it helped? Etc.  Thanks so much. 

-jenny

Comments

Re: Keppra and depression

Submitted by samiB on Thu, 2009-06-18 - 01:14
HI, I started on Kepra about 12 months ago and I take a massive dose (3000mg) to try to control generalised absence seizures, which it doesn't. And since taking it I have felt awful in myself, becoming a monster to live with, irritable at the best of times and I have absolutely no motivation to do anything. The depression was awful. I have since been seeing a psycholgist for fortnightly sessions as I have been told by my doc that Keppra does not react well to anti-depressants, and I have been told that taking anti-depressants for long periods can worsen the problem anyway and wasn't keen to try it. So things have gotten better, I recently got married and life is looking up. I am going off the Keppra, and I believe what you are all saying!

Re: Keppra and depression--A Warning!

Submitted by ossian3ce on Sun, 2009-07-05 - 15:43
Hoping that this might help either a depression or epilepsy/seizure sufferer I offer the following. I had been on dilantin since I received a head injury from an RPG in Vietnam in 1972.  About a year ago, I was switched from dilantin to Tegretol, with less than perfect success. It is important to note that I have been followed for serious depression as well as PTSD for some ten years, even though I was not on an antidepressant at the time of the following event. I saw a new neurologist at the Albuquerque VA hospital who started me on Keppra. In less than 24 hours following the administration of keppra, I was profoundly, almost hysterically suicidal, and almost didn't make it to the hospital in time to prevent a fatal outcome.  Right now I am still on tegretol at a higher dose until my next neurology visit. I would simply like to warn anyone in treatment for depression and/or severe PTSD to alert their physician/ neurologist  of this possibility from Keppra treatment. From reading the comments here, it is clear at least empirically that there is some kind of connection between Keppra and depression. Good luck to everyone and feel free to email me with further questions at agathon999@live.com.

Re: Keppra and depression

Submitted by sicily726 on Mon, 2009-07-27 - 22:10
Before Keppra came into my life, I had non-stop seizures and no depression.  After Keppra came into my life, Keppra controls my seizures pretty darn good (not 100% but much, much better than any other drug).  But it has caused me debilitating depression.  Neuro thinks the depression is from the seizures; psychologist thinks the depression is from the Keppra.  I dunno what to do.  The depression has gotten so bad at times, I've thought about stopping the Keppra, on purpose, so I'd go into status epilepticus and, hopefully, die from it.  Then, I won't have to deal with any of this anymore.  Since I see the neuro tomorrow a.m., we will see if there is any such thing as seizure control without the side effect of depression.  If not, that's it.  I will be returning to living with non-stop seizures.  At least I was happy then.

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