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Keppra is bad

Mon, 08/03/2009 - 00:19

I've been prescribed 1000mg Keppra to be taken twice daily.

Here are my side effects:

crippling morbid depression, uncontrollable anger and irritability - i have never in my life felt so depressed that i've wanted to kill myself until taking this medication. i've always been pretty upbeat, if a little irritable due to some minor everyday life stress like paying the bills. Now, i need to focus all of my daily attention just to suppress the suicidal thoughts and anger, like i'm a ticking time bomb waiting to explode. My neurologist says it should level off after 4 or5 weeks and then i'll feel "normal". Yeah, as if feeling like i want to die constantly is "normal".

loss of appetite and nausea - i have to force myself to eat because i don't get the urge anymore. if i don't eat, i get headaches from low blood sugar. Before taking the medication, i was a serious foodie, to the point of seriously considering being a chinese restaurant critic. Now, i can't even look at a pb&j sandwich without feeling sick to my stomach. My neurologist says i'm 75 pounds overweight anyway so its good for me to lose some weight. Feh. I'd rather have seizures than lose my love of food.

extreme sleepiness - i'm napping 5-6 hours in the afternoon, as well as sleeping my normal 7-8 hours at night. Tell me how 14 hours of sleep a day can possibly be good for you? My neurologist says not to talk to him about it until i have a sleep study done for sleep apnea. Bogus. I've never needed more than 6-7 hours sleep a night ever in my life until taking this blasted medication.

Those are the 3 major ones. I found that taking a multivitamin with b-supplements helped for about 2 days, then kind of just stopped working.

Anyone else wanna post their Keppra side effects? Maybe after a while, someone will listen.

 

Comments

Re: Keppra is bad

Submitted by EmiliesGrandma on Wed, 2009-11-04 - 12:07

My granddaughter is on Keppra @ 12.5 mls in the am and 12.5 mls in the pm..... she has headaches but did have some depression but she was on 3000 mg a day and reduced it to what she's on today...she is 14 and is diagnosed with atonic-clonic epilepsy since Feb 2009...... they think she is having complex generlized seizures ( whatever that is?) but until her meds are straightened out she lives with depression and did go through a brief suicidal thought period....... It did seem like she had more seizures on the higher doze of Keppra then now......her blood sugar levels have dropped to 25 at one point....... and she is not a caniadate for surgery at this point...she is presently going to Valley Children's in Madera, California but my daughter asked for a referral to take her to UCLA...... I hate this disease and Im doing what I can to understand it....

 

Emilies Grandma

My granddaughter is on Keppra @ 12.5 mls in the am and 12.5 mls in the pm..... she has headaches but did have some depression but she was on 3000 mg a day and reduced it to what she's on today...she is 14 and is diagnosed with atonic-clonic epilepsy since Feb 2009...... they think she is having complex generlized seizures ( whatever that is?) but until her meds are straightened out she lives with depression and did go through a brief suicidal thought period....... It did seem like she had more seizures on the higher doze of Keppra then now......her blood sugar levels have dropped to 25 at one point....... and she is not a caniadate for surgery at this point...she is presently going to Valley Children's in Madera, California but my daughter asked for a referral to take her to UCLA...... I hate this disease and Im doing what I can to understand it....

 

Emilies Grandma

Re: Keppra is bad -Please don't make generalizations

Submitted by deirdre2 on Sun, 2009-11-15 - 22:53

Saying something as general as "Keppra is bad" can be misleading and even frightening for others, when Keppra may be the very drug that

provides seizure control for someone.  I've been on Keppra for over a year, and although  I had side effects, they were managed with dosage adjustments.

 

Please talk to your doctor about your side effects.  If it's bad for you, please just say that,  rather than  making a sweeping judgment.

 It's hard for all of us; let's work together and not scare each other.

 

Thanks,

Ramona

Saying something as general as "Keppra is bad" can be misleading and even frightening for others, when Keppra may be the very drug that

provides seizure control for someone.  I've been on Keppra for over a year, and although  I had side effects, they were managed with dosage adjustments.

 

Please talk to your doctor about your side effects.  If it's bad for you, please just say that,  rather than  making a sweeping judgment.

 It's hard for all of us; let's work together and not scare each other.

 

Thanks,

Ramona

Re: Keppra is bad -Please don't make generalizations

Submitted by Music4me on Sun, 2009-11-15 - 23:50

Hi folks,

I totally agree with Ramona.  Let's not scare each other.  e is hard enough to live with anyway.  I do have issues with my memory, but it has greatly improved since my dose of Keppra was increased.  I struggle with cognition but for the most part it is under control.

I take 1000mg of Keppra 2 X day and 300mg of Lamictal 2 X day.  The Keppra seems to have helped the overwhelming dizziness that I get from the Lamictal.  It's always good to walk in a straight line to your desk.  :) 

Also, I take Super vitamin B complex which is important because the AEDs can lower your vitamin B in your system.   So, be sure to take you vitamins!!

Hang in there everyone!!

Hi folks,

I totally agree with Ramona.  Let's not scare each other.  e is hard enough to live with anyway.  I do have issues with my memory, but it has greatly improved since my dose of Keppra was increased.  I struggle with cognition but for the most part it is under control.

I take 1000mg of Keppra 2 X day and 300mg of Lamictal 2 X day.  The Keppra seems to have helped the overwhelming dizziness that I get from the Lamictal.  It's always good to walk in a straight line to your desk.  :) 

Also, I take Super vitamin B complex which is important because the AEDs can lower your vitamin B in your system.   So, be sure to take you vitamins!!

Hang in there everyone!!

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