Taking Generic Levetiracetam (Keppra?)

Re: Taking Generic Levetiracetam (Keppra?)

Submitted by 3Hours2Live on Wed, 2011-05-11 - 19:17

Hi Jrega67844, I was put back on AEDs after a frontal subdural hematoma from clusters of secondarily generalized tonic-clonic seizures. Generic Dilantin stopped the tonic-clonics when my blood levels for it remained stable, but each different batch of the generic with a refill prescription greatly fluctuated in bio-availability and potency. My blood levels for the AED would drop to very low levels, with returning tonic-clonics, or my blood levels would reach extremely toxic levels, every time my prescription was refilled from a different batch of generic Dilantin. My neurosurgeon's advice to my Medicaid providers and the State went unheaded until numerous 20 mile long ambulance trips to the closest ER mounted in enough expenses that the State Medicaid finally decided that saving pennies at the cost of dollars and threats to my health and life, was not viable in the longer-term. I was switched to regular brand-name Keppra because of bone-loss becoming a concern even with brand-name Dilantin, and again, the Medicaid pharmacy and the State of California tried to substitute the generic levetiracetam when it became available (one doctor suggested that I should just switch to Keppra-ER, that didn't have a generic version available, but I utilized regular Keppra's quick 30 minute action to preclude tonic-clonics whenever I experienced the aura warning of impending clusters). Many states have joined California in a federal court case involving federal programs and insurances, and that loop-holed case is to be heard sometime around October 2011 by the U S Supreme Court. I've sought action through elected representsatives, but they most always return form letters that at best cite "Think-Tank" reports about the great money saving possible with generics (and a few token cases that supposedly makes everything just rosy when generics "very rarely" fail in the money chasing game of USA medical care Russian Roulette). For now, California Medicaid will provide Keppra, with "established" medical need, and the pharmacist and the State backed off on their pushing generics, when after they told me I could just do without any AEDs if I kept demanding luxury Keppra, I slightly hinted of possible ADA initial "administrative remedies" for discriminatory denial of services based on my disabilities. Every slight technicality then became a major excuse for the providers and the State to make things most inconvenient, till I obtained the ADA forms. The next problem is, is that new rumours on pharmacy internet sites are citing the possibility that California is going to remove Keppra from the "official list" for the entire state. One of the more frequent think-tank overflows involves Alex Brill, and it often returns from a Google search of "Brill Keppra Medicaid". Each time I restart Keppra, the short-term side-effects are different, but luckily for me, the "Keppra-Rage" tendency was totally absent on my second start with a very slow titration. If the "restart" phenomena are like some other major drug classes, sometimes the best beneficial effects do not return after continuity is disrupted. Good luck, and I hope everything works out well for you and your wife with Keppra and with all the health care plan providers. Tadzio