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Switching to Keppra - your experiences??

Thu, 09/05/2013 - 19:48
Hello fellow Epi's ..... I'm here seeking stories, experiences, and advice. When I was 16 I started getting myoclonic jerks. This brought me to the Doc, and I was diagnosed with epilepsy. I'm on 1000mg Depakote p/day & Tranxene too (take as needed). These have been kinda working for me, however, I'm turning 27 this month... After being on Tranxene for the past 10 years I've built up quite a tolerance. 1-2 used to do the trick (stop myoclonic sensations and generalized seizures) , now, I'm up to 8-10 a day!!! and suffering more than ever! Recently, I had 3 seizures pretty close together... in fact, one was only yesterday. I'm also constantly tired and I have been suffering problems in keeping erections. I've decided it's time for a change - I'm looking into Keppra , and I was wondering if you guy's could help me with any advice, stories, experiences, etc.... Thanks in advance!! - E.T. "When going through hell.... Keep on going!!" - Winston Churchill

Comments

Re: Switching to Keppra - your experiences??

Submitted by mykidzrkute on Tue, 2013-09-17 - 11:54
I was diagnosed with sleep induced clonic tonics almost 5 years ago and Keppra was the first med I was ever on. I did have some problems in the beginning with irritability and I found that was a common side effect of the drug keppra. Well after a few months an extended release came out and I started on that and that took care of most of my anxiety.....it was great!! Then my husband got out of the military and I could no longer afford the xr's because a generic wasn't yet available. I tried a couple meds after that and continued to periodically suffer from seizures until the beginning of this year when a generic was released and once again I was able to start keppra again and I've been happy and seizure free ever since! Granted i'm on a pretty high dose and my anxiety does elevate from time to time but it's easier for me to contain a stressful situation or panic attack then to spend a week recooperating from a damn series of seizures! I love it and I'm glad i'm on it. So many seizure meds today work so well, and are so new, that the medical community can't even tell you yet why or how a lot of them work, they just know they work! I'm on keppra and tompomax for partials right now and my physician has no idea how they stop seizures, they just do. My point is that there are so many new meds that so much info is yet to be discovered. My mother has suffered from clonic tonics since she was 8 and was on phenobarbital most of her life and began having issues with tolerance of the drug as well. I feel like medicine moves so quickly and so often in positive manner than it was worth it to me when it came time to possibly switch my meds up. The thing I love about my Keppra is any depression my lyrica caused is now gone.....in fact I didn't realize how miserable I had been until coming off the lyrica. I have more energy and I feel like my mind is clearer than it has been in a few years and i'mvery greatful for this. SOmetimes your body just needs a giant kick in its butt to move I a different direction!

Re: Switching to Keppra - your experiences??

Submitted by weeangel8 on Wed, 2013-09-18 - 13:02

I've been on the leviteracitam since 2008 and also some oxcarbamezapine.  They're controlling my seizures completely.  I haven't had a seizure since March 2008.  The leviteracitam does cause moodiness/irritability, with female hormones, I think it makes it worse.  My neurologist works with my epileptologist from MN to help with that effect.  I was told to take a B complex vitamin and that would help offset the irritability, so I wouldn't bite someone's head off for nothing.  I has lessened that effect for me.

I had tried many of the medications that had been available up until 2008 such as dilantin, lamictal, neurontin, tegretol, and two others, which I can't remember right now.  All of them controlled the tonic/clonic, but I was still having the simple partials and complex partial seizures.  Some of these medications caused bad effects for me, like severe skin rashes, one wiped out my white blood cells, I was told to completely stop that medication (tegretol).  Usually I'm weaned off carefully, while slowing starting the new one.

I'm trying to get answers right now concerning the leveteracitam, if it had anything to do with the thyroid abnormalities I've been diagnosed with.  I read a study recently conerning that.  The medication for hypothyroidism can effect the oxcarb I take, so I'm being cautious right now.  My general doctor, neurologist, and epileptolgoist have to communicate with each other. 

I've been on the leviteracitam since 2008 and also some oxcarbamezapine.  They're controlling my seizures completely.  I haven't had a seizure since March 2008.  The leviteracitam does cause moodiness/irritability, with female hormones, I think it makes it worse.  My neurologist works with my epileptologist from MN to help with that effect.  I was told to take a B complex vitamin and that would help offset the irritability, so I wouldn't bite someone's head off for nothing.  I has lessened that effect for me.

I had tried many of the medications that had been available up until 2008 such as dilantin, lamictal, neurontin, tegretol, and two others, which I can't remember right now.  All of them controlled the tonic/clonic, but I was still having the simple partials and complex partial seizures.  Some of these medications caused bad effects for me, like severe skin rashes, one wiped out my white blood cells, I was told to completely stop that medication (tegretol).  Usually I'm weaned off carefully, while slowing starting the new one.

I'm trying to get answers right now concerning the leveteracitam, if it had anything to do with the thyroid abnormalities I've been diagnosed with.  I read a study recently conerning that.  The medication for hypothyroidism can effect the oxcarb I take, so I'm being cautious right now.  My general doctor, neurologist, and epileptolgoist have to communicate with each other. 

Re: Switching to Keppra - your experiences??

Submitted by Rainbowchiclet on Fri, 2013-10-18 - 19:07

I was on Keppra quite a while ago, the physical side effects were minimal but like many have said it can cause extreme depression and uncommonly make you very irritable and angry (infamous keppra rage). Though the side effects can be a nuicence my best experience has been with keppra out of the 3 med's I have tried, with the only reason I stopped taking it being that it wasn't the medication for my type of seizures and stopped working after 1.5-2 years.

 

PS: Nice Winston Churchhill quote, he's one of my favorite quoters only second to Albert Einstein :p.

I was on Keppra quite a while ago, the physical side effects were minimal but like many have said it can cause extreme depression and uncommonly make you very irritable and angry (infamous keppra rage). Though the side effects can be a nuicence my best experience has been with keppra out of the 3 med's I have tried, with the only reason I stopped taking it being that it wasn't the medication for my type of seizures and stopped working after 1.5-2 years.

 

PS: Nice Winston Churchhill quote, he's one of my favorite quoters only second to Albert Einstein :p.

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