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Keppra
Wed, 10/05/2005 - 13:05Topic: Medication Issues
Does anybody take Keppra on its own to control Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy? I thought it was just an add on and it does not seem to be working totally.
Comments
Re: Keppra
Submitted by natalya on Wed, 2006-04-26 - 13:57
Lyn,
I have primary generalized epilepsy with tonic-clonic seizures and I was on Depakote for many years and didn't have seizures for at least 5 years. This february I switched medication to Keppra. I was always on monotherapy and my doctor put me on Keppra monotherapy. On the day four without the Depakote and being on the 1000 of keppra I had my seizure! Then doctor increased my Keppra to 2000 immediately. Now I don't have seizures anymore but the side effects of Keppra is too much for me. I am going back to Depakote. I have to! My life in the last few months was like a nightmare! My personal opinion that Keppra is not working for my type of epilepsy!
Natalya.
Lyn and Natalya, I also have
Submitted by HeatherOverton on Wed, 2006-04-26 - 16:26
Lyn and Natalya,
I also have generalized epilepsy and tonic clonic seizures. I was once put on Depakote and gained 60 lbs in 2 months which devastated me as a teen. I took myself off of it, I know you aren't supposed to do that now that I am older, but the side affects from that drug was too much. After trying every pill on the market I ended up being put on 5 different ones and the last one that I was put on was Keppra. After about a month of being on Keppra my seizures stopped completly and I will be seizure free for 3 years this June.
Epilepsy affects all of us differently and the right formula of drugs for each individual is completly different from another even though they may have the same type of seizures. What the secret is to being seizure free is having an incredible epileptologist. I cannot stress that enough. The right Epilepsy Center is critical into any patients care.
Re: Had a similar E history . .
Submitted by andy m on Wed, 2006-04-12 - 05:58
Hi there, I've been on Keppra since it was first really introduced in the U.K. just over 3 years ago. I was very desperate as my seizures were increasingly getting worse due to chopping and changing meds over the years. I've been a guinea pig for just about every med in the U.K. used in the last 25 years. I was given a shot at it and took a chance. I'm on 2000mg a day in conjunction with epilim (2000mg a day) and clobazam (20mg) a day. These are max doses on keppra and epilim but while it should be enough to knock an elephant out, if anything my energy levels are up (even though i work nights) and my memory seems to be getting better. It used to be like Swiss cheese - lots of holes not much substance. Having said all this as everyone seems to have realised with meds its just trying to find the right one or combination that does the trick for you. Its quite often unfortunately trial and error. Hope some of this helps.