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Side Effects for Keppra & Can you drink alcohol??

Mon, 02/05/2007 - 02:58
Topic: Medication Issues
Hi, I'm 27 and had two grand mal seizures in the past month. I don't remember anything and am pretty much out cold for 30 min afterwards, and disoriented for the remainder of the day. All my tests have come back negative and my doc has put me on 1500 mg of Keppra a day. It's only been a couple weeks, but I've noticed that I get fatigued much quicker, I've lost my appetite, and my short term memory is shot. Are these the same side effects everyone else has?? Has Keppra worked well for you?? Also, I've read all the medical forms on it and talked to the doc some, but does being on the meds mean that I need to cut out alcohol 100%? I don't really drink a lot, but would occasionally like to still have wine every now and then, but I'm not sure if I should be concerned with any possible interactions. I'd like to hear other's experiences. Thanks.

Comments

Re: Side Effects for Keppra & Can you drink alcohol??

Submitted by SM2007 on Tue, 2008-08-26 - 13:51
My husband has had epilepsy for over a year now and he was told to stop drinking altogher cause drinking with the Keppra could actually kill him. The Dr told him that Keppra can be taken with any meds and not counter the Keppra but the alcohol lowers its effectiveness in could cause him to have a really bad seizure or one right after the other until he dies or goes brain dead.

Re: Side Effects for Keppra & Can you drink alcohol??

Submitted by Lpsm99 on Thu, 2013-07-11 - 12:50
I am 30 and was switched from Depakote to Keppra and Klonopin recently. My Neuro told me to stay totally away from Beer and wine and to limit my use of any other alcohol. I have noticed that having one drink on Keppra makes me feel like I have had about six. I don't drink alot but it was a very odd experience for me. For me the choice to stay away from alcohol is an easy one that being said Alcohol is definatly a trigger for seizures in any form.

Re: Side Effects for Keppra & Can you drink alcohol??

Submitted by debolabon on Wed, 2008-09-10 - 14:51

I am currently taking 1500 mg of Keppra 2x daily and I completely avoid drinking alcohol. I have read and been told by both my neurologist and my neurosurgeon that it can increase some of the side effects, some of which I wouldn't take my chances with, and may also increase the risk of seizures.

 I haven't experienced many adverse reactions to the drug and I've been on it for around 2 months. For the first few weeks, I would get extremely tired aftertaking my dose and felt generally depressed but that wore off as my body adjusted to the medication. One can expect to experience some side effects when starting any new medication of this sort as your body adjusts to the new chemicals that are in it, but it almost always goes away in time.

I am currently taking 1500 mg of Keppra 2x daily and I completely avoid drinking alcohol. I have read and been told by both my neurologist and my neurosurgeon that it can increase some of the side effects, some of which I wouldn't take my chances with, and may also increase the risk of seizures.

 I haven't experienced many adverse reactions to the drug and I've been on it for around 2 months. For the first few weeks, I would get extremely tired aftertaking my dose and felt generally depressed but that wore off as my body adjusted to the medication. One can expect to experience some side effects when starting any new medication of this sort as your body adjusts to the new chemicals that are in it, but it almost always goes away in time.

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