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Anyone have this w Keppra?

Sat, 08/22/2015 - 17:51

Topic: Medication Issues

HEY EVERYONE!

Before I start, I dont really have siezures anymore, Ive learned the triggers and take precautions to get to my bed and lay down. I know they can happen if I am irresponsible about drinking and lack of sleep, but after a few experiences in my 20s, luckily I was always at home, I dont play around, since I dont want to lose my license to something under my control.

I take 3000mg keppra a day, and if I miss even a sigle dose I readily know it. Start feeling all tingly and if I dont take it soon I become disoriented, unfocused, confused and my speech slurs, and I basically have to lay down. I always take it, but thats what happens if I miss it. It wears off quickly, and Im not a fan. I keep 24 hours worth on me at all times, in my truck, at work, friends houses etc.

Used to take depakote 2000mg/day and it was like I didnt have epilepsy. Then one day while I was bartending a Neurologist convention (lol go figure) I heard how toxic depakote is to the liver, I knew it wasnt good, which kept me from drinking liqour, only beer...anyway. I asked my neuro to get me off it and here we are, with keppra. I was on Depakote at that dose for 19 years, Ive been on Keppra at this dose for 2.

Supposedly Keppra is safer because its water soluble, but damn it wears off so quickly! Like what if a natural disaster(hurricanes happen in St Pete Fl) strikes and I cant get my meds?! Anyone on Keppra would be a gonner within 24-36 hours.

Sucks to think about right? Anyone ever think about that? Anyway sorry, Ill try to keep focused.

I want a new drug, one that wont wear off so quickly. Depakote took me 2-3 days to notice.. i forgot my meds! Plus if I feel fatiged or stress, keppra seems to make it worse.

Keppra is better overall I believe, I can focus more clearly (unless I forget a dose then its terrifying) but I feeI its harder to get a good night sleep. I find it difficult to go to bed before 12am, and get up before 9am. Ideally Id like to be able to fall asleep at 10 and be up at 6 with out worry. Then I could get a normal person job and get out of the service industry.

Any feedback ANY, would be great. Have a great weekend,

ryan

Comments

Understand that seizure

Submitted by just_joe on Sun, 2015-08-23 - 16:51

Understand that seizure medications are not like aspirin. Meaning they don't go away after a certain time period. You do remember the side effect section on your meds right? Those side effects are primarily during the first 4-6 weeks. While the medication is building up to the therapeutic level your neurologist wants you to have. Now if you miss a dose or are late in taking it those little things happening are not just warnings. Auras are seizures in themselves. You need to check with your neurologist and explain these things to him. He may want to increase your dosage a little so if you are late in taking your meds you don't have these breakthrough seizures. disoriented, unfocused, confused and my speech slurs I take the maximum dosage a day which is 4500. Dosages should be taken at the same time every day and it 2 times a day those times need to be 12 hours apart. You see I know this and keep track of my meds because I don't want breakthrough seizures. I have only been living and dealing with epilepsy for 50+ yearsI hope this helpsJoe

I have been prescribed 3000mg

Submitted by Anonymous on Mon, 2015-08-24 - 18:49

I have been prescribed 3000mg a day for about 5 years now of Keppra and I missed my doses for the first time ever about two weeks ago. I went through very intense withdrawal effects that didn't involve fatigue, but rather intense anxiety. It felt like my heart was going to explode any second. I was also very confused, which is why it took me so long to realize that I had missed my nightly, 1500mg dose. I take mine at 7a.m. and 7.p.m., by midnight I was just about jumping out of my skin. When I finally realized that the only medication that I had missed was Keppra I took it, and within 30 minutes my heart stopped racing, my head stopped pounding and within another ten minutes I was fast asleep. Now I understand very well how Keppra works, as well as you can understand it I guess. I know that it needs to build up in your system, I know why they had to check my Keppra levels while I was first being introduced to it and my doses were being increased. Yet regardless of this information, KEPPRA HAS ACUTE WITHDRAWAL SYMPTOMS. All that I can compare them too is xanax withdrawals. My neurologist told me that these symptoms are basically unheard of, yet I know exactly what I felt and what caused it. Because there is not information released right now about the withdrawals symptoms does not mean that there are none. I have been on a number of other medications for other neurological disorders as soon as the FDA approved them, and trust me the information that comes with the prescription has "evolved" quite a bit over the years. A drug not having withdrawals effects is entirely different from not being told about a drugs withdrawal effects because they aren't able to test for withdrawal side effects the way they can for, say drug interactions.

OMG your story could read

Submitted by Broooke denver on Wed, 2015-09-16 - 12:47

OMG your story could read like mine, but replace Keppra for Lamictal. I even have the same worries as you, I don't live in an area where major hurricanes, earthquakes, tornadoes are likely to hit. I live in Denver, the worst we ever get is a bad snow storm. But when I travel I double check my meds before I leave like 10 times. I always keep at least a couple extra in my glove box and in my purse. I have found that Chlonzapam works really well for me as an add on. I only need to take it when I feel something coming on. So as soon as I lay down, I take 1 and it also has the benefit of making me go to sleep. Lamictal does not have the side effect of keeping me up at night. I think my brain would go nuts. I stress out if I can't sleep and then that makes me not sleep even more! When that happens I take a Chlonzapam - but that's not what it's for because the more you take Chlonzapam the lesser the effects become (I've been on it for almost 8 years now though) My dr. is recommending Omfi for that reason. It's a different type of Chlonzapam but you have to take it every day. I'm not sure how I feel about that - that's for a whole different post. But I would ask my dr. about Chlonzapam if I were you.

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