Community Forum Archive
The Epilepsy Community Forums are closed, and the information is archived. The content in this section may not be current or apply to all situations. In addition, forum questions and responses include information and content that has been generated by epilepsy community members. This content is not moderated. The information on these pages should not be substituted for medical advice from a healthcare provider. Experiences with epilepsy can vary greatly on an individual basis. Please contact your doctor or medical team if you have any questions about your situation. For more information, learn about epilepsy or visit our resources section.
Medication change
Mon, 05/01/2017 - 23:29Topic: Medication Issues
Hi Everyone,
I need a little help, and don't know where to get a straight answer. Here goes. On Jan 25, 2017 had 2 seizurers back to back. Went to hospital sent home 4 days later on Keppra. I have not had anymore seizurers. I had bad side effects, they changed to keppra er. I also take Gabapentin That helped but I am tired and no energy at all, cry more, skin itches. I use to have tons of energy. I had eeg on Monday I went to doctor today. I have something in left frontal lobe He said I have activity still on eeg. I talked to him about how I felt on medicine. He said we can change but we had to continue keppra, add new one, see how that goes and in 5 to 7 weeks start decreasing the keppra er. I have tried researching changing medications and it sounds like it's better to suck up the side effects and stay on keppra er then to start trying to switch. I take B6 and B complex. Can I take 2 b complex since I read that it helps with side effects? I would naturally rather not have any more seizures. It scared me and I try and talk to my family and they do not undersstand. Is it better to just try and deal with side effects and stay on the keppra er? I was on the gabapentin for years for my leg pains little did I know I would have seizurers Please help I read that its better to reach out because everyone here understands. My family is trying they are just adjusting like I am
Thank you all in advance I appreciate your time ad answers so much. I'm 59 and been in great health till Sept 2016. Had pains in my right leg no big deal just took gabapentin but so so much stress for 2 yrs that I ended up with a stent. Doctor said I should have died but apparently I'm here for a reason. Then Jan 2017 the seizure. I'm at a loss , scared and not use to being sick and taking a lot of medicine. Now after all the reading I'm not so sure about switching, since I haven't had any more seizures. Should I leave well enough alone and just take extra b complex
The continuing medication A,
Submitted by Amy Jo on Tue, 2017-05-02 - 12:53
The continuing medication A, adding medication B and increasing B to a therapeutic level and then decreasing medication A is how one usually changes seizure medications. Where one is having a life threatening reaction, one gets off suddenly and that can trigger (sometime serious) seizures. So do try a B complex (B6 is what our doc wanted taken with keppra). However the treatment goal is seizure control with few side effects on one medication where possible and sometimes one do decide to switch. I have never been so happy to get off a drug as when we got our child off keppra since her reaction was very poor. Talk to your doc about what the side effects are because if they indicate you have some kind of hypersensitivity to the drug, you would really want to get off it.I'm not sure what the gabapentin comment is about - that didn't cause your seizures although many seizure medications have seizures as a possible side effect and note that the restless leg treatment is off label for gabapentin but it is a seizure medication but the doses for treating seizures are much higher than you were taking.