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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.

New to epilepsy

Wed, 04/05/2017 - 07:29
My 5mos old has been diagnosed today with epilepsy. His doctors have him on Keppra. Is it normal for him to have jerky movements still? I am sorry if this seems like a dumb question but I am wanting to educate myself as much as possible.

Comments

epilepsy meds are not like

Submitted by Amy Jo on Wed, 2017-04-05 - 16:41
epilepsy meds are not like antibiotics where they start one at the correct dose and that's pretty much it. epilepsy meds are started low and increased until a controlling dose is found, the side effects are not tolerable or the dose is just too high. for each drug there is a therapeutic range that a large number of people respond to but some people need less, need more, or don't respond well to the drug. so you need to call your doc's office and keep them in the loop, they can ask you to switch to a higher dose over the phone. if there are any other concerns (an increase in seizures, new problems or ongoing bad side effects), call them. if one needs to switch drugs, they often increase the new drug to a point before reducing the older drug. abruptly stopping or starting an epilepsy drug at too high a dose can cause a variety of problems (including seizures) so these meds need to be used carefully.

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