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.
Keppra
Sun, 01/02/2011 - 11:15Comments
Re: Keppra
Submitted by Chels09 on Sun, 2011-01-02 - 13:37
Re: Keppra
Submitted by Spike. on Sun, 2011-01-02 - 14:43
Well, if you have been prescribed to take 250 mg of Keppra twice a day, then maybe that's what you need to be doing. When a person with epilepsy has been prescribed to take their antiepileptic medication, that was prescribed by their doctor, then you take the medication however many times per day, each and every day. It's not a, "oh, I'll take the medication whenever I feel like it"; or, "I'll take the medication whenever I feel like I'm having seizures." If unless the doctor makes the prescription differently, the person is supposed to be taking the medication day by day, in order to maintain a steady balance of the medication inside the bloodstream. The highest dosage amount that is going to be inside the bloodstream is going to be roughly around 30 min. to an hour after the person has taken their medication. And the lowest dosage amount inside the bloodstream is roughly going to be shortly prior to when the person takes their next dosage amount of medication. For example, with you being prescribed to take 250 mg of Keppra twice a day, this would mean you should be taking your medication every 12 hours. So if you take your first daily dose at roughly 8 AM in the morning, the highest dosage amount that has been absorbed into the bloodstream should be within one hour after you took that 8 AM dosage. Then, at roughly 8 PM in the evening, you should be taking your next daily dosage amount of medication. And again, the highest dosage amount that has been absorbed into the bloodstream should be within one hour after you took that 8 PM dosage.
When treating seizure activity by antiepileptic medication, the person is trying to "Maintain" a steady flow of medication inside the bloodstream.
Here's something else that the person needs to focus their attention on. If it appears that the person is experiencing side effects from the medication, then the question is: "When are those side effects taking place?" If the side effects appear to be occurring at some point after the person has taken the next daily dosage amount of medication, then that might be an indication that the person is taking too high of a dosage amount. Next is if the person is experiencing additional seizures; "When are those seizures taking place?" If the seizures appear to be occurring at some point before the person is due to be taking their next dosage amount of medication, then that might mean that the person does not have enough medication still in their bloodstream in order to control their seizure activity. Now, if the side effects are taking place shortly after the person has taken the next dosage amount of medication; And, if seizure activity is taking place before the person is due to be taking their next dosage amount of medication, then that could be a sign that the doctor needs to make an adjustment with the prescription, by increasing how many times the patient is to be taking their medication per day. For example, if the person is taking 250 mg of Keppra twice a day, if side effects are occurring after the medication has been taken and if seizure activity is occurring prior to when the person is due to take the next dosage amount of medication, then the doctor should make an adjustment by not only lowering the dosage amount of medication, but also prescribing the patient to take the medication three times a day.
Yes, there's a whole lot more detail involving treating seizure activity by medication, that doctors are supposed to be explaining to their patients. But there's no guarantee this will always happen. Sometimes talking to a doctor might be somewhat the same as if you're talking to the wall.
Bruce (I'm not a doctor, but instead, an epilepsy support group leader, epilepsy advocate, who has epilepsy.)
Well, if you have been prescribed to take 250 mg of Keppra twice a day, then maybe that's what you need to be doing. When a person with epilepsy has been prescribed to take their antiepileptic medication, that was prescribed by their doctor, then you take the medication however many times per day, each and every day. It's not a, "oh, I'll take the medication whenever I feel like it"; or, "I'll take the medication whenever I feel like I'm having seizures." If unless the doctor makes the prescription differently, the person is supposed to be taking the medication day by day, in order to maintain a steady balance of the medication inside the bloodstream. The highest dosage amount that is going to be inside the bloodstream is going to be roughly around 30 min. to an hour after the person has taken their medication. And the lowest dosage amount inside the bloodstream is roughly going to be shortly prior to when the person takes their next dosage amount of medication. For example, with you being prescribed to take 250 mg of Keppra twice a day, this would mean you should be taking your medication every 12 hours. So if you take your first daily dose at roughly 8 AM in the morning, the highest dosage amount that has been absorbed into the bloodstream should be within one hour after you took that 8 AM dosage. Then, at roughly 8 PM in the evening, you should be taking your next daily dosage amount of medication. And again, the highest dosage amount that has been absorbed into the bloodstream should be within one hour after you took that 8 PM dosage.
When treating seizure activity by antiepileptic medication, the person is trying to "Maintain" a steady flow of medication inside the bloodstream.
Here's something else that the person needs to focus their attention on. If it appears that the person is experiencing side effects from the medication, then the question is: "When are those side effects taking place?" If the side effects appear to be occurring at some point after the person has taken the next daily dosage amount of medication, then that might be an indication that the person is taking too high of a dosage amount. Next is if the person is experiencing additional seizures; "When are those seizures taking place?" If the seizures appear to be occurring at some point before the person is due to be taking their next dosage amount of medication, then that might mean that the person does not have enough medication still in their bloodstream in order to control their seizure activity. Now, if the side effects are taking place shortly after the person has taken the next dosage amount of medication; And, if seizure activity is taking place before the person is due to be taking their next dosage amount of medication, then that could be a sign that the doctor needs to make an adjustment with the prescription, by increasing how many times the patient is to be taking their medication per day. For example, if the person is taking 250 mg of Keppra twice a day, if side effects are occurring after the medication has been taken and if seizure activity is occurring prior to when the person is due to take the next dosage amount of medication, then the doctor should make an adjustment by not only lowering the dosage amount of medication, but also prescribing the patient to take the medication three times a day.
Yes, there's a whole lot more detail involving treating seizure activity by medication, that doctors are supposed to be explaining to their patients. But there's no guarantee this will always happen. Sometimes talking to a doctor might be somewhat the same as if you're talking to the wall.
Bruce (I'm not a doctor, but instead, an epilepsy support group leader, epilepsy advocate, who has epilepsy.)
Re: Keppra
Submitted by David Brown on Sun, 2011-01-02 - 13:27
I took Keppra for a little while, it made me very moody also to say the least, and my Doctors took me off of them immediately. I was also a little dizzy by time to take meds or if I was a little late. I am now on Depakote ER, Zonegran, Trilepital