Place Your Advertisement Here. All ad revenues support the mission of the Epilepsy Therapy Project.
 

Welcome to the redesigned epilepsy.com

It is now easier and faster than ever to access news, articles and community content. With less clutter and an improved navigation system, your favorite content is now only a click away.

The new features include:

  • Streamlined design with less clutter to promote important content and sections
  • New slider masthead
  • New horizontal menu across the site to ease top level navigation
  • Re-designed content pages that are easier to navigate
  • Overall new, fresh look!

Place Your Advertisement Here

Take control of your epilepsy and seizures. Seizure management has never been easier.

TAKE CONTROL TODAY

Sign up for our Newsletter!



RandR
RandR

Anyone transitioning to Keppra from Trileptal (both generic) after an unexplained breakthrough seizure?

Is there anyone else who has transitioned to Keppra (generic: levetiracetam) from Trileptal (generic: oxcarbazepine)? Any tips or insights to share?

First day is today. For two weeks will take one 500mg tablet of levetiracetam with my regular oxcarbazepine doses of 600mg at lunch and at bedtime. Then after two weeks, the levetiracetam dose will go up to 1000mg (two tablets) at lunch and at bedtime. If this works, the plan is to stop taking oxcarbazepine. 

Neuro suggested this because of a breakthrough seizure a week ago when waking up in bed, even though all oxcarbazepine meds were taken properly and blood work showed that med levels should have been therapeutic.

History: Male, age 39, first seizure at age 30 in early 2001, took Dilantin until around 2004 when displeased with side effects and switched neuros, but no new seizures. New neuro prescribed name brand Trileptal which had fewer side effects. Took that from 2004 on, no new seizures, and mail order pharmacy switched to generic oxcarbazepine approximately 2006 or 2007, continued with oxcarbazepine with no new seizures or side effects. This 2009 calendar year: two seizures from forgetting to take nightime dose of oxcarbazepine that occurred in morning of next day, but these were attributed to failure to take medication. The breakthrough seizure last week had no explanation because medication was taken properly, so neuro determined the medication was no longer appropriate as a solution to prevent seizures.  Keppra (generic: levetiracetam) is the first new medication neuro is recommending to try. 

 

By RandR at Thu, 10/29/2009 - 9:09am | 30 views | 2 comments

Recent Comments on this Discussion

My daughter was put on Keppra Nov 5. The pharmacy dispensed generic. After one week, she was tired all the time but couldn't go to sleep at night, lost her appetite, headaches, basically not functioning as a 17 yr old should (lost two weeks of school). After one month, the doctor switched her to Lamactil. We are still slowly working up to the therapeutic level. She has had one seizure and shakes after one day without the Keppra and Lamactil together. Doctor wants to wait a few more days to see what happens :(

msacco...

I wasn't using generic, but made the same transition. Trileptal did not work at all for me, but Keppra XR has been amazing.  Not one seizure since I've been on it and it's been over 6 months now. I used to have them about weekly. I've not had any side affects, my Dr. didn't want to do generic because he's had issues with it, so we stuck to the name brand.

keiden612