Keppra and side effects?

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hi i have been an epileptic since i was 9 and I am now 25. I have switched and altered my medicine many times growing up. Currently I am on Onfi 10mg twice a day and Keppra XR 500mg x4. I have not had a grand mal seizure for years but i have been currently now diagnosed with absent seizures in my latest EEG. I am used to being tired all the time and suffer through the headaches caused by keppra. but now my anxiety is out of control and I a get very irritable for no reason at all and also weird joint pain in my knees and lower back. It seems like the side effects are just getting worse and worse now and I feel sick. My doctor suggested I switch the keppra to briviact. i am afraid to make the switch because I've been seizure free for so long. Any advice? thanks :)

Comments

Hi. It sounds there are two

Submitted by Patriotrehab on Sat, 2020-04-18 - 17:26

Hi. It sounds there are two things going on here, both of which apply to the goal of treatment for seizures, which is NO SEIZURES AND NO SIDE EFFECTS. The first issue is that it sounds like you are not actually “seizure free” because the doctor was able to observe you having at least one absence seizure during your last EEG, which suggests that you may be having absence seizures that you are unaware of and that nobody else has observed. That’s was the case for me too the last time I had a video EEG and they captured three in a seven day period. I’ve since found evidence of at least two more in less than a year. So, while you may have been free of the grand mal seizures, it sounds like your doctor is saying that they are not fully controlled. The second issue is the number of side effects that you have with Keppra on a high dose. Those are side effects that I would consider intolerable and it sounds like that’s what your neurologist is saying too. But, only you can make the decision that is best for you, along with the advice of your doctor. As with any adjustments to medication, there are risks to increases to seizures and side effects, so please talk with your doctor about whether you should be driving and any other safety precautions. Every person reacts differently to medication and I don’t have experience with the medication that the doctor is recommending even though I’ve tried many others including Keppra and I’m getting ready to start Onfi.

Hi, Thank you for posting.

Submitted by Anonymous on Mon, 2020-04-20 - 09:31

Hi, Thank you for posting. Gianna has offered some wonderful advice and suggestions in her comment. Treatment and how the body may react to certain medications varies for each individual. We know that some individuals may experience too many side effects, that are very bothersome or cause other health problems. To learn more about the medications you’re taking and things to look for, visit: https://www.epilepsy.com/learn/treating-seizures-and-epilepsy/seizure-and-epilepsy-medicines/side-effects . It’s important that you’re following -up with your healthcare team to explore this further and if you experience any changes in seizure types/ frequency, side effects, symptoms, mood or behaviors, to help determine what individual treatment plan is best for you. Be open and honest about how you all are feeling, and how this is affecting your health and daily life. https://www.epilepsy.com/learn/challenges-epilepsy . Many clinics and offices are now offering telemedicine options for non-emergencies, or routine check-in appointments. Ask your doctor’s if you can schedule a time to talk via phone/ other telemedicine resources you can utilize, or if they can make any additional recommendations for you. You may want to consider keeping a journal or a diary to document how you’re feeling and the symptoms you describe experiencing in detail, (like you’ve done in your post), which will be very helpful to review with your doctors. My Seizure Diary, can be used to organize health issues, track seizures, manage medications, develop seizure response plans, and more, which can be share with your healthcare team: https://www.epilepsy.com/living-epilepsy/epilepsy-foundation-my-seizure-diary . Additionally, you may always contact our 24/7 Helpline, where trained information specialists are available to answer your questions, offer help, hope, support, guidance,and access to national and local resources. 1-800-332-1000, contactus@efa.org. epilepsy.com/helpline , or contact your local Epilepsy Foundation: https://www.epilepsy.com/affiliates

Hi, Thank you for posting. Gianna has offered some wonderful advice and suggestions in her comment. Treatment and how the body may react to certain medications varies for each individual. We know that some individuals may experience too many side effects, that are very bothersome or cause other health problems. To learn more about the medications you’re taking and things to look for, visit: https://www.epilepsy.com/learn/treating-seizures-and-epilepsy/seizure-and-epilepsy-medicines/side-effects . It’s important that you’re following -up with your healthcare team to explore this further and if you experience any changes in seizure types/ frequency, side effects, symptoms, mood or behaviors, to help determine what individual treatment plan is best for you. Be open and honest about how you all are feeling, and how this is affecting your health and daily life. https://www.epilepsy.com/learn/challenges-epilepsy . Many clinics and offices are now offering telemedicine options for non-emergencies, or routine check-in appointments. Ask your doctor’s if you can schedule a time to talk via phone/ other telemedicine resources you can utilize, or if they can make any additional recommendations for you. You may want to consider keeping a journal or a diary to document how you’re feeling and the symptoms you describe experiencing in detail, (like you’ve done in your post), which will be very helpful to review with your doctors. My Seizure Diary, can be used to organize health issues, track seizures, manage medications, develop seizure response plans, and more, which can be share with your healthcare team: https://www.epilepsy.com/living-epilepsy/epilepsy-foundation-my-seizure-diary . Additionally, you may always contact our 24/7 Helpline, where trained information specialists are available to answer your questions, offer help, hope, support, guidance,and access to national and local resources. 1-800-332-1000, contactus@efa.org. epilepsy.com/helpline  , or contact your local Epilepsy Foundation: https://www.epilepsy.com/affiliates

Hi, Thank you for posting. Gianna has offered some wonderful advice and suggestions in her comment. Treatment and how the body may react to certain medications varies for each individual. We know that some individuals may experience too many side effects, that are very bothersome or cause other health problems. To learn more about the medications you’re taking and things to look for, visit: https://www.epilepsy.com/learn/treating-seizures-and-epilepsy/seizure-and-epilepsy-medicines/side-effects . It’s important that you’re following -up with your healthcare team to explore this further and if you experience any changes in seizure types/ frequency, side effects, symptoms, mood or behaviors, to help determine what individual treatment plan is best for you. Be open and honest about how you all are feeling, and how this is affecting your health and daily life. https://www.epilepsy.com/learn/challenges-epilepsy . Many clinics and offices are now offering telemedicine options for non-emergencies, or routine check-in appointments. Ask your doctor’s if you can schedule a time to talk via phone/ other telemedicine resources you can utilize, or if they can make any additional recommendations for you. You may want to consider keeping a journal or a diary to document how you’re feeling and the symptoms you describe experiencing in detail, (like you’ve done in your post), which will be very helpful to review with your doctors. My Seizure Diary, can be used to organize health issues, track seizures, manage medications, develop seizure response plans, and more, which can be share with your healthcare team: https://www.epilepsy.com/living-epilepsy/epilepsy-foundation-my-seizure-diary . Additionally, you may always contact our 24/7 Helpline, where trained information specialists are available to answer your questions, offer help, hope, support, guidance,and access to national and local resources. 1-800-332-1000, contactus@efa.org. epilepsy.com/helpline , or contact your local Epilepsy Foundation: https://www.epilepsy.com/affiliates

I’ve been on Kepra and

Submitted by OldPunk123 on Wed, 2020-05-06 - 21:14

I’ve been on Kepra and Briviact. Kepra made me very anxious and easily agitated. Briviact is a sister drug to Kepra and, for me, gave me very similar results. Also, the Briviact has the side effect of suicidal thoughts and ideation which I did not remember from the Kepra. Gianna said it best that we are always trying to balance No Seizures with No Side Effects. Unfortunately that means we keep trying new things until you find the right match. Good luck on finding your balance and keep in mind that you are not alone. Many of us are going through the same thing.