KEPPRA TOXICITY

CDC funded page

Not a CDC funded Page

A week ago yesterday, April 16th, my daughter started having symptoms of a toxic level to Keppra, the anti-seizure medication she was taking. She said she had been very tired for a couple of weeks. Her dose was 1000mg twide daily. She said she felt lightheaded & dizzy. She said she was having trouble processing information---like she was "high". That next morning she had a Keppra level drawn. Keppra was decreasd to 500 twice daily. By the next day she was having trouble speaking: slurred speech, speech arrest & stuttering with unsteady gait. At that point she went to the ER. She had a CT of her brain which was normal. She was admitted to the hosp. She had an EEG which was abnormal. She had a MRI of the Brain & an MRA, both which were normal. On 4-20 Keppra came back > 150. (Normal is 20-30). Last Keppra level was 3-24-07 & it was 48. The doctors there have never seen a Keppra level this high. Is it possible to network & see how long it will take the Keppra to leave her body? She has to walk with a walker. Her legs are too weak to support her without the walker. Her speech remains impaired with speech arrest & stuttering, plus it is very slow. ANYONE EVER HEARD OF SUCH A HIGH LEVEL??? Any treatment???

Comments

I am 27 years old and was put

Submitted by Mzmlee4208 on Sun, 2017-06-11 - 17:47

I am 27 years old and was put on Keppra in April of 2017. I take 750mg orange pill 2x's a day (1500mg) for late onset seizures and bipolar disorder. I recently started experiencing seizures and was hospitalized when the doctors started me on Keppra. It made me forgetful, tired, sad, and my muscles were extremely weak. I held my nephew and he bumped my elbow lightly and I bruised terribly. I feel like I'm moving through mud and I've had 3seizures while taking it. I tried to ween myself off by dropping to just 750mgs a day but I've become incredibly shaky with no appetitie. This medication terrifies me and no one is listening. They say if I take it long enough Keppra will build in my system and I won't experience anymore seizures, but I'm afraid I'll be a shell of my former self by the time that happens.

Re: KEPPRA TOXICITY

Submitted by kerry3k on Wed, 2009-05-13 - 15:31

My 17yo son has been having gross motor issues since his keppra dose was increased 3 wks ago. He has been slowly having trouble walking, cannot get up from the floor, trouble going up stairs, getting into the van, on the bus, carrying his backpack. He is getting weaker every day. We went to Children's Hospital ER 2nights ago where they did labs and a ct of his head all of which are relatively normal for him, no changes. The keppra level was not back yet yesterday at noon. He was discharged from the ER. He has a 48 hr EEG scheduled on Fri and a MRI of his head to be scheduled. He is walking "like an old man" and weak. Not wanting to do anything... he is unable to run now.

After reading this post I stopped his keppra last night. He is still on tegretol and was put on the keppra a year ago to help see if this addition would make him seizure free. He usually has about 1 seizure a year. The keppra has also affected his behavior in a negative way.

At this point I feel like he can have his 1 seizure a year if this allows him to have his motor control back.

His keppra level is 23 which is normal. I am still holding the keppra and waiting to see if his symptoms improve over time.

My 17yo son has been having gross motor issues since his keppra dose was increased 3 wks ago. He has been slowly having trouble walking, cannot get up from the floor, trouble going up stairs, getting into the van, on the bus, carrying his backpack. He is getting weaker every day. We went to Children's Hospital ER 2nights ago where they did labs and a ct of his head all of which are relatively normal for him, no changes. The keppra level was not back yet yesterday at noon. He was discharged from the ER. He has a 48 hr EEG scheduled on Fri and a MRI of his head to be scheduled. He is walking "like an old man" and weak. Not wanting to do anything... he is unable to run now.