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My wife and personality change

Sat, 03/05/2016 - 02:13
My wife has had a car accident when she was 2 years of age. She suffered brain damage and als was in a coma for about 14 days. Now she is 45. I live with her 20 years now and in the beginning of my relationship with her i noticed that she suffered minor seizures when she was tensr or stressed. It were sz of about 1 or 2 sec. She took very little medication occasionally for it. Only if she had to do some stressfull thing, like talking in public. I dont know the name of the medication, but it helped her for those couple of hours. She lived a normal and happy live all those years, until about 5 years ago. In a stressed situation at home (tired and doing something stressfull (filling in papers)) she got a big attack/sz. It was her first and only big attack/sz ever. She had to go to hospital for 1 night, and it seems she recovered fully after it. She was put on depakinr after it. That seems to work for her. Untill about 15months ago. She suffered some annoying side-affects of the depakine so she asked her doctor for other medication. Her doc asked her to do some brainresearch so he can prescribe the right dosis of new medication. This research of my wifes brain showed that she suffers now every 7 minutes minor seizures, and there is a huge possibilitt she will get an big attack/sz again if not on good medication. My wife told me this was more confronting her then when she heard she was diagnosed with cancer some years ago (fully recovered). Her doc prescribed levetiracetam also known as Keppra because it should have less side-effects. After starting taking Keppra i recognised (as her husband (very close to her)) a change of her personality. Soon after taking Keppra she was full of rage against me. Sometimes out of the blue she was extremely angry at me. Simple discussions where/are difficult. She even threw a glass of wine against the wall out of sudden rage. I mentioned then to her that i didnt see herself anymore. She is since then blaming me of all our relation-problems. Broke up our marriage several times (in words). She says she was not taken serious and respected for years, even not worth living perhaps etc etc. At the same time, i was suffering a minor burn-out and ended loosing my job around that period. All the years before all this happened, i tried to be a loving and caring husband. As i still try now. In an effort of knowing what was going on in her mind, i started some research about keppra etc. When she found out i was doing that she was so angry at me......she felt disrespected etc. In an attempt to try to control our situation i asked her if i could see her doctor. She agreed after long argeuing, and under protest. Finally: no less keppra because her rage could also be out of relationship-problems. This was leaving me desperate. In the months on my wife suffered some more side-effects like being very tense, depressed feelings, very tired, easily aggitated (towards me especially, and not the kids), crying very easily. After a discussion with her doctor she started taking less keppra. Then after a while she told me she felt less tense overall and agreed slowly it could be the Keppra. In the meanwhile our marriage is nearly over, because she found another guy who understands her MUCH better and she fell in love with him. She cheated on me twice with him. This is something she would never ever do, being herself. She even agrees on that and says she cant explain why she does it, because she hates people who do those things (she even wrote this down to me). But nearly all of our relationship problems she blames on me. I still tryaronstayystrongybecauseecasee a kind of personality change since she started taking Keppra. Since ently i nearly command her to stop the Keppra right away (knowing it is a difficult way to change medication again). She agreed to it and is trying to talk to her doctor now to take het of Keppra. Does anyone recognise her behaviour in relation to epilepsy, seizures or keppra / levetiracetam? Or could it just be me who is getting crazy?

Comments

Sorry to read what you and

Submitted by just_joe on Sat, 2016-03-05 - 11:25
Sorry to read what you and she have gone thru. Keppra is one of the best medicatin for almost all types of seizures. I know I have been using it since a few years before the generic came out. People have had side effects with keppra. At times keppra the people changed the name to "Kepprage" and yes they did have problems and rage was one of them. If yo ureally want to show her that then go to google and type in Kepprage . I have been in drug studies because I want newer medication with fewer side effects to help control peoples seizures. So I know people have side effects. The number of people that get those side effects are 5-8% with most side effects and some side effects may be 12%. SO she might be one of the 5-8% that has the side effect. There are other medications and yes she may get one that controls her seizures with no side effects. But then all medications have side effects. I have used almost every medication on the list. Yes I have had a couple of side effects but I stopped taking the medication and 2 weeks later I was taking the same medication at a lower dosage. I think it could be the keppra. or the generic.

Most seizure medications have

Submitted by just_joe on Mon, 2016-03-07 - 10:56
Most seizure medications have side effects and yes they can all have effects on the person taking them. I have been living and dealing with epilepsy for 50+ years. Is all that time I only had 1 medication that gave me problems. It was the first medication and I was taken of of it for 1=2 weeks and the dosage was lowered and I went back on it and did fine for 35 years. The second time was because I had gotten toxic on it. I hope she gets a medication that controls her seizures and things get right with the 2 of you again. Having a partner that watches you and really cares makes things better.  I know we have been together since 72.  We watch out for each other. So come back and let us know how things went.Joe

SebasThere are other

Submitted by just_joe on Thu, 2016-03-10 - 12:41
SebasThere are other medications out there and yes the newer meds have been created with fewer side effects. I do know that some have caused me to hit the wall with people and I learned  to deal with issued differently. When I get upset i tend to go find something to tear apart. Or rip a wall down. Then rebuild it. I got upset with my step father and his talking about my taking my pills and I proved I had taken them but he kept going on. He has stated we needed to overhaul Moms car. Well rather then set there. I went out and came in about an hour later with a list of parts needed to fix her car. He said "lets get in her car and we'll go get them" I informed him he would need to use his truck. II had started taking the motor apart. which is why I knew which parts were needed. Never piss off a teen aged kid that loves fixing things.Sebas please come back and let us know how things are going. It might be good to go to her neurologist with her since the neurologist can glean information from you too.Joe

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