Keppra vs Aptiom

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I started Keppra a week ago. The first day I took 500mg twice and slept all day. The next day I started with 500mg and cried for hours. That evening I cut the pills in half and started taking 250mg twice a day. This has been better emotionally though I seem to be bruising more easily and losing hair (just shedding more really). I've read this may just be an issue initially so I'd like to keep taking the 250mg twice a day for now to see how it goes. After seeing my neurologist he was very dismissive of the keppra saying 500mg a day doesn't do anything and gave me samples of aptiom to try. The problem is aptiom is $930/month and I don't have proper insurance. Also, the side effects I've been reading about scare me. I don't know what to do so I'm wondering if there is anyone out there on 500mg of keppra a day that can tell me if it is effective for them and how long it took to adjust. Dilantin has caused me to have more issues and topamax made me try to jump out my window. I seem to be sensitive to side effects and would like to take the lowest dosage possible. Brief history, I was seizure free and medication free for 12 years and suddenly started having grand mal seizures again. During both periods of seizures I was overweight as well and though the doctor says this has nothing to do with it, I almost feel the weight may be part of the issue as well. Regardless, and reviews on keppra and aptiom would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Comments

Your questions are good ones.

Submitted by just_joe on Mon, 2018-08-13 - 13:58

Your questions are good ones. It takes time for your body to get used to the medication and the therapeutic levels to build to the level your neurologist wants. That time varies from person to person since each person is different. The amount you take is a low dose. I was and may go back to taking 6 750mg a day which equates to 4500mg a day. It takes about 4 weeks for your body to get used to the medication. Then another 4 weeks to verify that your seizures have been reduced. If they change the dosage about a week to get to therapeutic levels and another 4 weeks to verify if there is a seizure reduction. The side effects generally go away after you get used to the medication. If it doesn't stop then you need to call your doctor. If you change medications then you could have a longer period of time gust to find out if it works. Understand that seizure medications are not like aspirin where once taken it goes away after a few hours. The medication builds up to a therapeutic level which is there to help stop break thru seizures in case you take a dose late or forget one.aptiom I have not used and know little to nothing bout it other then it has a generic. Generic medications work like the name brand medication and I have used them most of my life. There is a generic for it and generics to work. By the way pharmacies are supposed to fil an RX with a generic if one is available. The generic price can be high too. I say that because when I was put on Keppra there was no generic and it cost me 985.00 a month. When the generic became available the cost dropped to 535.00. You can talk to your insurance company and find out more about pricing. Oh and getting a 3 month supple can be helpful since it is one Rx. But then I don't know how your carrier works.Keppra has become a go to medication for most seizures. It took little to no time for me to get used to it and I had no issue with side effects. I am taking more Keppra then the maximum dosage of Keppra and have been for about 15 years now. It did reduce the number of seizures I was having. We coupled it with vimpat and the number of seizures stayed about the same. However the time in the was reduced greatly. My seizures used to last for 3-5 minutes and the post ictal state lasted another 15-48 minutes. Today my seizures last 3-8 seconds and the post ictal state lasts few seconds. I could have seizure while you and I are talking and watching each other and yo would know nothing about the seizure.

Your questions are good ones. It takes time for your body to get used to the medication and the therapeutic levels to build to the level your neurologist wants. That time varies from person to person since each person is different. The amount you take is a low dose. I was and may go back to taking 6 750mg a day which equates to 4500mg a day. It takes about 4 weeks for your body to get used to the medication. Then another 4 weeks to verify that your seizures have been reduced. If they change the dosage about a week to get to therapeutic levels and another 4 weeks to verify if there is a seizure reduction. The side effects generally go away after you get used to the medication. If it doesn't stop then you need to call your doctor. If you change medications then you could have a longer period of time gust to find out if it works. Understand that seizure medications are not like aspirin where once taken it goes away after a few hours. The medication builds up to a therapeutic level which is there to help stop break thru seizures in case you take a dose late or forget one.aptiom  I have not used and know little to nothing bout it other then it has a generic. Generic medications work like the name brand medication and I have used them most of my life. There is a generic for it and generics to work. By the way pharmacies are supposed to fil an RX with a generic if one is available. The generic price can be high too.  I say that because when I was put on Keppra there was no generic and it cost me 985.00 a month. When the generic became available the cost dropped to 535.00. You can talk to your insurance company and find out more about pricing. Oh and getting a 3 month supple can be helpful since it is one Rx. But then I don't know how your carrier works.Keppra has become a go to medication for most seizures. It took little to no time for me to get used to it and I had no issue with side effects. I am taking more Keppra then the maximum dosage of Keppra and have been for about 15 years now. It did reduce the number of seizures I was having. We coupled it with vimpat and the number of seizures stayed about the same. However the time in the was reduced greatly. My seizures used to last for 3-5 minutes and the post ictal state lasted another 15-48 minutes. Today my seizures last 3-8 seconds and the post ictal state lasts  few seconds. I could have  seizure while you and I are talking and watching each other and yo would know nothing about the seizure.

Your questions are good ones. It takes time for your body to get used to the medication and the therapeutic levels to build to the level your neurologist wants. That time varies from person to person since each person is different. The amount you take is a low dose. I was and may go back to taking 6 750mg a day which equates to 4500mg a day. It takes about 4 weeks for your body to get used to the medication. Then another 4 weeks to verify that your seizures have been reduced. If they change the dosage about a week to get to therapeutic levels and another 4 weeks to verify if there is a seizure reduction. The side effects generally go away after you get used to the medication. If it doesn't stop then you need to call your doctor. If you change medications then you could have a longer period of time gust to find out if it works. Understand that seizure medications are not like aspirin where once taken it goes away after a few hours. The medication builds up to a therapeutic level which is there to help stop break thru seizures in case you take a dose late or forget one.aptiom I have not used and know little to nothing bout it other then it has a generic. Generic medications work like the name brand medication and I have used them most of my life. There is a generic for it and generics to work. By the way pharmacies are supposed to fil an RX with a generic if one is available. The generic price can be high too. I say that because when I was put on Keppra there was no generic and it cost me 985.00 a month. When the generic became available the cost dropped to 535.00. You can talk to your insurance company and find out more about pricing. Oh and getting a 3 month supple can be helpful since it is one Rx. But then I don't know how your carrier works.Keppra has become a go to medication for most seizures. It took little to no time for me to get used to it and I had no issue with side effects. I am taking more Keppra then the maximum dosage of Keppra and have been for about 15 years now. It did reduce the number of seizures I was having. We coupled it with vimpat and the number of seizures stayed about the same. However the time in the was reduced greatly. My seizures used to last for 3-5 minutes and the post ictal state lasted another 15-48 minutes. Today my seizures last 3-8 seconds and the post ictal state lasts few seconds. I could have seizure while you and I are talking and watching each other and yo would know nothing about the seizure.

I have taken keppra for three

Submitted by Mike Murray on Wed, 2018-09-19 - 17:16

I have taken keppra for three years now and it's the only drug that effectively stopped my seizures. The side effects have mostly been emotion swings and back pains. I guess I'll take the the side efects and not have seizures. Did have seizure 1 1/2 yrs ago when I took cold med w/ codein. Thinking about transitioning to cannabis but a little paranoid. Keppra has made me hungry all the time but started working out and seems to help quiet the hunger. Can't afford another seizure. Memory loss still prevalent from previous seizures!

I have taken keppra for three

Submitted by Mike Murray on Wed, 2018-09-19 - 18:57

I have taken keppra for three years now and it's the only drug that effectively stopped my seizures. The side effects have mostly been emotion swings and back pains. I guess I'll take the the side efects and not have seizures. Did have seizure 1 1/2 yrs ago when I took cold med w/ codein. Thinking about transitioning to cannabis but a little paranoid. Keppra has made me hungry all the time but started working out and seems to help quiet the hunger. Can't afford another seizure. Memory loss still prevalent from previous seizures!

Keppra vs Aptiom

Comments

Your questions are good ones.

Submitted by just_joe on Mon, 2018-08-13 - 13:58

I have taken keppra for three

Submitted by Mike Murray on Wed, 2018-09-19 - 17:16

I have taken keppra for three

Submitted by Mike Murray on Wed, 2018-09-19 - 18:57

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