1000 mg of Keppra for 2 days at the hospital

[Matt521]

Hi. I had a bicycle accident and was given 1000 mg of Keppra on Wednesday night and Thursday while at the hospital.

So now I'm out of the hospital and how can I wean off Keppra.

Any thoughts?

Thanks.

[acpollard2010]

did u have any seizures during accident or at hospital? and do u take any other meds if so clear it with a dr is what i would recommend.

[Nakamova]

I agree, best thing is to check with your doctor. If you don't want to be on the Keppra, the docs can't force you to take it. You should let them know however that you are planning to taper off of it, and get instructions from them as to the best way to do so. Generally, it's safest if you go slowly. If you've only been on the Keppra for two days, then you may be able to withdraw a bit faster -- but again, your doc should be the one to tell you what to do.

[PhylisFeinerJohnson]

Do you have seizures or was it a concussion?

The new line of thought is that after a concussion, the brain needs “stimulus deprivation” for a week (basically, total brain rest — no computer, no music, not even lying on the couch and watching TV) in order to recover fully. And obviously, you need plenty of sleep at night and rest during the day.

Another surprising piece of advice is to get some food in your stomach right away. (Ugh! I was puking my brains out!)

According to research, making sure patients get at least 50% of their usual calorie intake within 24 hours — including a higher-than-usual amount of protein, should be continued for two weeks — and is vital to healing.

Other natural ways you can help yourself is with antioxidants. Some recommended sources are blueberries (BIG on natural antioxidants) and Vitamin C combined with small amounts of calcium, magnesium and potassium – preferably in a powdered form to help aid absorption. Mixing it with orange juice makes it more palatable.

Also…

Keep yourself hydrated with plenty of water.

Take lots of fish oil. (As long as there’s no bleeding in your brain involved.) The recommended amount is up to 4 grams of high potency fish oil from the time of the concussion and then for a week afterwards. (I wish I had known that.) This will help decrease brain inflammation and with it the fogginess, memory loss and headaches that are often a part of concussion.

The good news is that symptoms usually go away entirely within three weeks, as long as you don’t fall again. (A very good case for helmets for those in most danger of falling.)

[DayDreamer]

Were you given instruction to take keppra after leaving the hospital?
If you were not, I do not think you need to worry about weaning off of it. Two days is not much time to make your body physically dependent. I don't think keppra is as bad as nicotine or cocaine.
Many neurological journals have publications that suggest certain medications may prevent epilepsy from starting (epileptogenesis) if administered after head injury.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/