suspect keppra as the problem

[mgaydon]

My name is mal gaydon and my wife has had seizures for around eight years now. My wife also has a history of depression, anxiety and post traumatic stress for most of her life. She was put on keppra about 3 to 4 years ago . since then I have noticed a gradual change in her personality- increased mood swings, anxiety attacks, depression, dizzy, agitated, slurred speech and always stressed at work. about 18 months ago she had some sort of severe anxiety attack or nervous breakdown and since then hasn’t worked and feels she doesn’t have a close emotional bond between her and her children and myself. Or anyone for that matter. She has no motivation and states she feels numb. The last 18 mths she has watched TV and played games on face book mostly. I have done a lot of reading on the internet concerning keppra and I strongly suspect it is the culprit. She had a seizure about a year ago and was given a referral to a neurologist in Ipswich . I have only just recently been able to talk her into seeing this doctor. Our main reason for going is so she can be taken off keppra and onto something else. Also our marriage of 23 yrs is just about finished due to all of this and would like to hear from anyone who has experienced similar

[Nakamova]

Hi mgaydon, welcome to CWE!

I agree that it seems likely that the Keppra has made things worse for your wife (and for you by extension). Usually Keppra isn't prescribed in instances where there's already a history of emotional instability. It does have the advantage that you can get up to a working dose fairly quickly, so perhaps that's why it was chosen. But there are other meds out there, and I think it's definitely worth discussing with her her neurologist. One possibility might be Lamictal ( a med that's occasionally prescribed for bipolar disorder in addition to epilepsy). All the anti-epileptic drugs have a risk of increasing depression, so that's something to keep in mind. Unfortunately there's no way to guarantee that a different med will do the trick.

Keppra definitely has the worst reputation for emotional side effects. Some folks have found that taking a B6 vitamin supplement helps with the "kepprage", so it might be worth asking the doc about that too, especially if transitioning to a new med will take a while.

Best,
Nakamova

[mgaydon]

will get some b6

[momof3boys]

I can totally relate to the emotional change when it comes to Keppra. Ive been on Keppra since the age of 18, Im now 30. I was also taking Carbatrol during that time period too. But I had alot of times where I felt so emotional. Outbursts, crying spells, etc. Over the stupidest little things. I heard about the vitamin b6 in November 2010 when I switched doctors. Since then, I have found out that it does help out alot for me when it comes to those emotional rollercoasters. I have gotten off of Carbatrol, and Im now taking 3000mgs a day of Keppra XR. So far things have been going pretty good for me. I hope you can get answers at the doctor you will be seeing soon. I would recommend trying a vitamin b6 to see if it helps things. hang in there!

[mgaydon]

thanks kristin. you must have your hands full raising 3 little boys. thanks for taking the time to write and I will get some b6 as it has been suggested else where. all the best. mal gaydon

[Cint]

Hi Mal,

I've had epilepsy for over 30 years now along with terrible bouts of depression that sometimes accompany temporal lobe epilepsy. I am currently taking 3000 mgs. of Keppra along with 200 mgs. of Topamax and an anti-depressant. As Nakamova said, some of the anti-epileptic drug's are used for bipolar, also, and Topamax is another one, but it can make one rather spacey if on a higher dose. Others are Depakote, Trileptal and Tegretol. Depakote causes weight gain.

Since your wife has PTSD and depression, that could be contributing to her seizures. I would also suggest your wife see a therapist/psychiatrist. At least mention it to the neurologist.

[mgaydon]

thanks clint

merry xmas

mal gaydon