Can Keppra actually cause you to have seizures?

[KarenB]

When Jon was on Depakote, he frequently was below therapeutic levels, even when on high doses. Maybe an absorbtion or metabolism issue. One time his neurologist increased his dose, not because he had seizures, but because blood tests showed he was below therapeutic dose. This ended up being a bit catastrophic in terms of very serious side effects.

He was then referred to an Epileptologist, who said that he rarely tests for blood levels of meds, but just goes by whether they're working or not. That's the approach of our current neurologist.

However, in cases where a child is having seizures even at a higher dose of medication, it might be helpful to test the blood levels to see whether the drug is being absorbed and metabolized effectively.

 

[loveslight57]

In 2011 I was started on Keppra ( generic). Until that time the only times that I had seizures over an 18 year period was during a doctor patient lowering of my dilantin dose for various reasons. After starting levetiracetam, I had 3 gran map seizures in a 7 month period. During that time the manufacturers were switched three times, first mylan, then legacy, and then teva. I was taken to a dose as high as 6000 mg. My Bun and creatine levels increased also. The doctor insisted the increase in seizures was just a coincidence. I asked to be taken off of keppra and to try something else , she said that if i wasn't controlled on that than I didn't have a very good chance of anything else working either. So I said that I just want to stay on my dilantin then, Unfortunately. That only kept me safe for 7 months because after I was off of keppra( generic) completely for one month I had another seizure. (Weaning from 6000 mg took a long time) I believe that keppra was responsible for that also, depleting b6 levels possibly. Since then I have started topamax. 4 months seizure free no auras, feeling great. No insomnia, or anxiety like I felt while on keppraI truly believe that the generic version of keppra was responsible for the clustering of events during that 7 month period. I hope that others that have experienced similar things will see this and post. There are articles on the web about keppra causing increases in seizures especially at higher doses and also articles about it depleting b6 in the blood.

 

[KarenB]

I posted earlier on this thread several times about Jon's (2nd) experience with Keppra. We eventually came to the conclusion that Keppra certainly wasn't helping his seizures, and might, indeed, be causing some of them. Plus, he was having horrific side effects -- becoming quite violent. His doc gave the go-ahead to wean, so we did that in January (he was only on 1000).

Prior to weaning, he was averaging 3 or 4 tonic seizures a week. Every time we would reduce his levels, he would have 2 or 3 seizures in the next day or two, and then everything would go quiet...until we reduced his dosage again. When we finally got him completely weaned we saw NO MORE SEIZURES at all!!!

Jon has been only on Zonegran and the Ketogenic diet (which is what he was on before, along with the Keppra) for the past 4 1/2 months and has been seizure free since we ditched the Keppra.

It's now quite clear to us that Keppra was CAUSING seizures.