How long before you know an AED works or not?

[forward2007]

Does anyone here know how long a Neurologist generally waits before they consider an anti-epileptic drug a success or a failure?

In other words, if a new anti-epileptic drug isn't working, how long before the Neurologist takes the patient off of it an tries another medication???

[angel]

my neurologeist makes me wait at least a month unless im having really bad side effects.
forward is the keppra making your seizures worse? If so usually they i would think take you off right away...

[epileric]

Mine also waits a month but starts me off on a low dose so that the dosage might go up 2 or 3 times (once a month) before realizing that it's not working.

[forward2007]

They raised my Tegretol XR from 600 mg BID to 700 mg BID since October 2nd. I started also taking Keppra since December 14th but I am still having breakout seizures about once a month. I started the Keppra at 500 mg BID for a week and then switched to 1000 mg BID. After having another breakout seizure yesterday the Dr raised my Keppra dosage again today to 1500 mg BID. It hasn't been that long that I've been taking the Keppra but I thought it would be showing results sooner.

[Meetz1064]

MMMmmm, I think that's a judgment call on the part of each doc. Basic rule of thumb though, I think is about 4 to 6 weeks. Mine usually goes for the 6 weeks....... after the final adjustment of the dose.

[angel]

They raised my Tegretol XR from 600 mg BID to 700 mg BID since October 2nd. I started also taking Keppra since December 14th but I am still having breakout seizures about once a month. I started the Keppra at 500 mg BID for a week and then switched to 1000 mg BID. After having another breakout seizure yesterday the Dr raised my Keppra dosage again today to 1500 mg BID. It hasn't been that long that I've been taking the Keppra but I thought it would be showing results sooner.

they are dosing you up on the keppra pretty fast.... I couldn't handle that i had to slow way down... like 250mg at a time....

it's taken 4 month's for the keppra to start working for me(we had to go up and down with dosing until i could take 1000mg with out feeling sick...) I still have auras 5 or 6 maybe more first few days around my ms.... so the neurologist is having me take 250mg more just during that time....

[wonderdogs]

I started taking Keppra on 12/6. I started on 250mg BID and I increased it every 3-4 days because I felt like I was tollerating it fine except for the tiredness but that was tollerable. I was on 1000mg BID for about 2 weeks when I went back to the neurologist for a follow-up on 1/2. I thought it was too early to notice a difference since I was on such a low dose to begin with but my neurologist thought I shouls see some changes so she added an add'l 500mg Keppra BID. I plan on making that increase tonight so I have the weekend to recover if there are any more side effects. I guess I will give that another two weeks and call the neurologist again if it's not working.

[RobinN]

It always amazes me how each individual is so different in how they tolerate chemicals.
Rebecca has had difficulty with 300 mg. She said it was worse than the seizure itself. She has never tried Keppra, though I don't think it would be a good fit for her.

[brain]

Does anyone here know how long a Neurologist generally waits before they consider an AED a success or a failure?

In other words, if a new anti-epileptic drug isn't working, how long before the Neurologist takes the patient off of it an tries another medication???

IMPORTANT THING TO KEEP IN MIND!

Every one of us are unique like a snowflake,
no two are alike. So therefore as with all
medications, every one of us react differently!
Some may have no reaction and be quick as
go, some may be like a turtle, slow and easy.
Some may have complications, others may
not. Some have to be titrated normally, while
some have to be a very slow process and
carefully monitored. Everyone's different.

If you ask that question, you're going to get
thousands of different answers because we
are all different (those who are taking the
anti-epileptic drug or anti-epileptic drugs)!

So the BEST way and BEST approach is to
work with your Neurologist / Epileptologist
and disregard everyone else's. The object
here is NOT to keep up with the Joneses,
but rather, working with YOUR DOCTOR and
your progress and process. Your body is
different from everyone else; and therefore
your reaction, response, etc - is going to be
different from everyone else.



GOOD LUCK!