Keppra Levels

[neilB]

I would agree! Just a little frustrating when you talk to someone on the phone and it seems as if they have NO idea what they are talking about. How can the levels be LOW and then all of a sudden high? ARGH again.

[seizingbeauty]

I'm on 2000mg Keppra per day. My doctor told me that it metabolised too quickley in my system to bother with readings. Now that I'm on Epival as well he wants to check my blood work.

[neilB]

Maybe I need your doctor!!

[sideways23]

I know this is an old post, but I thought I could help by telling you what a Doctor of Pharmacy told me regarding Keppra and seizure drugs.

Keppra levels CAN be measured in the blood. However, no one knows what the RIGHT range is, which is why there's so much confusion. They studied people who had seizures and found that a level, for example, of 40 controlled a persons seizure while others had seizures at the exact same level of 40. Essentially, the PharmD was telling us that the level of keppra does not mean your seizures will be controlled. So, he said this to sum it all up: When dealing with Keppra the best way to know if its working is if your seizures decrease in frequency. not by measuring the level. If your seizures decrease then you know keppra is doing something whether your level is 5 or 20 or 40.

I hope this helps everyone out regarding all this confusion and I hope I explained this correctly (it's from memory). I think you guys need a PharmD, Pharmacist, Doctor of Pharmacy, or whatever you wanna call them. Preferably one with residency training and who specializes in neurology. All I know is, this type of doctor helped my family tremendously when we were in the hospital.

[ddr1166]

We're very new in the process. Husband started out on 1000 mg/day Keppra, has had two breakthrough seizures, now on 1500 mg/day. Big difference in first two weeks of increased dosage (tired, then insomnia), now seems to be leveling off. Doc hasn't suggested any blood tests yet, but because of the types of drugs, I've got it on my list to request them anyway. But I'm kinda a control freak... cheers and good luck, D in Dallas

[Erin]

When I was on Tegretol I had low blood levels that turned out to be from grapefruit juice, which somehow interferes with absorption of lots of drugs. Don't know yet whether it affects Keppra, but I need to find out, haven't had grapefruit in years and years! In my experience, doctors always want to up meds, even it's a bad idea or there's no argument for doing so...

[Aunty]

Nowadays I just kept on eating what ever they asked me to and do not go back to them cause when ever you ask them whats wrong or why does the seizure comes back, they just add up the dosage and ask u to make sure eat on time.

Thats it, I just try to control my seizures from it to come cause I think since I am taking chinese medication together with these, I feel alot better and lesser seizures and I could feel the seizure is like coming whereas those days I do not know and just faint for the few seconds.

[Dirt_in_the_ground]

I was on 1000mg of Keppra raised to 1500mg and my levels were never checked.
They were brought down to 700mg (gradually) because Keppra and I don't mix very well.
But I've never had my levels checked.

I did when I was on Epilim Chrono when I ended up in hospital at 19 and my levels were low and they accused me of not taking my meds.

[Aunty]

Hi guys,

I kept on hearing you guys mentioning about what check-ups and what zero levels and stuff. What is all thaat? Sorry I really don't know what is all that.

Can anyone explain to me how the check-ups being done and what what levels stuff you guys are saying.

Thank you.

[ddr1166]

Hi Aunty - Sideways23 has a good response that's very helpful. In our case, my husband is now on 2000 mg/Keppra XR per day. When I asked our neurologist about measuring blood levels, he said "there really isn't a way to do that" - now I know that means either it's too soon, or he didn't want to explain what Sideways23 did.

I agree with above - a great Pharmacist or doctor of Pharmacology (is that the correct term?) is one of the greatest resources you can have. They're available all the time!

For example, my husband was taking Benadryl for allergies with the Keppra, and the Pharmacist said it was a no-no. The neurologist keeps saying Keppra "has no contraindications." So.....I think you have to take all the info and know you kind of figure it all our for yourself. What works for one person doesn't necessarily work for the other. I'm learning there's a wide spectrum of opinions because, frankly, when it comes to the brain and everyone's individual body/systems, we're all different. Diet and lifestyle play a BIG factor, too. It's just not a hard science...yet.

Good luck! Deb in Dallas