Keppra Side Effects

[whitemountainhiker]

Allrighty, I'm new to this forum, but I wanted to get my feet wet. I searched for topics on Keppra, but couldn't find the type of information that I wanted, so I decided to create this thread.

I've been taking Keppra for about a year now, at first it was 750 mg every 12 hours, and now its 1500 mg on the Keppra XR, once a day.

Other meds I take

Prevacid: 15-30 mg a day, depending on severity of heartburn
Hydroclorothyazide: 12.5 mg daily for high blood pressure
Nasonex: For allergies
One daily multivitamin

Side effects:

I felt fine on the Keppra for the first coupel months, though I did notice the extra worried feeling. Then, right around September of 08, I had this weird panic attack, worried about everything, including my mortality. It threw me for a loop. Since then, I've been having more and more side effects. Top ones are....

Anxiety, feeling very drowsy, easily angered, feelng doped up, tingling in the tips of my fingers, and also, on my head...which I find very disturbing.

More on that tingling: I have an MRi scheduled for June because I might have a pinched nerve in my lower back. I was wondering if the tingling on my head was Keppra related?

Also, I get headaches quite often (diagnosed with migraines years ago). When I was on depakote, my headaches were almost nonexistent. Then I went on topamax and had a severe allergic reaction, so that led me to Keppra.

One last side effect: In my left eye...sometimes I see a small beam of light, usually when I bend over, or move my eyes in a strange way. Another thing...maybe it is a coincidence, but my head almost always hurts on the left side, my potential pinched nerve in the back is on the left side, and the eye thing is on the left side. Could that be a coincidence? Its driving me nuts.

Perhaps I can get a neurologists opinion. I hope I'm just having another one of those anxiety attacks, and its not something even more serious.

Hope that made sense. Thank you!

[whitemountainhiker]

QUick edit....sometimes I get some tingling in my face too, also on the left side.

[RobinN]

You might take a look at these threads:

Keppra - Alone or Adjunct
question about the new GENERIC Keppra (Levetiracetam)
generic keppra
keppra
http://www.coping-with-epilepsy.com/...-doctors-6331/
http://www.coping-with-epilepsy.com/...ra-auras-6189/

Hope these help

[skillefer]

I'd talk to your neurologist.....if it was just the mood issue, I'd suggest trying a vitamin B6 supplement. But it's NOT. so it might be the keppra interacting with your other meds....go talk to your doc.

[whitemountainhiker]

I'd talk to your neurologist.....if it was just the mood issue, I'd suggest trying a vitamin B6 supplement. But it's NOT. so it might be the keppra interacting with your other meds....go talk to your doc.

Ya know, thats what I was wondering. I took Keppra because it was supposed to have no major interactions. They must have meant...no interactions with major epilepsy drugs. Kind of interesting, to say the least. Well, I just emailed my neurologist, hopefully I can get in there today. If not, I'll prob have to wait till next week after Memorial Day.

I'm going on a hike this Sunday, meaning getting up early and going to bed late. It should be an interesting day. Hopefully the hike will help relieve all that excess stress and anxiety I feel right now.

I wonder if I'm the only patient who has said this: But when I was on Depakote for 7 years, I basically forgot I had epilepsy. It worked for me. I changed meds because I gained weight, but these days, i weight MORE now than I did then. So I wonder if I just continued to gain weight because I developed bad eating habits. Frustrating.

[whitemountainhiker]

You might take a look at these threads:

Hope these help

Thank you. I appreciate you finding those for me. I actually checked those out a bit before. I wish that each person had the same "case." Actually, I wish there was a cure. I'd donate my life savings to find a cure.

[skillefer]

The weight gain could be due to bad eating habits... Another thing to have checked would be your thyroid. When I was on depakote, I was losing hair, felt fatigued all the time, and could gain five pounds just smelling chocolate cake. Oh, and my hands and feet were always cold. I knew there was something wrong...I went to my doc and he ran a basic screen that said my med levels and my thyroid levels were fine. As I was leaving, his dietician overheard me and called me into her office. I described my symptoms and she asked me to take my temperature 1st thing in the morning for a week..before I did anything, even before getting out of bed. Also, I was take my temp under my armpit, and I had to write it down. so, for a week I did that, and then went back in and gave her my temps. she chuckled and said that I was hypothyroid. I told her that my thyroid screen came back normal. She told me that I'm one of the tweeners. Low enough thyroid levels to cause symptoms, but just high enough to read as normal on the screen. I asked her what caused it, and she said most of the time, it was attributable to mom's that had gestational diabetes. So, if you have any of the symptoms I mentioned, you might want to write down your morning temps before getting out of bed and taking that info in with you to the doc.

[whitemountainhiker]

The weight gain could be due to bad eating habits... Another thing to have checked would be your thyroid. When I was on depakote, I was losing hair, felt fatigued all the time, and could gain five pounds just smelling chocolate cake. Oh, and my hands and feet were always cold. I knew there was something wrong...I went to my doc and he ran a basic screen that said my med levels and my thyroid levels were fine. As I was leaving, his dietician overheard me and called me into her office. I described my symptoms and she asked me to take my temperature 1st thing in the morning for a week..before I did anything, even before getting out of bed. Also, I was take my temp under my armpit, and I had to write it down. so, for a week I did that, and then went back in and gave her my temps. she chuckled and said that I was hypothyroid. I told her that my thyroid screen came back normal. She told me that I'm one of the tweeners. Low enough thyroid levels to cause symptoms, but just high enough to read as normal on the screen. I asked her what caused it, and she said most of the time, it was attributable to mom's that had gestational diabetes. So, if you have any of the symptoms I mentioned, you might want to write down your morning temps before getting out of bed and taking that info in with you to the doc.

Wow, that is interesting. I gotta say, the side effects on depakote really were not that bad for me. I remember being exactly opposite of tired when I first started taking it...I had incredible reflexes...it was strange. I remember saying this must be what it feels like being high on a new drug. After awhile, the only time I remembered I had epilepsy, was when I took the pill. In fact, it difficult to remember taking it because I was leading such a normal life. Even if I had accidentally skipped doses, or got low sleep, I never had any seizures. When I started on it, I weighed about 225 pounds, and then I was at 280 by the time they changed me to topomax stuff, which was harder on my body than the Keppra. I only took 100 mg a day and I lost 35 pounds and had severe side effects. When I got off that, I went to the Keppra. Now I weigh slightly more than I used to weigh when I was on depakote. I'm still seizure free, but many times as I'm waking up in the morning, I feel that somewhat familiar....funny zap in my head, that I think is related to my condition. It never goes beyond that, and as soon as I wake up and walk around, I'm fine.

It is weird going through this stuff because I went so long without experiencing conditions that I almost forgot what it was like to be affected by it. It may sound crazy, but I almost want to go back on Depakote because of how normal I felt. In the past, docs warned against that because of the long term damage it might do to my body. I only took 500 mg twice a day. I suppose I'd have to up the dosage to like 1500 a day since I weigh more now, but who knows. I feel like I'm a lab rat when they do this stuff. My guess is as good as theirs....and sometimes I feel like my guess is better than theirs since I am in tune with my body. I would never stop taking a medication out of the blue, but I def want to push for a new one and make that lovely transition.

I can't believe how much I just typed. I should prob bring this over to the venting side next time.

Thanks for listening.

[skillefer]

LOL...no problem.

[rissaf23]

Ive been on Kepra for about three weeks now. It has not worked for me. The first week I was on 750 mg and it was not controlling my seizures. I was tierd all the time, im sure that had to due with the seizures also.
Week 2 she upped the Keppra I had one seizure, it was the worst. Still sleepy and I am experiencing weight gain. I eat a very well blanced diet, so im not sure if its the keppra or the hormones that I have started.
Week 3 Keppra and topamax. Had a bad reaction to both. Broke out in hives. This is where I am standing. I hope this helps.

[whitemountainhiker]

Ive been on Kepra for about three weeks now. It has not worked for me. The first week I was on 750 mg and it was not controlling my seizures. I was tierd all the time, im sure that had to due with the seizures also.
Week 2 she upped the Keppra I had one seizure, it was the worst. Still sleepy and I am experiencing weight gain. I eat a very well blanced diet, so im not sure if its the keppra or the hormones that I have started.
Week 3 Keppra and topamax. Had a bad reaction to both. Broke out in hives. This is where I am standing. I hope this helps.

I'm sorry this is happening to you. Did you ever try that depakote stuff? I don't know, I seemed to be ok on it, and wonder if I should go back to it. Topamax was great, and an awful drug all at the same time. I didn't have one migraine in the 6 months I was on it, and lost 30+ lbs, but the intense tingling across my entire face, and the constant concern I was in, didn't help things out. so I weened of of it and took over with Keppra. At first it reminded me a little of being on Depakote, but about 3 months later, the side effects really got going.

[rissaf23]

I tried Depakote when I was 16 gained alot of weight! Never again! I can handle the air head feeling/ tingle face feeling I get from topamax. I do not like the Keppra. I am planning on talking to my doctor about stopping it and upping the topamax!

[skillefer]

For migraines, try magnesium. There's a type of migraine that's actually been reclassified as a seizure. And magnesium seems to help it. Ask Robinn. She used to have migraines, but not anymore. Magnesium is also a muscle relaxant, and in some people has reduced the number of seizures.

PS= It also helps get rid of PMS symptoms.

[Meetz1064]

I've done that lovely Depakote thing. And I won't do it again, either. I gained over 100 pounds on it, but there is the possibility that some of that came from being hypothyroid, as I was diagnosed with that at the same time as I went on the Depakote.

THEN I had a horrible case of edema on it.......my fingers and toes looked like sausages, and my arms and legs and rest of me looked like one big tree. Pitting edema that was HORRIBLE. Was on Lamictal at the same time.........turns out the 2 DO interact. What fun.

Now, you might want to go to http://www.drugs.com and check out their drug interaction area and see if there are any major issues with your meds. And then bring that up with your doc.

Depakote and Keppra are both on my no no list. I DID like the benefit of NO migraines with Depakote. Not a bloomin' one. I loved it. I was in heaven. Oooo well. The Topamax I'm taking now stops about 2/3 to 3/4 of them, and the magnesium I take helps with the great majority of the rest. Only a few sneak through now and again.

Take care, and good luck.

Meetz


PS...welcome to CWE!!!

[Leanne]

I was on depakote when I was first diagonsed with epilepsy at age 12. I was on it for around a year and it was horrible. I was gaining weight like crazy and it just wasn't doing anything for me. I'm sure others have good experiences with it, though. I guess it depends on the person.

[john_williams]

I've been on Keppra for about 4 months now i think. The first month was great, no partials at all. Then everything has hit me alot worse.

I had the "kep-rage", would just go off on my wife for little things that would never have bothered me before. Put me on some zoloft and it's taken the edge off of that.

I'm being sent up to the hospital for the pro-longed eeg and brain image scan, gotta stay 3-6 days they tell me.

I go June 15 days, but like i said, the partials have been happening alot more often, and the wife said i had a small generalized one as well, that i of course don't remember. So the doc is putting me on Depakote along with the Kepra and tegretol....god....from all you guys say i don't know if i want to be on this stuff!

I like my hair and i don't want to be fat! lol

I guess everything hits everyone a little different though, and as always, the question is d,"o the benefits out weigh the risks?" Tough one....complex partials or no hair....

I'll have to think more on that one

[CJR]

My 12 yr old is on Keppra XR once a day and Depakote ER once a day. Her seizures are not controlled on the lowest dose of both of these meds...However, when she was on Depakote ER alone her levels would jump from normal to toxic without any change in her med schedule. It was infuriating for her docs and for us. It also effected her weight but she's 5'4" and still only 74 pounds so...I was glad when she started rapidly gaining weight. Unfortuantely that was one side effect that did not stay very long. So they added to Keppra XR 2x daily. For the first month she was fine...completely seizure free BUT then she started getting very irratable with me. Finally, I called hubby and said, "Come home. She hates me and I can't deal with her." Hubby calmly said, "She's supposed to hate you. She's 12 and your the Mom." The next week I got a note from school saying that she was alienating all of her friends. To which hubby and I both said, "Whoa. Time to call the doc."

Keppra and Depakote are tricky drugs...but then what Epilepsy drug isn't?

[sloansista]

Thank you. I appreciate you finding those for me. I actually checked those out a bit before. I wish that each person had the same "case." Actually, I wish there was a cure. I'd donate my life savings to find a cure.

I'm entirely new to this website and am also struggling with Keppra and have been tossed around with a bunch of different drugs. But I love hearing that other people have a passion to get past this. I would give anything for a cure, thank you for saying that. Even though we all struggle with different symptoms and we all have different cases talking is one the best things we can do!

[sloansista]

For migraines, try magnesium. There's a type of migraine that's actually been reclassified as a seizure. And magnesium seems to help it. Ask Robinn. She used to have migraines, but not anymore. Magnesium is also a muscle relaxant, and in some people has reduced the number of seizures.

PS= It also helps get rid of PMS symptoms.

I can't tell you how helpful your information is! I'm on a large dose of Keppra and am preparing for surgery "hopefully" you know the medical world who knows if the docs will actually follow through or not. I get terrible migraines as well and horrilbe PMS problems so the magnesium might be extremely helpful for me, thank you!

[sloansista]

I've been on Keppra for about 4 months now i think. The first month was great, no partials at all. Then everything has hit me alot worse.

I had the "kep-rage", would just go off on my wife for little things that would never have bothered me before. Put me on some zoloft and it's taken the edge off of that.

I'm being sent up to the hospital for the pro-longed eeg and brain image scan, gotta stay 3-6 days they tell me.

I go June 15 days, but like i said, the partials have been happening alot more often, and the wife said i had a small generalized one as well, that i of course don't remember. So the doc is putting me on Depakote along with the Kepra and tegretol....god....from all you guys say i don't know if i want to be on this stuff!

I like my hair and i don't want to be fat! lol

I guess everything hits everyone a little different though, and as always, the question is d,"o the benefits out weigh the risks?" Tough one....complex partials or no hair....

I'll have to think more on that one

While I"m new to the website I can really relate to your situation. I've been on Keppra for almost 2 years now. I was tossed around on evey medication you can think of and then on 2 or 3 at a time, I hate the mixes. When I first started the Keppra I had some mood issues that were abnormal, they've gotten a million times better and I'm on 1500 mg twice a day, which as my doc would say is the max they'd put me on. The keppra doesnt really control my partials, I still have them alot. They put me on zoloft as well to control the emotional issues and maybe help the partials. I hate the zoloft it messes with my mood and makes me zombie like. They've suggested piggybacking my Keppra with zonegram to help with the partials, we'll see if that helps. I've adjusted great to the Keppra, except have noticed a large weight gain which is unfortunate but you've gotta function! I've had 5 in hospital eeg scans that last up to 7 days. Numerous mri's and a pet scan and lastly a spec scan... so frustrating. I'm traveling next month to San Francisco for an MEG hopefully to compile everything and get moving with surgery. If it helps I can sympathize with you completely, I would try the Keppra a bit longer, It's helped me quite a bit even though I still have the partials... Hope that helps??