simple partial or Pinched muscle

[kostareyna]

Does any of you have and idea how can you tell if what you feel is a:

1.side effect of a med
2.pinched muscle
3.simple partila seizure.

Im just wondering since 1 month after i started keppra i felt wierd but couldn't tell what excatly was wrong.keppra was the first drug that stopped my seizures and i was happy like crazy but something happend.

after a few months i relized that i feel some sort of either weakness tingle,numbness or even lack of control while i use my left arm,i feel it mostly in my palm on couple of my fingers.the wierd thing is that if i won't move my arm i won't feel a thing,only if i'll move my arm up to scratch my nose i will get a wird feeling or just will use it.I also sometimes feel heat and its like my arm more sensetive than my right arm,when i wasn't ony meds or on the wrong meds i never had this trouble before.

Simple partial description and pinched nerve decriptions are very similar,the oc doesn't think its the med nor its epileptic and im diagnosed with juvenile myoclonic epilepsy.

Any toughts,sujjestions,similar experiences???

thanks.

[k2s4ever]

I don't know if this is a help, but I'll try. I have possible simple partial seizures myself (my symptoms are olfactory & gustatory auras of an unpleasant nature).
I was put on Keppra alone which did nothing. Depakote ER added to it which markedly reduced but did not eliminate. Then on to Topamax added (Depakote ER discontinued). Here then comes my addition to your discussion. Topamax gave me WICKED facial muscle spasms. I started to ponder if I now was having another form of simple partial seizures, but the twitches were all side effects of Topamax which was stopped, and the twitches halted as soon as the Topamax was out of my system. I remain on Keppra (1500 mg daily) with no side effects.
(also newly on Lamictal-so far so good with side effects, but also very low dose, and also not yet helping my auras which have increased again).

[kostareyna]

I don't know if this is a help, but I'll try. I have possible simple partial seizures myself (my symptoms are olfactory & gustatory auras of an unpleasant nature).
I was put on Keppra alone which did nothing. Depakote ER added to it which markedly reduced but did not eliminate. Then on to Topamax added (Depakote ER discontinued). Here then comes my addition to your discussion. Topamax gave me WICKED facial muscle spasms. I started to ponder if I now was having another form of simple partial seizures, but the twitches were all side effects of Topamax which was stopped, and the twitches halted as soon as the Topamax was out of my system. I remain on Keppra (1500 mg daily) with no side effects.
(also newly on Lamictal-so far so good with side effects, but also very low dose, and also not yet helping my auras which have increased again).

You know what's wierd ,i had eyelid twitching when i was on keppra on the generic one and than on the brand for a week till it stopped i wonder how much of it is related to the psychological aspect since thats a side effect that's related to topamax not to keppra,sometimes when i read stuff i start to feel it.i never had the stiffen neck problem only after couple of months while on keppra when i read about it or the stuffy nose,now it seems its just a tightened muscle because im going to the gym but who knows....anyway tnx for the info

I wonder if some side effects can appear even if they are not listed or known,
or can even be psychological.i was doing graet on 500mg daily before it began now on 1000 daily i feel the same its not possible.....my emg result wasn't good but also very mild ,the neurologist will explain to me in our next appoitment if its related.

[k2s4ever]

In my case, I hadn't bother reading about the potential side effects of Topamax. I'm not usually side-effect sensitive, so I don't worry. All my medications across the board for several other issues are generic, and my anti-epileptic drugs follow suit, so I probably ought to just denote that too. It was only after I started getting the awful eyelid and then overall facial twitches that I linked it to the Topirimate. And when I looked it up, I did not see it as a side effect. I even posted on this forum to ask about it. And with the Lamotrigine I'm on, I'm well aware of the potential rash side effect and I'm clear of that so far, and hopefully dosage increases will go well, and I'm not worried now (was at first). But I know what you mean about psychological issues that come with keeping oneself "educated" on side effects.
That's interesting that you mention stuffy nose and Keppra. Nasal congestion often precedes the onset of my auras. But I think I had noticed that link before Levitarecetam/generic Keppra, which was before I was on anything. I remain on it, but I wonder what it really does, as alone it did NOTHING for me, but perhaps I'm kept on it for "add on" benefits that perhaps it could have?