keppra=lowered immunity???

[brenda-sw]

y four yr old was diagnosed w/ BRE last summer. We started Keppra in July
2010. This winter has been horrible for us. She has basically been sick since
January. First a 12 day stomach bug, then a cough/headcold that lasted three
weeks, etc, etc, etc. Now she is sick AGAIN w/ a terrible cough, runny/stuffy
nose. Always starts w/ a fever for a few days and I guess the fever doesn't
work and she winds up catching whatever she is trying to fight off.

We have been to the ped 5x since 1/1 for sick visits. Probably in her first
three years of life we went MAYBE 3x for sick visits.

She is on a ton of supp's (multi, Bcomplex, b6, magnesium, probiotic + more)

Anyone else? any suggestions?

Thanks,
Brenda

[Cint]

Hi Brenda,

Sorry to hear about you're daughter's illness. It's a rough road to go down.

I feel that Keppra and other anti-epileptic drugs can/do lower one's immune system. I take Keppra and when my son was living at home(he had asthma and other autoimmune disorders), I would catch nearly everything he had.
I also notice that once I take the Keppra, about 15-20 minutes later, my nose dose start running constantly.

http://www.drugs.com/keppra.html

Keppra side effects


Call your doctor at once if you have any of these serious side effects:

fever, chills, body aches, flu symptoms;
weakness, lack of coordination;
increasing or worsening seizures;

Less serious Keppra side effects may include:

dizziness, spinning sensation;
drowsiness;
feeling irritable;
headache;
runny nose, sore throat; or
neck pain.

Call your pediatric neurologist and ask about the Keppra/dosage. Maybe they could consider changing meds.

[tase37]

Hi and I hope your daughter will soon stay healthy! I know how horrible it is when your child is continuosly ill

[KirbyJohn]

also keep an eye on aggression, and tempor outbreak, keppras rage was a huge thing i went through, became suicidal, homicidal, insomnia, sick all the time,
those are just some of the side effects hope shes feelin better

[momofthree]

My son started Keppra three weeks ago and I nervous reading all the side effects of this drug as well as all the others, at least it has controlled his seizures but still working out the kinks.

[Endless]

Hi, Brenda,

Welcome to the forum!

I'm sorry to hear about your daughter being sick all the time. I'm on Lamictal, and I've told my epileptologist for months that it has lowered my immune system. He says that it hasn't born out as true in clinical practice, even though it is listed on the package insert.

IMHO, these drugs effect our brains, which regulate our immune systems. I'm super careful about hand-washing, I take and use hand sanitizer wherever I go, and double-wash any produce I'm going to eat raw. I'm very careful. I still picked up Norovirus which landed me in the hospital for 3 days. As well as sinus infections, colds, and the flu. Lovely.