Keppra side effects

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aboizd1

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Hi,

My cousin is 16 and started having seizures a year ago- but they've progressively gotten worse (always clonic). She's been on Tegretol (allergic) and has been on on topamax and has just started keppra. She is having an AWFUL time with Keppra. She has started hallucinating, blacks out, has wet herself just walking, and is having migraines. Also a diabetic.
I also have epilepsy, but have never taken Keppra, thoughts on keppra or the mix of drugs? or the side effects?
 
I have taken Keppra Most of my life since I was about 12ish I'm 27 now. And its a pretty awful drug. When I first started it I had extreme keppra rage which eventually got better the longer I was on it. I am still really angry most of the time though and the keppra definitely makes it worse. I have also become very emotionally numb while on keppra and usually can only express my emotions and feelings through anger or arguing or some other form of conflict. I guess it makes me feel cold like I have a hard time experiencing the warm emotions. Unfortunately for me personally it has had the least worst side effects. My little cousin who is about your cousins age tried it and couldn't handle it and I think she takes Vimpat now which is one of the newer ones. I've done mono therapy of drugs most of my life so I can't speak for the mixing of keppra with others but the docs say it has the least interaction with other drugs which I agree with based on my own research. I am going to be joining a clinicial study drug soon so we'll see how that mixes with the keppra. I personally would love to stop taking the Keppra but I don't have any drugs left to try so I stay on it. Is your cousin still taking the topamax? That drug is probably the worst for me. I turned me into a zombie essentially and made my seizures way worse than they had been previously. It's a crappy game of trial and error with these things. I hope she finds one that works best for her.
Cheers!
 
Keppra is horrible with moods. Hallucinations and blackouts could be perhaps because the Keppra is making her blood sugar levels unstable?
 
I take 3000 mgs Keppra along with 200 mgs of Topomax. I also have Type 1 Diabetes and have to take insulin daily. I'm not sure if the Keppra makes the blood sugar levels unstable, but it definitely can cause rage/depression. The blackouts/hallucinations are probably seizures happening, either from the increase/decrease of Keppra or Topomax. Whenever an AED is messed with, it can make seizures worse initially. Call her neurologist.
 
I'm taking 2000 mg of Keppra 2x/day and deal with drowsiness and mood problems. The mood problems are dealt with for the most part.

Those are the only problems I have ever had with Keppra.
 
I have been on keppra since July. It stopped the seizures I started having again. Switched from Dilantin to keppra. I too have no emotions other than anger. At times really feel like it is hard to function. At times think how I would like to see if I stopped would I go back to feeling normal.
 
Thanks for all the replies. I was visiting with my cousin again this evening and feel like she is getting worse rather then better. She is having more black outs, seizures and is like a zombie...every day it seems. It feels like she has slipped behind the Keppra. When she was on topamax she had seizures- but she was at least herself and could attend school. Those of you experienced with Keppra- do you think she needs more of it to get past side effects? or a second opinion to see whats going on? Or just try and get off of it?
 
If the effects get worse, Keppra is not the answer. The effects will not go away with a higher dose. There are other options out there.
 
The only side effect I've had on Keppra is rage but that's controlled by 20mg of Citalopram. Keppra is the only med that controls my seizures, so I feel very lucky I have no side effects.
 
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