keppra

[sindy25]

i just started taking keppra 500mg twice a day yesterday mourin and have been having some serious promblems my seziure seemed to have increased and im having diff kind then i did before im so dizzy i can hardly walk and so drowsy i cant stay awake i just drop off i be talking then im gone sometimes my eye sight goes away and im seeing and hearing things that arent there i called my doctor (who is not a neuro cause i havent got a appt to see him yet ) and he said to keep taking it because it had to get in to my system before we could see if it would help what should i do? oww and i seem to go out of it and start digging and scratching on my face saying there i something on it or it s burning

 

[Nakamova]

Go to the ER! There's no way to diagnose for sure at a distance, but it sounds like you are having at best a bad reaction to the drug, and at worst an allergic one. If you can't get an immediate response from your doctor or a neurologist, then play it safe, and go to the ER -- there they should be able to give you advice, and help you to safely stop the med.

 

[Endless]

Sindy,

I agree with Nakamova. A doctor needs to sort out what's going on. Go to the ER and tell them what is going on. There is a possibility that you are having a reaction to your medication, and that can't wait until tomorrow or next week.

A few people in here have said certain medications made their seizures worse, not better. If that's what's going on with you it can't wait until tomorrow, either. You don't want them to escallate/get any worse than they are now.

The ER visit may also get you in to see your neurologist faster, if the ER recommends you see one ASAP.

 

[sindy25]

thank you all my boyfreind is taking me to the university of va today there supposed to be one o fthe top in country or so im told so maybe they can help

 

[Meetz1064]

I do

hope that things are going better for you now, Sindy. Please let us know...

 

[sindy25]

well i was admitted to the hosptiol and ive been in this room with i think it the eeg things on my head a video recorder on me for two days now and im still hooked up they are trying to figure out whats going on they say dont know if its elpisey or something called suddo seziures but they say they come from stress or sumtin but im not stressed so i dont know and neither do they im just stuck in this room startin to drive me crazy in here. not to mention i feel bad=(

 

[Endless]

Hi, Sindy,

It's so good to hear from you!

Yeah, the in-patient EEGs are really boring. It drove me nuts. If you have a generalized seizure (TC, Absence, etc.) they should be able to pick it up on the EEG. Partials, maybe, maybe not. It depends.

Sometimes if you don't have a seizure they won't have any more information than before you went in. Frustrating!

Hang in there. It'll be all done soon.

 

[sindy25]

home but scared

thank you they finnally sent me home said they think i have suddo seziures which they say are real seziures but they dont come from brain waves but they are triggered by strees ( which i dont have ) so they made to talk to a pysch to see if they could find out if im stressed or sumtin she said she thinks im well held together and dont see any stress that her medcial opion would be that im having eleptic seziures but not since the 8 and that the stress and fear from the tonic clonic started the suddo seziures which im having every day she said there is nothing they can do medchine wise for suddo seziures because it dosent respond to eleptic med and until they cath something on the eeg they wont give my meds for the eppltic ones too so im pretty much back were i started with no relief for the epsiodes epltic or not and i dont were else to turn i just want them to get under control so i can live a normal life the even rerstricted me from taking a bath by my self i dont want to live my life like this with no answeres for whats going on. if anyone has any suggestions please help me im just lost =(

 

[Nakamova]

Hi sindy --

I'm glad you're home! I hope you can feel better soon.

The diagnose of pseudoseizures (also called Psychogenic Non-Epileptic Seizures) is sometimes made when there isn't a positive EEG reading. But given that EEGs aren't 100% accurate and can have both false positives and false negatives, then I would be wary of accepting the diagnosis, especially as it leaves you untreated in this case!

Any chance you can get a second opinion? I know the hospital you were at was supposed to be good, but it would be terrific if you could see another neurologist, (one who knows that many, many people with epilepsy never have a positive EEG). Just because the Keppra didn't help doesn't mean that some other AED won't do the trick. Keppra is often prescribed first, because you can taper up onto it quickly, but there are other meds out there (like Lamictal, which I'm on), that might work better for you. The only catch is that you need to taper onto it very slowly, in tiny increments.

I really hope you can get another opinion, and find something else that might help.

 

[epileric]

Hi Sindy

I agree with Nakamova, pseudo-seizures is what they use when they can't find anything else. The problem is that some seizures are too deep in the brain for an EEG to acknowledge them.

Can your doctor refer you to a neurologist? Someone like that who works around seizures would be more likely to acknowledge the real problem.

Meanwhile go to the psychologist, even if it's just to get him to say that you don't have pseudo-seizures.

 

[seizingbeauty]

Hi Sindy,
Just my two cents worth. I'm on Keppra and things were fine until the pharmacy I was with changed me to generic Keppra then everything went pear shaped. When I finally got back to the brand name Keppra things evened out. I would make sure your getting exactly what the doctor prescribed!
I also had a bunch of tests that showed nothing, went through 4 MDs before talking with someone who gave me a diagnosis other than "stress"
Good Luck