Keppra good and bad experiences

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jenagade

jenagade

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I've recently had Keppra added to my cocktail, and even though my Dr assures me that Keprage is a minimal risk reading all the posts on here about how bad Keppra can be has me a bit freaked out about what could be in store for me.

Can anyone remember how long it took before the Keppra took hold and changed your mood?

Has anyone had Keppra without experiencing the mood side effects?

Has anyone found that having Keppra with another AED and/or anti-depressants makes any difference?

For reference I am on 200mg tegretol, 250mg lamactil, 2000mg keppra, 300mg venlafaxine though I am stopping the tegretol soon.
 
I have taken Keppra twice. First time, I had no side effects that I could tell, and no anger or irritability. Second time, I was too irritable to stay on it. If you look into any of the AEDs mentioned on this site, I'd bet you a buck there are more negative posts than positive ones. It's a well known phenomenon that people are more likely to speak up about negative experiences with products than positive. After all, if I'm taking a drug and I'm doing just fine, it'd be at the very back of my mind and I'd have nothing to speak about. I've had long periods of time where I was happy on a drug. Not only did I not post about it here, I didn't even come here. I generally forgot I was even taking the drug, and had epilepsy. I think I joined CWE in 2012 when I was having trouble with Tegretol. Then the problem got fixed and I quit coming here. Then I ran into trouble with my current drug and came back. It's only now that I've gotten to know members of the community better that I have an interest in hanging around even if I'm fine.
 
Keppra is the only drug that I have taken since 2006. Initially, it made me very emotional. Don't ask for how long cause I can't remember. I've tried several times to get off of it, just because, but was not successful. I am now well maintained on 1000 mgs. daily since 2008. I think "I" have to accept the fact that I will have to be on medication for the rest of my life.
We all feel that we can get off some time in the future, but, realistically, we have to accept that that will not be the case. I think none of us here wants to be on meds but we Need to be on them.
Kirsten, you are so right on about a lot of stuff here. I look forward to reading your posts. Hope you are doing well.
M
 
I'm on keppra only, so I don't know how different my experience is, but I've been on it for about seven years and I haven't had extreme side-effects. I was on dilantin before the keppra and it made me much more quick tempered even though it doesn't have that reputation.

I started on 500mg of keppra twice daily, but over time have increased to 1000mg twice daily. With each increase I've been nervous but haven't had major problems. I feel like sometimes when I do get angry it takes me longer to calm down, but Im not quicker to anger than before and I don't think I rage. My main problem is fatigue, but I have other things going on that may be causing that.

Good luck! :)
 
I've been on Keppra for 6 years, I haven't had any issues with 'keppra rage' or any other side effects while on it. I'm currently on 1000mg Keppra twice a day & 200mg Tegretol twice a day.
 
I am other medications besides Keppra. I take 1800 mg of Keppra spread out during the day.

When I was put on it, my neurologist told me to take Vitamin B Complex, once a day. I have taken his advice and I have no mood swings or Kepprage.

I am on 4 other medicines for my epilepsy and I do not know if that makes a difference.
 
when my husband first started taking keppra back in oct 13, the only side effect it seemed to have on him was it made him sleepy. he didnt have the "keppra rage" i had read about. it just seemed to make him tired.
 
jenagade said:
I've recently had Keppra added to my cocktail, and even though my Dr assures me that Keprage is a minimal risk reading all the posts on here about how bad Keppra can be has me a bit freaked out about what could be in store for me.


Has anyone had Keppra without experiencing the mood side effects?

Has anyone found that having Keppra with another AED and/or anti-depressants makes any difference?
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I've taken Keppra for over 10 years now, and it hasn't made a difference in my mood. Temporal Lobe Epilepsy is what made me depressed. Some of the AEDs are also used as mood stabilizers: Tegretol, Lamictal,Depakote, Topamax are some. Topomax is I'm taking for seizures and along with an anti-depressant and it seems to help me.
 
I was prescribed Keppra only for 3 or 4 months or so. This is at least the third anticonvulsant I have taken in over 30 years. I have lost a lot of weight; I do not feel particularly bad except I find I am a lot less patient with people than previously. I believe if possible in 'monotherapy' taking just one medication if possible. People with epilepsy in countries other than the United States I have heard, are into monotherapy. Is this so?
 
There are a lot of people here with epilepsy from other countries. I do not know if they are on monotherapy though.

I live in CA too, fyredeer.
 
I've had one experience with keppra and I found out I was allergic to it.I itched really bad when I was on it thatI scratched myself almost raw.
 
fyredeer said:
I believe if possible in 'monotherapy' taking just one medication if possible. People with epilepsy in countries other than the United States I have heard, are into monotherapy. Is this so?
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I'm not from the USA, I'm from Australia.
I had epilepsy as a baby/toddler & stopped taking seizures when I was about. My seizures returned in 2002 when I was 24. After my seizures returned I started out on Tegretol but it didn't help control the partial seizures so in 2004 my neurologist added a 2nd medication. Since then Ive been on at less 2 medications at a time (except for 12 months between March 2013 - March 2014 when I was just on 1 med).

The medications I've tried are Tegretol, Lamictal, Topamax, Keppra & Neurontin. At the moment I am on Tegretol & Keppra.
 
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fyredeer said:
I was prescribed Keppra only for 3 or 4 months or so. This is at least the third anticonvulsant I have taken in over 30 years. I have lost a lot of weight; I do not feel particularly bad except I find I am a lot less patient with people than previously. I believe if possible in 'monotherapy' taking just one medication if possible. People with epilepsy in countries other than the United States I have heard, are into monotherapy. Is this so?
Click to expand...

I've had E for 30+ years and for over 20 years, I've taken more than one AED at a time. There have been times I've taken 3 at a time. And I've tried over 10 AEDs.
 
I was unable to stay on it due to mood issues and a few other side effects. I am now on starting on Oxtellar.
 
Listen to your doctor, and don't just go by on what you read on some message boards/forums. If you have issues with it, you can always go back and discuss it with your doctor. Back in Dec. I had Keppra added to my script of lamotrigine (which hadn't been working that well at all) but from what I had read here was a bit weary of taking it, even though I had filled the script, I was putting off starting on it. Finally after a couple weeks I decided I was gonna start taking it in a couple days, and that very same day I had another seizure. Damn did I feel like a dumb ass. And my significant other wasn't very happy with me either. Long story short, I take 500mg twice a day, in addition to the 200mg of lamotrigine I take twice a day. Have been seizure free for 6 months now, the longest by far in years. Of course as is well known, some meds work better for some people, and can also effect different people in different ways. The keppra hasn't had any real effects on my moods, of course I believe I am on a fairly low dose of it, so maybe that has something to do with not effecting me in that regard. I mean I personally swear by the stuff, and feel blessed it has helped stop my seizures.

Again, my point is, follow your doctors advice. What do you have to lose, if you're still having seizures and nothing else has worked.
 
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