Is there anything good to say about Keppra?

[Topcat]

Keppra seems to kind of sorta work for me. That's about the only "good" I can say about it. I wish it did make me sleepy. I'm keyed up and edgy much of the time I can't sleep.
I've been on Keppra the longest. About everything else I have been taking is in conjuntion with it. Without it I would have more seizures. Yep faint "praise."

 

[Frink]

It did not work for me but it does work well for a friend of mine.

 

[George__]

It's the only one so far that hasn't made me feel drunk / drugged beyond belief.

It failed miserably in 2014 but after upping the dose I've been fine.

MEH

 

[Karenhanby]

Keppra is the most horrible drug. My levels were up and down like a rollercoaster. I almost died from going toxic on Keppra. Of course we didn't know it was the source for several days because it takes so long to get the results of your levels back.
On another note....Why does it take so long to get levels back on lamictal and keppra. It increases the danger by a billion percent!

 

[acshuman]

Med Levels

Karen,
This is as question you should ask your doctor or lab.
If this is a common problem I am sure that research is being done to get faster results for the patient.

ACsHumn

 

[Karenhanby]

I'm sure there is research and I'm sure this is a good reason. I'm sure the doc has told me too, but my memory is like Dori on Finding Nemo.
That doesn't make it any less irritating.

 

[masterjen]

Of course we didn't know it was the source for several days because it takes so long to get the results of your levels back.
On another note....Why does it take so long to get levels back on lamictal and keppra. It increases the danger by a billion percent!

For Keppra it may have something to do with the fact that blood level measurement for it cannot be done on whole blood (I'm guessing this means the blood components of the sample have to be separated out, generally by centrifuging the sample they take from you). Note the "Caution" in the attached article:

http://www.mayomedicallaboratories.com/test-catalog/Clinical+and+Interpretive/83140

 

[AlohaBird]

This article over at Epilepsy Talk did a good job of looking at Keppra in a balanced way and provides some very useful links at the end.

https://epilepsytalk.com/2010/10/15/keppra-what-people-are-saying-2/

 

[Dignan]

For Keppra it may have something to do with the fact that blood level measurement for it cannot be done on whole blood (I'm guessing this means the blood components of the sample have to be separated out, generally by centrifuging the sample they take from you). Note the "Caution" in the attached article:

http://www.mayomedicallaboratories.com/test-catalog/Clinical+and+Interpretive/83140

My doc has never done Keppra level testing. He said it wasnt necessary with Keppra..

Hope he is right..