I was taking 2 x 100mg B-complex (100mg B6) per day (morning and night). I didn't think it was helping much until I dropped it to once a day because I was scared of taking too much. Boy was I nasty! I put it back up and it helped.
To be honest I don't know what I want to do. The immense depression I felt has gone somewhat, some of that I put down to Lamictal withdrawl. However, I'm left on keppra now feeling tired, irritable and generally not caring about anything.
As an example - I took my daughter (5) to the hairdresser 2 days ago and I heard her say to him something about "too short". I was having my hair washed at the time, and I didn't have the energy or motivation to get up and find out what was going on. I just couldn't find the will to care. I was willing to let my daughter's beautiful hair possibly get cut off because I couldn't find the effort within me to get up and check.
Keppra can be a wonder drug or a drug from hell. I'm amazed they put him on that first. For me it's been pretty much the drug from hell. First week I felt high (almost took off the end of my finger making dinner one day, couldn't focus, was dizzy and "doped") I was giggly and hypersensitive to touch. Then there was a sudden shift and I became moody as hell. I was angry at everyone and everything for no reason whatsoever, I hated the world. Then came the depression (after the lamictal was gone) I was so sad it physically hurt. I would imagine laying there stabbing myself in the chest to make the pain go away. It is without a doubt the lowest I have ever been in my life. My Pdoc blamed that on lamictal withdrawl and I did come out of it, but now I am left with anger and an unwillingness to do anything. A part of me is wanting to stick it out in the hopes it will improve since keppra doesn't give me the immense migraines that lamictal did. A part of me just wants to dial the clock back and be on lamictal right now.
If nothing else though, get him on a strong B complex. Possibly switch it to 3x a day dosing too. Keppra has a very short halflife, sometimes people feel more stable with 3 doses rather than 2. I'm on 500 x 3 (I have my mobile phone set to alarm for the middle dose and don't turn the alarm off until I've swallowed the tablets, otherwise I forget, I barely know what day it is any more)
Speaking as a mother, if I knew then what I know now about keppra I wuldn't have made the switch in the first place. I hate the person I've become on it, I have zero tolerance for anything, even things like getting the kids to brush their hair in the morning can send me into an internal rage and an external foul mood (obviously the kids recognize this even though I try not to blow my lid).
Perhaps speak to the doctor about the possibility of a drug like lamictal as monotherapy instead, I find it more of an upper as opposed to the downer of tegretol/depakote. I was a happy person on it (and my sex drive was great!) One downside is it tends to take away your smarts somewhat, but then pretty much every AED does. It also gave me major migraines. In retrospect though, those migraines are better than being a total cow to everyone. At least I wanted to go out back then, I enjoyed my social life.... Now I just want the world to bugger off and leave me alone. One thing to be aware of though is that drug switches are equally nasty. If he does change drugs, he'll be on a combination for a while and that is 1-2 months of hell in general, for an uncertain outcome. It's what's putting me off switching back now.
I don't know what to suggest as to how to help your husband from your point of view. As a new diagnosee he'll also be angry in a "why me?" way beyond what the keppra would do. It's a lot to come to terms with, suddenly having people telling you you can never scuba dive or sky dive or drive or whatever. Even if you never intended to do any of those things, it becomes a really big deal. "now I'll never be able to....." etc. My mum tried to support me (she also had epilepsy) but to be honest I just wished she'd leave me alone. My husband generally just leaves me alone and lets me bring up what I want when I want. I try to convey to him what a mental mess I'm in at the minute though
Perhaps you need to ask him. Do you want me to be proactive and try and help you through researching stuff etc, or would you prefer to be left alone and figure this out yourself. If he goes for option #2, point out these forums and other places. Personally I'd go for #2. I want to be left alone to try and figure this out. I'm doing everything in my power to try and make this mess better, I hate who I am. However, if he's depressed he may not be feeling that and may want to be left alone to wallow. In which case you'll have to interfere a little because he won't do it himself =\
Sorry for the somewhat disjointed post. Keppra apparently is supposed to help in the smarts dept. 3 months in and I feel more of an idiot than I ever did on lamictal! My disjointed rambling thoughts and this very small reply box are making things difficult!
***edit***
wow that post was bigger than intended!