Keppra - Concentration Problems

[Stu8866]

Hi all,

Brief background, I was diagnosed with epilepsy a couple of years ago, after experiencing a high number of complex partial seizures and then one grand mal seizure. Luckily due to my private medical I was diagnosed quickly and started on Keppra, which after about a month stopped the partial seizures completely.

Since then I have had no partial or grand mal seizures and I have just had to deal with the medication side effects (which are minor compared to the seizures).

Side effects of the Keppra have changed over time. I started out extremely clumsy (dropping things etc) and very angry. This calmed down after the first 6 months and is completely manageable now. The side effect I'm currently, quietly, battling is the horrendous lack of ability to concentrate. I can't sit still for 2 minutes; reading a book, carrying out a work task, etc, all hard to do. Luckily I work in consultancy so I'm typically running around doing short tasks / meetings etc, but it's particularly bad right now - sometimes I go through a day really not getting much done at all, and having to spend the evening forcing myself to get some actual work done.

So far I have read that drinking more water can help - any other suggestions?!

Many thanks all

Stuart

 

[Nakamova]

Hi Stuart!

I haven't tried Keppra myself, but hopefully others will chime in. One thing that might help is taking a several 5-minute meditation breaks at regular intervals during the day. Nothing fancy, just closing your eyes and focusing as best you can on your breathing (ideally, from the diaphragm with short inhales and longer exhales). Noise-canceling headphones can help too, even if you're in a relatively quiet environment.

 

[seagull]

It may have nothing to do with keppra just one of those blips in life

 

[Cint]

I've been on Keppra for years and like many other AEDs, it can make concentrating difficult at times. Sometimes when I'm reading, I have to read the paragraph again because my mind wandered off. Or I forget what I went into the other room for. Or where I place things if I don't have a specific place for it. Plus having epilepsy can make concentration difficult.