Keppra XR. Worth it?

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xoloveliz

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In a nutshell, I have TLE and been diagnosed for about a month and a half now. My seizures come in clusters every 3-4 months or so. My neurologist prescribed me Keppra XR. She said if I take this, all my seizures will cease down and I'll be able to live a normal life and I can drive again and I'll be able to find a job without having employers worry about me. So I'm like, "Okay, awesome."

That's when I decided to look up the med and the reviews/side effects. My enthusiasm went down dramatically. Most of the reviews went along the lines of, "I became a rage-a-holic and my anger would rise out of nowhere. My friends and family are distancing themselves from me now, because they are tired of my unexplained outbursts. But at least my seizures are gone :)".

I'm not the most easy-going, calm person to begin with. I don't wanna be throwing chairs at people just because they said hello to me. I also suffer from anxiety.

Antiepileptics are also not something you can stop cold-turkey either, from what I've heard. That's a big concern for me. So, I'm asking anyone who takes it or knows someone who does. Is it worth it?
 
I was diagnosed with JME about a month ago and have been on Keppra since then. I'm still giving myself time to adjust and I do think the side effects have lessened a bit, but I definitely have problems with sudden anger. It's caused issues between my husband and I more than once, and can make taking care of two toddler boys difficult. One thing I've been told a lot is to try a B6 supplement, that it can help with the mental side effects. I plan on trying that for a while and if it still doesn't help, I'll see about a new medicine. I'm generally somewhat high strung, so it has just been exacerbated. I would recommend talking to your doctor about your concerns. They should be able to help you decide whether it is worth trying.
 
I am going through a change in meds now and I feel for you because I have to take both for a long time (doing the weaning process) off AND on. BEST, D
 
I am on Keppra XR.I believe it is worth it.It is a good medication.My seizures come from my left temporal lobe.It got my seizure activity down.If you start on brand name,stay away from generic.The generic got my seizure level up,so be careful.Best of luck to you!
 
Unfortunately, all the anti-seizure meds can potentially have unpleasant side effects. But they can also be the perfect med. I know people who hate Keppra and folks who love it. The only way to find out how it will work for you is to give it a shot. While you are ramping up on it, pay close attention to how you are feeling, and ask others to keep an eye on you too. Consider adding a B6 supplement to help. If you start to suffer the extreme moodiness you'll know sooner rather than later, and can get in touch with your doc about trying something else.

BTW, it's great that your neurologist is so positive about the Keppra XR, but she's being a bit disingenuous to suggest that it will be the magic cure for what ails you. It might be, I certainly hope it is, but there are no guarantees with epilepsy.
 
Ive been on Keppra XR now since November 2010. Prior to that, I was on Keppra for 11 years. Since being on the Keppra XR, its worked wonders for me! I had alot of really had headaches with the keppra, and once I was switched to the Keppra XR, all that went away. I was told that the Keppra XR stays longer in your body, which doesnt give you the "up and down" affect the Keppra can, causing seizure activity to want to come on when the medication starts to leave your body, before taking the next dose. Even if you do see more anger issues, I was told to take a Vitamin B-6 for that. Ive been taking a Super Complex Vitamin B every morning for years now and its worked great! I would at least suggest giving it a try. Not everyone reacts the same.
 
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