Upped Dosage

[RunningGirl85]

So I was finally used to all of my medicine and feeling normal... And my dosages all just got upped today the neuro put me on Keppra XR instead of regular Keppra since I told him most of my partial seizures take place in the morning before I've taken my medicine and in the evening before I take my medicine. Instead of 2000 mg a day, I'll be taking 2250 a day (three 750 mg tablets at night), and I'll be adding another 25 mg of Lamictal XR this week, and then another 25 to put me at 150, which I guess is still low. I DO want my seizures under control, but I don't want to deal with the increased dosages again, even though I knew it would happen, especially with my seizure activity last week.

Anyway, I'm all ready feeling the dizziness from tonight's medicine, and I only took two of my Keppra XRs (at 1500 mg) since I took 1000 mg this morning and didn't think it would be wise to go from 2000 mg in one day to... well, 3250 in one day! And I'm waiting until tomorrow to start my upped dosage of Lamictal, since I don't want to add SO much extra medicine at once. Especially because I'm all ready feeling the extra dizziness with the Keppra that I experienced when I first started on it I just hope it doesn't take me a month to adjust to the increased dosage this time! I have just started my Master's program, and liked feeling so alert like I was, and now I'm nervous about changing everything around again while I'm trying to focus on school.

Anyway, that was just some thoughts on that that only you all would understand! I am curious though - Has anyone switched from regular Keppra to Keppra XR, and what were your thoughts on it? Also, I didn't know there was a generic Keppra XR until I went to the pharmacy! I've been taking the brand name since my body didn't like the generic that the other pharmacy I was using provided. I decided to try the generic, and I'm hoping I react okay to it!

 

[Eli]

Once the epileptologist let me space my keppra - generic - out throughout the day I did much better. And I was able to go down to 1750mg a day. I take 1-500mg in the morn, 1-500mg about 8 hrs later and then 1-750mg at night.

 

[Nakamova]

I agree that upping all the meds at once would tend to make things more stressful for your brain and body. You might ask your doc about slowing down the process, and waiting to increase the Lamictal until after you've ramped up the Keppra.

 

[acpollard2010]

My dr would never increase more more than 1 med at a time how do u know what is doing this to ur body and this and this cant tell cause we didnt just follow our normal process never taken xr and never will different type of seizures and I take no generics.a few bad reactions I have had not goin down that road again.

 

[momof3boys]

I take Keppra XR for my seizures. I take the brand name. Ive considered taking the generic, but because Ive never taken a generic seizure medication, and when I spoke to the nurse about the risks involved with changing over to the generic from brand name, i didnt want to risk having seizures. So I stuck with the brand name. I get 500mgs tablets, and take 3 in the morning, and 3 at night... for a total of 3000mgs a day. I remember feeling dizzy when I first started Keppra... 14 years ago. But it went away after my body got use to the dosage.

 

[RunningGirl85]

Well, for an update, so far the medication increase has been okay. I feel slightly dizzy right after taking it, and it's hard for me to wake up in the morning, but after that I haven't noticed too much of a difference, which is great. Also no morning seizure type activity (when I seem to have it before I take my medicine). I'm not sure if that's a result of the new medications and using the extended release instead of regular Keppra or if I'm just not having any activity. But either way, I'm happy with it