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479255 tn?1208116148

Keppra- anyone have any succes with it?

I have been diagnosed with partial complex seizures. I work in the medical field and my neurologist put me on Keppra. I was still having seizures on 1000mg per day so he increased the dosage over the phone from 1000 to 2000 mg per day. I still have problems so I called him back..............he told me to see a shrink. I feel like the keppra is making me have mood swings that are totally crazy! I am usually very laid back and mellow and now get upset over the littlest things for no reason................has anyone else had this experience on Keppra?
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Avatar universal
If your doctor told you to see a shrink, I'd consider getting a new neurologist. Regarding Keppra, if you are on the maximum dosage and still getting seizures, you may need to add a 2nd medication. My son continued to have seizures with the max Keppra and now is on Keppra and Depakote.
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Avatar universal
My son is 17 started taking Seizures around 7 months ago he has been on Keppra 750mgs XR 3 @ 7pm along with V-b6 My son is a complete different child. My son has went from the best child to the devil.  This medicine has made my son so severely anxious depressed unable to get out of bed failing school from being straight A student.  I take him to one of the best Neuro in the area and even drive 3 hours to see this doctor, i have reached out to him 4 times made him aware and he has yet to change it, well a few days ago he broke things in my home screaming he has lost almost 20lbs. THIS IS DONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am weaning him off now and going to be getting his mental health back to stable then go from there.  I can't lose my son, we have emergency medicine if he takes a seizure to stop it i need to get his mental health back his weight MY SON I want him back.  Please share your experience with this medicine with me please.  I am so lost and I feel so helpless for my son.  

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1423357 tn?1511085442
Keppra had God awful effects on our granddaughter who was normally sweet and loving until she was put on it.  Tantrums, angry outbursts, and crying were commonplace.  Fortunately, she wasn't on it for very long.
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1423357 tn?1511085442
I'm sure the OP is long gone, but to anyone else who is in a similar situation.  There are many different kinds of drugs to try, alone or in combination with another.  There are also many different kinds of neurologists as well.  There are those who will write a script for TWICE the existing strength without consulting with the patient.  There are also neurologists who are caring, compassionate people who will keep digging for a solution.  We discovered this after taking our granddaughter to a well known child neurologist, head of the neurology department in a big city children's hospital on the east coast of the US.  The guy turned out to be .....well a jerk (which should clear the censor).  We too were told to take her to a psychologist after he either gave up or was too busy to bring to bear all of his credential and accolades on a little girl.  We switched to a another doc in another state who while receiving excellent reviews was lesser known in the field.  She has turned out to be the best thing to happen to our granddaughter and her parents.  Phone calls and emails just to see how things are going, rooting, and digging to find an answer.  The OP is under no obligation to continue with the seemingly uncaring physician.  If you don't like the physician, get rid of him and find a new one who will care for you, and treat you in the manner you are due.
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1808278 tn?1338484942
Someone else taking Zonisamide!!! Please god, get us in touch. Oh, and help Junebug learn to type without the upper case button stuck on the ON position which we all see as screaming. June, I am ***@****
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1808278 tn?1338484942
  I just saw an advert for bi-polar disease that made me stiffen up and read. My neuro, in one of one of the damn hand written notes (I'm looking at it now) also decided that since I talk too loudly and  talk too much (a side effect for me of my seizures and the meds) (it's not like I was a lawyer prior to the head injury that gave me seizures) (yes, I was) that I am bi-piloar---wait, I'm getting beind myself--at any rate, the new seizure med I'm taking, Zonisamide, makes me feel like I've consumed too much coffee today and every day, lost 25 pounds (I needed to) and I am terribly sane once again. I can read, I CAN DRIVE. Prior, this evil man told my HUSBAND that I could drive again WHEN MY HUSBAND TOLD ME IT WAS OK---the neuro is from India and is in an arranged marriaged---I can only imagine how many times he has fooled around in THAT marriage--he wears a horridly bad toupe' (or is it toupee?) and his hair piece is so often filty that I cannot keep from smirking when I talk to him!
The advert I saw on my screen was for Bi Polar disease. And Zonisamide is used to CURE bi-polar disease--He wrote that I was an epileptic, with "a strange personality disease, who was bi-polar, and who was obese. Zonisamide has been used since 2000 to cure epilepsy, obese-ness, bi-polar disease, etc. Why did he fail to give it to ME? (Always read the notes the annotations, the nursing notes, anything you can get!) I subpoenaed 10 years of medical annotations from the local hospital and boy howdy, did they sit up and play fetch! Love ya'll I am suing my neuro!
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1808278 tn?1338484942
Try Zonisamide! I swear by it. All my seizures are under control AND it has made me lose the weight I gained by being a self imposed couch potato---since I was falling down with my seizures and was afraid that I would seize in a strange position and fall on a hard surface! It has been approved by the U.S. FDA since the year 2000, but I've not spoken to many peeps who are using it. Indeed, I did not get it prescribed until my 10th year of seizing, documented by my local U. of CA hospital's Emergency Room. I swear, the things we have to have witnessed by a medical pro are unbelieveable. Wait, maybe that extra E should not be there. I seized so many times my brain was cooked to well done and I cannot spell any more.
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Avatar universal
I am 31 had my first seizue 2 months before my bday. Been on keppra 500mg bid and it makes me irritated easily. Normally I can handle stress and just go through the day. I never cry about anything and find myself crying over the dumbest stuff. I know when I snap at people and its not kind but its like I cant help it. And all I wanna do is sleep so I dont have to think. I feel all your pain from all these posts. I am hoping it will get better for everyone. Take care all.
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Avatar universal
I AM ON KEPPRA 1,000 MG. 3X A DAY DEPAKOTE 1,000 MG. 3X A DAY ZONISAMIDE 100 MG. 3 AT BEDTIME. I HAVE HAD MANY EEG'S MOST OF WHICH SHOWED SEIZURES ON THE RIGHT PARIETAL LOBE. THE LAST 2 SHOWED NEGATIVE. I HAVE ALSO HAD AN OVERNIGHT EEG STUDY WHICH I AM WAITING ON THE RESULTS FROM MY NEUROLOGIST. I HAVE SEIZURES 2-3 EVERY WEEK. IN FLORIDA WE HAVE A 2 YEAR SEIZURE FREE FOR DRIVER LICENSE'S AND THAT MEANS I HAVE I HAVE A WHILE TO WAIT TO APPLY FOR MY LICENSE. PLUS THE DOCTOR WON'T EVEN DISCUSS IT AT THIS POINT. I AM GETTING SCHEDULED FOR AN OUT OF COUNTY 5 DAY OVERNIGHT EEG AND AN MRI BY A SPECIALIST. I HAVE NOT HAD ANY HOSTILITIES. I BELIEVE THIS IS BECAUSE I ALL READY HAD MOOD SWINGS AND AM ON MEDICATIONS TO CONTROL THOSE. MY FIRST EEG SHOWED IN 1991 SHOWED RIGHT PARIETAL LOBE SEIZURES ACTIVITY WHEN I WAS VIOLENT. THIS WAS BEFORE I WAS ON ANY MEDICATIONS FOR MENTAL AND SEIZURES. I DO FEEL NAUSEAUS AT TIMES WITH VOMITING AS WELL AS DIZZINESS. THESE ARE BEING TREATED WITH OTHER MEDICATIONS AS WELL. I HAVE HAD 5 TIA'S. AM A SMOKER WITH COPD/ASTHMA/EMPHYSEMA ALL BEING TREATED WITH A NUMBER OF MEDICATIONS.
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Avatar universal
I WAS PLACED ON THE 5 WEEK DOSE PACK OF LAMICTAL BY MY NEUROLOGIST FOR MY SEIZURES. THIS IS WHERE YOU TAKE 25 MG. EVERY OTHER DAY FOR WEEKS 1/2 AND 25 MG. EVERY DAY FOR WEEKS 3/4 AND INCREASE TO 50 MG. EVERY DAY FOR WEEK 5. I ENDED UP IN THE HOSPITAL AT THE BEGINNING OF WEEK 5. THEY STARTED ME ON 50 MG. BY DAY 3 I HAD BROKE OUT IN A RASH AND SORES AND HAD TO BE TAKEN OFF OF IT. I WAS TOLD THAT BREAKING OUT IN A RASH IS A COMMON SIDE AFFECT.  
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Avatar universal
Hi , i am having similar symptoms as evryone here. I am 22 yrs old and a male. I suffered from a gran maul seizure in 2013 , put on keppra 500mg a day twice a day. I was fine in the beginning. Slight dizziness, sick to my stomach, slept good, anger was elevated. Howver i dont rlly have epilepsy. Only reason i had one was because of my surgery when i was 11 for an arachnoid cyst . 10 yrs down the road it hit me. First 10 months of keppra was fine. I did suffer numbness in my hamds , dizzy, sleep deprived, shaking of hands and uncontrollable muscle movements, sluggish, waking up too early, definitely angry most of the time. It was just horrible after two months my body accustomed itself to the dose . Then i started with these symptoms
I had a second one on keppra due to sleep deprivation.
Now im on keppra 500mg twice a day and lamictal 400mg twice a day   . Its annoying as hell!! I just wanna sleep!!! And... Ironically enough.. Im up at 2;30 AM writing this with only 6 hours of sleep..  
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Avatar universal
Talk with your neurologist about consuming vitamin B6 . It helps stabilize brain activity as well ad mood swings. I am doing perfect of keppra and i am on a 2,000 dosage also however, the difference is that i have generalized epilepsy.
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Avatar universal
Hi I'm 5 months pregnant, I've been having fits so I've had to try keppra Im already on 700 mg lamotrigine! I'm worried about the side affects I'm gonna have I'm emotional and tired all the time as it is anyway!
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Avatar universal
I have been on Keppra for a few years now with a mixture of Epilim, Lamictal and Topamax. I have generalised epilepsy and I "quote" from my neurologist "I am an odd and difficult case". Lovely hey. Anyway, I am on 1000mg of Keppra a day and I have found that since going on them I have been more irritable towards people and I get upset a lot easier. I have found myself to be more lethargic and sometimes a bit forgetful with the easiest of things. When I am tired, I can't even put one word in front of the other properly so putting a sentence together is hard. Instead of trying to just put me on two different types of tablets and try that, my neurologist thought it would be wise to use me as a guinea pig and put me on four different ones. I have also started to feel the cold a lot more. I am cold for approx 10 months out of the year. I am not happy and it is hard as I haven't had a fit for years and I hadn't since before he stuck me on all these tablets but because my eyes fluttered a little he thought I should take more tablets to stop it so if I was to change now, I would lose my license, my job, my independence.
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Avatar universal
I am on Keppra had my first seizure 6 months ago. i take 500 mg 2x daily. Only side effect i had was  wanting to argue alot. (VERY HOT HEADED), but that left after about a month. I  was 47 when I had first seizure. Doctors do not know what caused it. I am in Michigan we have a 6 month seizure free driving law, went today to get paperwork signed to drive. Doctor will not sign it.  No big deal, I will readjust my life around this, I will not let it get the better of me
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Avatar universal
I'm 17 and I've been taking Keppra awhile now. I take 1500 3 times a day mixed with other stuff and my seizures have calmed down, but they haven't stopped completely. The one thing I HATE about it that it makes me hungry 24/7 whereas when I took topermax  I was never hungry so of course as a teenage girl I hate that part, but as far as mood goes and stuff I'd say the Keppra has been the best for me compared to the other stuff. I don't get as angry anymore.
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Avatar universal
See if you can get him on lamictal.  i have noticed an incredible change in my mood for the better after switching from keppra to lamictal 200mg twice a day and it has controlled my seizures for 3 years.
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Avatar universal
My 12-year old son's first seizure occurred in August 2012.  He went on Keppra after his second seizure in October 2012.  He started at 1000mg/ day.  After his third seizure in November 2012 he moved up to 1500mg/day.  After his fourth seizure in January 2013 he moved up to 2250 mg/day.  After his fifth seizure in March 2013, which happened a week ago, he moved up to 2750mg/day.  Keppra causes him to experience mood swings.  Sometimes he is giddy, sometimes almost inconsolably sad.  His school work has fallen off a lot.  He has gained weight disturbingly.  However, his mood swings less now than when he first went on Keppra.  I am hopeful that the current dosage will be effective and that he will adjust to normalcy.  Epilepsy is bewildering.        
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Avatar universal
I take Kepra. The medication was not enough so I now have a VNS implant and take a low dose of Kepra. This works very well for me.
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Avatar universal
Awww this is such a heart wrenching story. Apologies for only now responding but only just found this site after doing some research on Keppra. I know what you mean about the way ppl view you. I have been on different meds since i was diagnosed in 1997 with complex partial seizures. I have ppl telling me i am rude and ignorant and have an attitude because they think i am rolling my eyes at them I mean really.. like its my fault. You try to explain to them that its not rudeness and what the real reason is and you get the excuses excuses line. The meds i have been on over the years have given me quite a few different side effects. The first time i tried keppra it was with 15oomg eplim (2001) and that didnt go down well. I am now back on keppra after 11 years on its own this time and been on it since 7th november 2012 and already feeling strange, being hungry but cant really face food. Tried two small glasses of low alcohol wine and that played havoc. Feeling tired and headachy. Only on 250mg at the moment but the dosage is going up by 250mg every 2 weeks up to 1000mg.. so fingers crossed it doesnt get any worse.
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Avatar universal
I have been on Keppra for 3 years, almost 4 now.  I am 28, and I had my first/only grand mal at 23.  I have a great job and a great family, and I've been lucky enough to NOT push everyone out of my life so far.  But I have noticed a build up of aggression and just not being myself.  I used to be happy, all the time, played sports in college (Division I).  I've always been really smart (quick at math, majored in chemistry) and really confident.  Lately, I have lost confidence, I get very angry -- quickly.  And I have lost weight, but I have been trying to eat healthy and work out, to increase natural levels of serotonin to make me happier.  And I have memory black outs, where I cant remember what people just said (some say I am a poor listener and I laugh, but I think its something else). But I will tell you this, if I have any alcohol that rage is severe.  And I take it out on my mother and my very patient boyfriend.  And I cry and feel like I am just stuck sometimes.  And I didn't know what was wrong with me until I read this.  Have you tried anti-depressants along side of Keppra?  I'm thinking of suggesting that to my neurologist, just a small dosage to see if it helps... because nothing, NOTHING is worse than feeling the way I did after that seizure.  And I haven't had one since, so I feel like balancing my mood with stabilizers or anti-depressants may help.  I dont want to take pills, but I don't want to be so angry and Keppra has controlled my seizures so well I feel like I don't want to change that part.  
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3217939 tn?1345929459
my name is heidi i am 28 years old i had my first seizure a year ago. i am on 1000 mgs of keppra a day and i just started takingit again a couple days ago and i am the same way depression irritibility crying  all of the above I have horrible dry mouth  and no appetite. i worry all the time and i don't wanna be alone. i have numbness in my feet and i feel like i am going crazy.
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Avatar universal
Give little time to the medicine to adjust in your mind and with your body. Everything will be alright after about 6 months from the start of taking your dose.
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1808278 tn?1338484942
Every human is different and every one of us has different reactions to different meds.Keppra, which makes me CRAZY is good for many others. My neuro immediately switched me. Now Vimpat and Dilantin work best: but Dilantin or Vimpat has caused tooth decay! My poor hub had to deal with Keppra rage for over a month. Belly busted laugh when he was told it was Keppra, not just me.
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