I have been prescribed Keppra 250mg twice daily today and am a little nervous about taking.

The past year and 1/2 i though i was having panic attacks and i found out today that i am actually having seizures. I tried taking anti depressants when they thought I was having panic attacks and I put on 40lbs. Wondering if there is weight gain with Keppra. I have also read about it causing anxiety - don't really need that either.

So, if anyone could give me some positive feedback I would appreciate it.

Thank you!

Jane

The side effects of Keppra seem to be very different depending on the person. I take 1250 mg of Keppra twice a day, and I've never had any side effects. I gained weight when I went on Tegretol (15 lbs or so), but lost what I had gained when the Keppra was added. So for me, Keppra made me lose weight, but only what I had gained from the Tegretol.
But then my Tegretol dose was increased, and I gained 15 lbs again. Grr.

Hi - my daughter Rebecca is taking 1500mg twice a day of keppra. I was really hesitant for her to take keppra due to the "rages". She is 22 and developmentally challenged so it is difficult to make decisions for her. She is very underweight as well. Keppra has not caused any major side effects. Unfortunatelly she has not gained any weight on it either. Hope it works for you.....all the best.....Paula

I've been taking Keppra for the past 4 years-no problem with it. The weight I gain/lose is from the tegretolxr I take.......Cherie

Hi there,
My 3 year old son was on Keppra for about 6 weeks until I asked about changing meds. He had horrible mood swings and terrible outbursts while on that med. Right now we are weaning him off the Keppra and onto Lamictal. It's been 3 weeks and there is already a noticeable difference now that the Keppra amounts have been lessening.
I have heard many people say though, that they experienced no change in behavior.

Thanks everyone for the positive feedback. I am scared to try - but will.

I have a big day this saturday so I will start Sunday.

Really appreciated it.

Jane

hey there,
my daughter, who is 4 was on Keppra for awhile, she is just about weened off of it, thursday will be her last day on it. her new neuro put her on Depakote Sprinkles, 250mg 2x's a day, as the Keppra was not completely helping her. since on the Depakote,,,,,,,there has been a huge improvement. she hardly has the seizures anymore!!!! even the EEG she had done showed improvement while on the Depakote Spr. and although she is only 4, i guess the keppra WAS causing her to have outbursts........as since she's almost off of it, i don't see them anymore! : )
she was on the keppra at first as they dx'd her with complex partial seizures, now they are generalized. but things look good on the Dep. Sprinkles.

Good luck to you!

In my situation, I was fighting a Dr who wanted to put me back on a bad combo when I started on Keppra. I somewhat quickly went up to 3000/day (1500mg AM and PM) and was fine. I had issues when the Dr did not pay attention to my complaints of problems and pushed me to 4000/day when symptoms started. Once I was reduced (ER Dr orders) back to 3000/day; within 36 hours I was back to normal, no problems.

That was what (making me think!!) a good 6-7 YEARS ago. Just in the last 20 months (or so) I had Keppra lowered for the first time due to high blood levels, but no noticable symptoms (like I had at 4000). We were only trying to drop my levels from mid 60's to where I had held before. Last test I was still a little high. Still am on Keppra.

Overall I give it good review from **my personal experience** on it; but each patient is different.

Over the years I have started out on (and am still on) Tegretol (in some form over the years). As well as:

Phenobarbital, Lamictal, Dilantin, Topamax, Depakote, Zonegran. (all but Topa has been in the past)... Meds effect our memory as well. I think thats my list :-)

I cannot comment on Keppra as Monotherapy (one medication only). I have almost always been on poly-therapy (two or more medications).

--Travis

I take 750 mg. of keppa daily, broken up into 3 250mg doses. I was taking 500mg. once daily when I started on it but it made me way too sleepy. My dr. increased me to 750 after removing another med. and the way I take it I have no problems at all with side effects. I also take Trileptal 600mg. daily and just today stopped taking primidone all together after being weaned off. So far the keppra Trileptal combo works well for me with minimal side effects. The only one that bothers me occasionally anymore is daytime sleepiness if I'm not up doing something.

I think every person reacts differently to every med. And unfortunately in my experience over the last 5 1/2 yrs. anti-seiz. meds seem to have a very high potential for negative side effects.

Best of luck and hope you can tolerate it well as I do.:)

I started Keppra today. 250mg in the morning and I just took another 250mg. I am so very tired.

I am hoping that int he weeks to come it will get better.

Because I am having seizures I am not sleeping - therefore I got this"brain fog" - where I feel like I am walking around in a dream. I have had this syptm a year and 1/2. Today just a few hours after I took the Keppra it got better. So i am hoping the tiredness will subside.

Anyone have severe tiredness in the beginning but got better?

Hello,
I hope you have better luck then i did on Keppra. I to was very sleepy and fatigued. I was on the med about 4 weeks and all of a sudden i started crying for no reason. I became very emotional, also has rage episodes and could not come up with a answer why! My doc took me off and every thing went away.
sherr

Well this dose I took this evening - i just cleaned the entire house! This is weird. Sleept during the first dose this morning and now I have too much energy. Not anxiety thank God.

I hope this evens out! i hope i can sleep tonight.

I don't remember those kinds of side effects-do yourself a favor and keep a journal-and talk with your nero about what has been happening. Good luck-Cherie

I was on Keppra briefly; the constipation was not responding to anything, and not worth any possible benefits when it added a risk factor for the seizures....I can take Tegretrol- with stable weight (and have for years), Klonopin, and Neurontin (though for another neuro disorder), along with as needed Ativan. This combo has helped me more than any of the other meds I"ve tried during the past 21 years. Weird how different folks can respond so differently to the same meds.

I took Keppra all the way up to 3000 mg (1500 mg x 2) and it brought me into a state of psychosis (a side-effect) and had to be taken off of it.

:nono: Keppra :nono: for me!

hi ,i am taken keppra,and have done for the last few years but had trouble with the dosage, but now im taken 750mg a day and all is fine.

hi im also taken keppra of 750mg but 250mg in the morning and 500mg at night so all is good for me . do you feel ok with yours?

hi im taken keppra of 750mg and all is ok , before , if i am sure i was on 1000mg but was not good, how are you coping now?

Today is my 3rd day and I feel OK. I felt a bit weird this morning. Can't really pinpoint what it was. I am on 250 in the morning and then 259 on the evening.

i am going to stick it out for a few weeks to see how I react to it. I am wondering how long before any side effects leave.

It takes one day for Keppra's levels to become "normal" in a persons system.

As for adapting to potential effects, I cannot recall how long it took me, or even IF if had issues when starting before I came to 3000mg. The sideFX for me did not appear as drastic as Depakote or toxic Teg levels did in my treatment history.

--Travis

Hi j2006,

I am only on 250mg. now,but,I was on up to 2000mg. daily and
I wanted to sleep all day long,I would have to take 2 hour naps
daily.I then noticed a difference in my personality.The doctor then
put me down to 500mg. and I cut it to 250mg. myself then told my
doctor.I still seem to have some anxiety problems that all started
with the Keppra(maybe just a coincidence)and we all are different.

Good-luck and really keep an eye on any anxiety problems.

Take care,Sherri

I was up to 1500mg of keppra a day...and am now down to 5oomg 2x daily....plus some trileptal...just the normal dizzy...sleepy...nothing that interfers too much with my day....

Lamac

:wave: Hi. I am new here and just wanted to say that I am taking Keppra, along with others such as Lamictal & Dilantin. I will be seeing my doctor soon and will let them know how things are going, because I feel it is time for a change. I don't feel Keppra is doing much for me. I'm on 4 different kinds of medications and for years I have only been on one.

I have been on 500mg of Keppra for 10 days. I still am very tired. Has anyone had this side effect and then over time left? I feel like I am on drugs. I am hoping that this side effect will lesson over time.

Hi j2006,

I have been wondering how you have been doing.

Once I was started on Keppra the tiredness has never
went away.Now my doctor has me taking it only at night.
It works like a sleeping pill.

Sherri

I talked to my dr. and he won't change the med until I get another EEG and sleep test. I guess i will have to be tired until he changes the med.

Thank you for your response

j2006, I was tired when I first began taking keppra-then was fine after a few weeks. I've been taking it for about 3-4 years...all has been fine . Cherie

Hi! Our 15 year old son has never had his seizures stopped by any meds, so the doctor added Keppra to his Lamictal and sent us home saying we'd just need to watch for slight "mood changes". After a few days he became more and more irate and irrational, started throwing fits (and things!), and I started asking the doctor to maybe taper him off of the Keppra. He said no, just keep trying it for a few months, so we did, but eventually it became a daily battle to keep him away from the kitchen knives! He would either threaten to kill himself or us and I finally convinced the doctor it just wasn't working for our son. Then, I found on the internet that they call them the "Keppra rages". Thanks so much, doc, for giving us the heads up!

I know medicines work differently for everyone, but a little stronger warning would certainly have been nice.

Anyway, they also made him very, very tired, and after tapering off of it the problems went away.

I hope it works as well for you as it does for lots of people, it just didn't work for us! :)

Take Care,
Brent's Mom

Keppra turned my wonderful, thoughtful kind husband into an angry, paranoid, mean person. Unfortunatly the doctor chose to leave him on the Keppra long enough for the divorce to be final. I cannot believe this medication can change a person enough to ruin a great 19 year marriage. I would tell anyone considering this medication to watch for ANY unusual side effects.

I am doing well on this medication - except for a bit of tiredness and some anxiety.

No doctor can tell you to stay on a medication. I went twice to my doctor with my complaints and I asked to be switched to something else. We reviewed the other's side effects and I chose to stay on for a couple more weeks.

I am glad I did.

I just hope that I continue to do well.

I take 750 mg. of keppa daily, broken up into 3 250mg doses. I was taking 500mg. once daily when I started on it but it made me way too sleepy. My dr. increased me to 750 after removing another med. and the way I take it I have no problems at all with side effects. I also take Trileptal 600mg. daily and just today stopped taking primidone all together after being weaned off. So far the keppra Trileptal combo works well for me with minimal side effects. The only one that bothers me occasionally anymore is daytime sleepiness if I'm not up doing something.

I think every person reacts differently to every med. And unfortunately in my experience over the last 5 1/2 yrs. anti-seiz. meds seem to have a very high potential for negative side effects.

Best of luck and hope you can tolerate it well as I do.:)
Hi, Aussie. I'm new to the board and noticed you are taking Trileptal and Keppra together. My son, 36 yr old, started having seizures while he was on Dilantin (300 mg). So the dr placed him on Keppra (3000 mg) He had two mild seizures while on Keppra, so they added Trileptal gradually to 1200 mg a day and decreased his Keppra to 750 mg a day. Since he's been on the Trileptal, he really is loopy. He sleeps all the time, has trouble with vision, can't walk straight, and just not himself. Did you experience this with Trileptal at all? How long have you been on it and are you still experiencing side effects?

Thanks and hope you are still doing good.

Momof36

Hi my mum takes Keppra, has taken it for about 5 years, she takes 3000mg per day, 1500am 1500pm. This has been a marvel drug for my mum, she has less seizures now, however, she gets very tired, has to have a sleep everyday, cat naps alot, i feel this is the only side effect on her. She also takes Epilim 1600mg per day, 800mg x 2 daily. She has also taken this for many years and was initially the wonder drug for her.

IS ANYONE ELSE TAKING 'EPILIM' ?

I notice no mention of this drug on this page.

Best wishes to all you sufferers out there, from 'Cakes'

Thanks for your response. Glad to know that your Mum is doing so well on Keppra. Sounds like these types of drugs affect everyone so differently. Guess its just trial and error until you reach the right one for you.

Take care and God bless,
Momof36

hi im gaynor and i have had epilepsy for just over a year now i am on keppra 500 ml in the morning 500ml at night i am 2 scared 2 do lots of things that i used 2 enjoy befroe i was diognosed with epilepsy i need advice

Hi Gaynor. I know how scared you must be. As time goes on and the meds are doing what they are supposed to do, you will get back to feeling like you can do more. I have gotten alot of peace from prayer to our good Lord and friends that are offering prayer for my son. That seems to keep me focused and not to worry too much about tomorrow.....

Take care and I will be keeping you in prayer.

momof36

I have been on 1,000 (500 in the am, 500 in the pm) for about seven weeks now as I was weaning off topamax. I remember just after going on the Keppra, I was so so tired. I felt (now don't judge me) like I was on ecstasy almost but without the oooohh/aaaahh feeling behind it. My jaw was really fatigued and I could barely keep my eyes opened. I felt like I was on drugs but in a couple of days I was fine. I pretty much felt the Topamax more than the Keppra and as I weaned off it, I felt more and more aware of myself since the topamax had left me in a fog. Some irritability but I noticed as I started taking more B6, that went away.

My new neurologist just bumped my dosage to 1500 (500 in the am, 1000 in the pm).

I am currently taking Keppra. I take 1000 mgs two times daily and I feel as if I am not even here. Ever since I started taking Keppra I have been anxious, overwhelmed, tired, and much more. I hate and like Keppra all at the same time. I hate the feelings that I get from it but I like being able to go a day without having any seizures. That is a very good feeling.

I am currently taking 400 mgs. Topamax and reached my 3,000 mgs level of Keppra sometime in April, right around the time I developed an ulcer. But my complex partials have backed off a tad. YAY! Still averaging far too many. Every body reacts differently to AEDs, though and lots of people have great luck w/Keppra, so I've read.

However, I've reached my verdict. Although it has "only" been 2 years since I was diagnosed with E., I'm ready for Hannibal Lechter to have at it with my brain.


served with a nice chianti and favre beans, of course.

;)

Stick a fork in me, folx. I'm done.

I'm currently taking 1k mg of Keppra and 600 mg of Lamictal and have never felt any side-effects

Started on 1000 mg a day (500 twice a day) as I was weaning off the Topamax. Then was bumped to 1500 a day (500 in the am, 500 in the pm) and now I'm on 2250 a day. 750 in the am, 1500 in the pm. After being on topamax, being on Keppra is like having my mind open up; however, I do get angry very easily.

I also noticed that around my menstrual cycle, I'm more prone to have auras.