hi, my name is jon, my partner and me have been together for just over a year.. not long after i met her she had her first seizure, she screamed, collapsed, eyes rolled back etc, .. but i stuck by her, she had another one the following day then another a month later on new years eve.. then they stopped and she was fine for three month, then her apointment with neurology came through, and the neurologist insisyed that for her own good she take keppra.. before keppra she was the most caring, loving, happy, smiley person on the earth, with a heart of gold, who would do anything for anyone, but after she started taking keppra, it changed her, she has been on these tablets now for nearly nine months, and its only through reading on forums that i realized how bad the side effects are to keppra.
after she started taking these tablets she changed, shes a model, or atleast she was, she has lost all her confidence, has become anxious, negative, cold and uncaring, two months ago i nearly left her because i couldnt take the lack of emotion anymore. as i said it was only by reading on the internet that i realized that these pills were truly to blame.. well im getting so close to giving up on this, i love her to pieces but i cant live in the shadow of these pills anymore.. so many people have so many different opinions on the effects of keppra, she sees her neuologist in a couple of weeks, i really dont know if i can hold out.. and will it make a difference ? shes been like this for so long now that the mentality may have lodged its self..
am i wasting my time waiting ?.. shes not the woman i fell in love with, will she ever be again..
any advice welcomed plz..
Last edited by jonplatnum; 12-03-2010 at 04:02 PM.
The Following User Says Thank You to jonplatnum For This Useful Post: WANKER2011 (04-18-2011)
jonplatnum: How old is she? Is the Keppra controlling the seizures? Keppra is known to change a person and is nicknamed KeppRAGE! Is that the only med she's on? Maybe her dose is too high. Does she know her triggers? Maybe she needs to change her diet and eliminate foods with MSG and Soy.
Being a female, alot of this is hormonal. Have her get to an endocrinologist and get her hormones checked. If they're out of whack it's going to change her attitude even more.
She should also be taking some Vit B6 because Keppra lowers it in you. I'd also recommend Vit B12 (which helps with stress), magnesium, and selenium. Does she drink alot of caffeine? Caffeine depletes the magnesium in you.
See if you can find a doctor that will test her neurotransmitters. If she's a diet soda drinker, the aspartame in the soda lowers a neurotransmitter called Taurine. By getting the neurotransmitters tested you can see if something is off balance there.
Does she seem to have more seizures right before, during and after her menstrual cycle? If so, look up Catamenial Epilepsy. The new and full moons can also affect seizures. Keep track of the seizures on a calendar and see if there's a pattern. Show it to the doctors so they can see when they're happening.
See if you can find someone to give her a massage. I have a hard time getting someone to give me one because they're all paranoid that I'll have a seizure and sue them! She needs to be getting enough sleep too.
I know it's hard to deal with a person who has this. I'm thankful that I have a supporting husband that understands what I'm going through. To leave her would be a real blow to her. She needs a support system and needs to know she has a soft place to fall.
I imagine she can't drive and needs help getting around. See if she can find a support group that she can talk to other people with about this. Her doctor should be able to help with this. She could also be suffering from depression and anxiety. Please try to hang in there with her and get her the help she needs. Not everyone is perfect and adding this illness to your life even makes it worse. Get some couples counseling if you can, too. What has she said to you about the way she feels? Does she have any women friends that she's close to?
Keep us posted and we'll try to help you cope with this.
Personally I think Keppra could definitely be the culprit in her mood/attitude change over the past months. I just finished posting a Keppra post on this board above your post, check it out if you wish- I had a horrible experience on it.
One thing I did not think to include was that it did not take long for the 'old me' to come back to the surface after the Keppra was gone. I felt like a new happy person again within days I think- don't remember fully but I know it was quick!
hi, thanks for your support, you dont understand the releif i feel in knowing that someone somewhere understands.. she is 25 and is on 2000 a day, its the only med she is on, she has had one seizure on keppra at a highly stressful time, finding a family member has a short time to live, and coincidentally she was menstral at the time aswell... she does not drink caffeine.. she has become distant and uncaring, lets me down alot, argues with me and in turn blames me for it, .. ive asked her if she wants to split up, but she insists she loves me, and thats its because she does not feel like herself at the moment.. everything seems very secretive and paraanoid.. seriously, thank you for answering, it brought tears to my eyes (and down my cheeks) just knowing that after all this time that there are people who understand this..
The following user gives a hug of support to jonplatnum: CoffyDrinker711 (03-11-2011)
Jonplatnum? Has she ever tried any other seizures meds? All of them have side effects but some are less than Keppra. See, I told you about the stress and the menstrual cycle. It's hormonal! See if you can get her hormones checked and tell her to start using some progesterone cream at night before bed. Also research xenoestrogens and phytoestrogens.
You'll be amazed at what you read. Our world is toxic and alot of these seizures are being caused from chemicals we're exposed to that mess with our bodies. Please try to hang in there and get her some help.
im trying, beleive me, i would do anything to bring back the love of my life, literally anything.. and i give her massages quite often as she carry a lot of tension in her upper back and shoulders too..
thank you so much for your support, its appreciated much more than you could possibly know
for the first time in a long time i dont feel alone in this.. I appreciate its not me suffering from the seizures, but i find it really hard to find anyone who appreciates the situation im in, im at my witz end with this situation, i dont know what to do for the greater good of both of our sanitys.. seriously, thankyou
Jonplatnum: Where's her family in all of this? See if there's a history of seizures in her family. Find out some background info on them. Be careful with the backrubs and massages because they can trigger seizures too. I have a hard time getting someone to give me a massage because they're all paranoid I'm going to sue them if I have a seizure.
Is she using computers, watching TV, using cell phones, cordless phones, and other technology? They all emit EMF's which can also cause a seizure. They're bad for us. She needs to stay away from fluorescent lights too. Flashing lights, 3D movies, loud noises and chaos.
I'll try to help you through this as much as possible. Hang in there. You've got alot to learn.
yes she has her family around her, she helps her mum care for her older brother who also has epilepsy, he has had it since birth and it has never been controlled.. she has partial seizures, where she passes out, eyes roll, but no muscle spasms.. her brothers are full seizures.. sorry if my terminology isnt 100%, as you said there is so much to take in..
jonplatnum: See, it's in her family. Has she had an EEG and MRI to see what's going on? Is she a candidate for surgery or a Vagus Nerve Stimulator? Some people are never controlled on the drugs. The drugs just lower the amount of seizures that happen. I still think it's hormonal in some ways. Hormones control your brain more than you know.
Some people opt not to take the meds because they'd rather have a seizure than put up with the side effects of the meds. However, every time you have a seizure you lose brain cells.
There are many meds that I've been on that I can't take. They've either caused allergic reactions or asthmatic symptoms. Has she tried any other meds besides Keppra? There's a new one out there called Vimpat. I haven't heard alot about it. I see you're in England and they have other drugs over there that we don't have here in the U.S.
I hope she's not driving. I ended up crashing my car 2 years ago after having a seizure behind the wheel. Now I'm stuck here at home with no transportation and very little help.
Go to her doctor appointments with her if you can and talk to the doctor directly and see what info he's willing to give you. She's got alot on her plate and you're going to have to make a decision about whether or not you're willing to hang in there with her or make an exit. Hopefully you'll give it your best shot.
Keppra can do wierd things to, in particular, emotions.
I was on the medication myself for a relatively short duration of 6-7 months. I too had a problem with patience with other people. Particularly if others would make what I perceived as a negative remark. Normally, I would think to myself that it was equivalent to their passing gas and disregard their comment. But Keppra gave me a new ambition, to say the least!
When on Keppra, such comments were now a new challenge to be addressed, VERBALLY. Also feelings of love emotions towards my wife and children were even higher. There were many more tears of joy rather than of sorrow. Imagine a guy going through so many ******* tears! I told my doctor what was taking place. He, without hesitation, decided to wean me off the Keppra.
It has definitely made a difference for the better. I was back to my old self. Hopefully everyone else feels the same. I am sure they do.
The passion you have for her is a blessing! I hope all goes well for the two of you.
keppra did the same thing to me. because of all of the weight I had gained from deprokate they just thought it was my personality! no. I was lucky and I was taken off of that horrible medicine.
I am on tegretol for the grand mal and topamax. I ended up discovering that I needed hormones to help me. I had no progrestone in my body. I went to a natural hormone clinic and I am on 200 mg pill and 75 mg of the creme in the morning. I am doing much better. my depression is much better. It has been a hard 4 years. I lost my career but I have something else now. I am feeling much better with the hormones. I have not felt this good since the 90's .
I was just taken off Topamax for the same problems. The stuff works for my seizures (sp) and migraines but has turned me into a minion of Satan! So I asked doctor to switch to something else and he has switched me to Depakote...now we shall see what happens next!
Good luck to you and your loved-one. Remember though, she is the one with the seizures, she is the one that has to take that blasted drug. Be patient and help her find something else to control her illness. There are tons of anticonvulsants out there and even more neurologists!!
hey i am trully sorry about whats going on with ur relationship and how keppra is a factor. i am actually on keppra and for a lil while i was ok, but then i did this Jekyll and Hyde thing. it was so bad i was in a psychiatric ward twice. Psychiatrist dont really know about keppra and the side affects so they just placed me with a label. Bi-polar. after a few months of being completely insane and hateful and depressed. i stopped taking all medications. after a few weeks of being off of keppra i felt completely fine. so iran to my neruo and then to my psychiatrist and told them. i was unfortunaelty placed back on keppra but this time they watched me very carefully and within a short time i was absolutely fine. i stopped having fits,stopped throwing things,stopped fighting with my bf who i had for over five years,was happy,going outside and had a new found confidence. i recommend your gf or u talk to the neuro and maybe get a psychiatrist. I know that some neurologist prescribe it but i was on kolonpin when i was put on keppra the 2nd time to control my anger and anxiety. hopefully that helps.
Good luck!
Hi Jon****...my name is michaelj & I agree with many others**.."KEPPRA" is very bad news for terrible side-effects**..I experienced them as well but 4tunately in the early stages so I kwikly deleted them & will not go back again b4 its 2late or suicide happens?
Get yr partner off them 4good & fight it out better*..there's always a safer method so I really wishu well..****ALWAYS REMEMBER THAT KEPPRA IS ULTIMATE BAD NEWS****
MICHAELJ.
yes she has her family around her, she helps her mum care for her older brother who also has epilepsy, he has had it since birth and it has never been controlled.. she has partial seizures, where she passes out, eyes roll, but no muscle spasms.. her brothers are full seizures.. sorry if my terminology isnt 100%, as you said there is so much to take in..
Dear, Sir any thing we take has some effects her meds or our extra can of ale, so man up!
Dear, Sir any thing we take has some effects her meds or our extra can of ale, so man up!
I can see there is more to this than it seems you see I too have epilepsy, but my wife has stuck by me even when I told her she could take off and I would cover for her.
Dear, Sir any thing we take has some effects her meds or our extra can of ale, so man up!
I can see there is more to this than it seems you see I too have epilepsy, but my wife has stuck by me even when I told her she could take off and I would cover for her.
keppra is ruining my life 
Re: keppra is ruining my life 
you can email me if you want more info
