Hello everyone, I am 20 and was diagnosed with epilepsy when I was 18 and was put on Depakote then taken off due to weight gain and put on Topamax, which is what I'm currently taking. Just recently I had a new diagnosis of Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy and was put on Folic Acid and Keppra. So now I'm taking three medications.
I have been treated for tension headaches and migraines since 2009. I was diagnosed with JME when I was 13. I'm currently on 150 topamax and 500 lamictal for seizures. I have tried antimigraines, analgesics, muscle relaxants, nonsteroidal-anti-inflammatory and steroids, ssnri antidepressants and obviously acetaminophen and aspirin for headaches . I have one every single day but the severity of it varies. Within the past few days I have noticed slight shaking and weakness in my hands.
Anyone else on Keppra to prevent myoclonic jerks (JME diagnosed)? I am, and have been on Keppra for almost 5 years. Started at age 23 and I am now 28. At the beginning they made me very sluggish, but after about 2 months I felt wonderful (since it was the first time in my life I wasn't having seizures!!
I find that I get migraines a week before my periods and the first few days. Stress, emotion and lack of sleep triggers migraines and seizures. Since I was put on keppra and tegretol 2003 I don't have so much seizures anymore. I also fell pregnant which I had less seizures and migraines. My girl has turned out fine. I could not ask any better because it took the depression away.
I hope you get better.
He prescribed Keppra for her and the first dose she took was very devastating to her behavior. She is a very normal 3 year old otherwise, and yes she knows how to push your buttons, but it broke my heart to see how this drug affected her. She got under the table and screamed "Mommie, Mommie" but would not allow her mother or anyone to come near her. She cried and screamed and could not be satisfied about anything most of the day.
If they arent too many side affects, then stay on it. I have JME, and I take Keppra. I've been on Keppra for almost 5 years now. Started at 23, and I'm 28 now. I had one grand mal seizure and that was the worst month of my life. Not knowing your parents, you can move, and the headaches... if he's seizure free, keep the meds! Nothing is worse than having a seizure. And you cant drive after that. I say stay on it. Keppra has done very well for me...
Yes, most everything published about juvenile myoclonic epilepsy says that meds should not be discontinued. That is why I am so nervous about doing it. Problem is that our neuro Dr. can't make a definitive diagnosis between JME and generalized seizures upon awakening, which possibly has a slightly higher chance of remission. This Dr. says he's had patients with JME go into permanent remission.
I'm not sure I understand why the JME diagnosis was thrown out--I have JME, having my first seizure at age 19 over 15 years ago. I can go for well over a year (when unmedicated, although I am on lamotrigine now which controls them) without having a big (tonic-clonic) seizure, and my EEG's are normal between episodes (I have myoclonic and absence seizures a bit more often, but they aren't so noticeable and I still have normal EEGs between them).
Hi! I have JME as well and am 16 years old. Thr doctors said i've had it since i was 6, but they never diagnosed it until i was 10. This is due to them saying it was A.D.D, because i would stare off in the distance, however, it was seizures all along. My seizures were also partially caused by a sleep medicine i took when i was 6. I used to have twitching in my face, but it went away. I have no more twitching. The twitching is due to the seizure activity and is common with JME patients.
My daughter is now experiencing several side effects to keppra. She is extremely drowsy, very short tempered, depressed, and is reporting to me that her memory is 'foggy'. She's on a very low dose of keppra, only 250 mg at night and 125 mg in the morning. She's been on it a total of 3 weeks now. I've been with her and she seems to be very melancholy and also short fused over the many situations. She weighs 100 pounds and is 20 years old.
I read something on rxlist about moodswings and irritibility related to Keppra. It's believed that Keppra makes your brain "dump" Vitamin B6 at times which lowers dopamine or seratonin levels and makes you feel horrible.
Does your daughter take vitamins? I'd try some Vitamin B6 if her multivitamin doesn't contain it. I started taking Trader Joe's High Potency vitamins and feel much, much better since starting.
Good luck.
They are like a partial complex seizure. I saw a neurologist and was started on Keppra. I was up to 2,500mg a day and they were not stopping. I began to track them carefully and I believe I saw a pattern of only during the 2nd half of my monthly cycle, days 15 - 28 (and usually between 18 and 21) My neurologist decided to put me in the hospital to do a video EEG monitoring and I told him the dates it needed to be. We hit it right and it was determined that my seizures are NES.
After a very frightening last 2 weeks of my boyfriend on Keppra my doctor did say to ween him off which I've done. Today is the first day off it and he still seems to have the dillusional aggressive side effects that I am hopeful after reading your post.....I pray to god that the old person before this drug comes back. How was those last few weeks for your son?
Was on lamicatal er when shaking started on right side of body but had a allergic reaction to it..
I to have been taking Keppra and told can't drive for six months, yesterday my Oncologist informed me that only a Neurologist can authorize driving and I will need to probably get off keppra to get permission to drive. Was also informed that you can not just stop this drug.
So after staying overnight and at the vet the next day he came home and has been on Keppra and phenobarbital. 500mg 2x a day Keppra and 60mg 2x a day pheno. He has the side effects which are lessening but hasn't been as bad as I read could be. He is very responsive and is pretty much himself besides the side effects(weak legs, tired). It's been 6 days and no seizures so far. Will be going to vet in a week for check up and blood test again. I am so on edge..
I have no health insurance. I was finally got a really basic coverage, but it doesn't cover keppra. i've been taking keppra for a 2 months. I was switched to phenobarbitol for when I run out. since keppra is not on the charity's formulary.
I hope to God that I cant find some source of keppra before I run out. The phenobarb is scary.
So I'm excited about the links here:
http://brain.hastypastry.net/forums/index.php
http://www.needymeds.
I am pregnant with my second child. I'm 37 +2 and I have epilepsy. My 1st pregnancy was 11 yrs ago. I was actually on Depakote and high risk but I have a very health normal very active 10 yr old boy! I'm taking Keppra now and they still consider me high risk but the risk is much lower with Keppra then it was with Depakote. They have done several ultrasounds and baby is great!! They have me taking 1000mg of Folic acid in top of my prenatal vitamins.
My son has been on Keppra since he was 3 months old, he is 3 now and still on it. It works well with other meds. I know that this med can cause behavioral problems. If you do some research you will find that one of the side effects of Keppra is irritability. Things will even out as he gets used to the med but if this is a problem I know it will continue to be a problem. My son still gets cranky from this med. I also know that a seizure can cause them to be a little cranky too.
As my DD is in Keppra, and has previously been on other seizure meds, the Keppra, by far has had the least amount of side-effects. You could ask if some of her mood changes, memory loss, etc. are from the stroke vs. the Keppra. Please do not wean her off the medication without a Dr's directive... that could cause withdrawal seizures.
My thoughts are with you that your mother gets well soon.
I started having seizures when I was 12 yrs. and they put me on dilantin and other meds. they never got under control so good until I went to a new doctor (because I moved) and at that time I was about 38, and the doctor did a MRI and other test. He then said to me the first thing we have to do is get you off of dilantin. He showed me that that pill was eating up half of my brain (it is called cerebellar atrophy). He slowly put me on different levels of Keppra and I haven't been better.
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