My 16 1/2 year old male chihuahua started having seizures in mid 2018 ontop of having IMHA and pulmonary htn. He would have at a minimum 15 seizures a day..several times he was post ictal for up to 2 hours..unresponsive to anything. He was started on KEPPRA capsules every 8 hours and STILL continued with his seizures. Vet said he "may" have a brain tumor. At his age I wouldnt pursue any chemo surgery or radiation. So we added zoniasamide with the KEPPRA and STILL kept having multiple seizures..his would start with the crying out and his seizures got more intense with his head going back and body stiffening..incontinent of bladder. I was so upset and frustrated and feared for his life. One time j went to oick up his KEPPRA and the pharmacy suggested the liquid version every 8 hours…I could $30 they said. So I accepted…and guess what!!! My chihuahua has not had ANY MORE SEIZURES on the liquid keppra!!!! I have him down to 5 ml every 12 ( instead of recommended every 8 hours)..was able to stop the zoniasamide (which made him soooooo lethargic). I tried him at 3 ml every 12 hours but started shaving seizures agaain… so staying at the 5 ml every 12 hours. Anyone who has a dog with seizures while on KEPPRA capsules should try the liquid version…u have nothing to lose!!!
I’ve been on keppra for 6 years now. The first few months were very ruff! Break through simple partial seizures, lots of other side effects. But no tonic clinic seizures! So I stuck with it. I upped my dosage to 2000mg per day and I found two supplements that sure seemed to help mitigate side effects and maybe helped my epilepsy as well. That is of course unknown but when I take vitamin B6 it really helped my nervous system calm down. Than later I included omega 3 fatty acids. The omega 3 really seemed to help stop occasional days where I would suffer from dizziness or vertigo that could last sometimes all day. So to summarize the keppra seems to do an excellent job stopping my tonic clonic seizures. As well as greatly reducing my simple partial siezures in quantity and intensity. The B6 really controlled anxiety attacks and general sense of stress and anxiety I believe was already present but keppra made worse, and the omega 3 fatty acids has really seemed to help with dizziness and vertigo which was one of my seizure types. So over all I am a strong proponent of keppra with the clear understanding that one suit does not fit all. But I can not stress enough how these two supplements I take now has greatly stabalized some of the worse side effects I felt from keppra and additionally could potentially be having a positive impact on my epilepsy in general. So for everyone out there who’s trying to figure this stuff out these are my experiences I know they might not be yours but hopefully this information can help some people. Good luck out there trying to find seizure control! Stay strong, give yourself a lot of compassion and respect for what your going through❤️
I suffered an attempted suicide while on Levetiracetam. I've been a lab rat since 1983. These doctors should take these medications and find out for themselves what the side effects are like.
I took this medication for quite a long time it caused anger, depression, ad some other side effects, as well as more seizures, I don't recommend it. I switched to depakote for my specific type of epilepsy, ever since i've rarely had seizures. Make sure whatever medication you get espeacially this medication matches your specific type of epilepsy (DVA, JME,etc). If your wondering about seizure meds, let me just say there's meds way better than keppra.
Hi Dr.! I have a 8 yr son on Levetiracetam 3ml twice a day. I see that he has slowed thinking as a reaction after taking the meds. What other drugs should I discuss with my Dr, I heard that Lamotrigine may be better for slowed thinking. He had seizure a related to Occipital eplepsy "Gastaut Type" with sudden bilateral loss of vision. Thanks!
I'm on 2000MG/day. I was taking 3000MG. At the higher dose, I started getting really bad thoughts and depression. Not suicidal, exactly, but these moods woukd start where I would get all sad out of nowhere. Like as sad as I was when my daddy died. Then a random thought would pop into my head…like "if you just cut yourself, you'd feel much better". It sounds crazy, but it wasn't my normal subconscious voice, it was as if someone else was saying it to me, but in my head. It scared me horribly. I've never been a depressed person, even when I had plenty of reason to be. I've not had an easy life (grew up in an abusive home, watching my alcoholic father beat my mother, and much more), but never have I ever had thoughts like that before. So I talked to my neurologist about it and his first thought was to switch me to another seizure med. But I suggested maybe going back down on the dosage. I'd only been on 3000mg for maybe a month, and had taken the drug overall about 6 months. Never at the lower dosages did I have issues. I just had had 2 more seizures (after almost being seizure free for 3 months) but that (I believe at least) was bc I was missing too many doses. One thing Keppra has always done is slow my thinking and affect my memory. It wasn't until I set an alarm on my phone that I started taking every dose every time. I'm now seizure free since June 16 and not skipping doses. Depression has mostly gone away, I'm just more sensitive to what's going on around me, if that makes sense. Like I'm not getting sad out of nowhere or having bad thoughts, but if someone in my family is rude or upset, I'll get really down about it more than normal for me. Idk what to do. I hate this medication honestly, wish I could take nothing. I started having seizures suddenly at 34 years old. After a million tests, my neurologist has ruled out every cause except severe exhaustion, brought on by years of undiagnosed (I didn't even realize) severe sleep apnea. I now have a CPap machine and am getting real sleep. But he says I have to take this medication for 5 years no matter what. I don't like that at all. I've had about 15 seizures in all, between Nov 2018- Feb 16. Plus was having focal seizures inbetween. But now they've all stopped. I just want to be med free and back to my normal life. Who knows what this is doing to my liver? I'm not even quick to take pain meds for a headache unless absolutely necessary. I'm seriously considering giving it a year and then weaning myself off…assuming I stay seizure free. I'll be careful not to drive etc while I do it if I do, and I'll inform my doctors.
It causes dissociation and seething rage its horrible and in Canada its been around for 20 years i was in the trial it was in 1999 I would never recommend this to anyone its the devils pharma drug drug companies should not get away with this shit!
I have been on Keppra since 4 years. First and second year the major side effect was aggression, followed by alopecia and most recently anxiety. Currently on 500 mg 2X and Escitalopram 5mg for the anxiety. Afraid of more side effects .
One question doctor – When does epilepsy go away, Does it ever? Ive never got a definite answer..
For me Keppra hasn't stopped the seizures at all and the side effects have been really bad. I would stop taking it, but I don't want to have any more seizures than I already do.
I always tell my Dr about the crazy roller coaster of emotions I go through, and I really just lost hope in any other options I can have ps I've always been a very positive person until I started keppra at first at thought it was just me going through the motions of realizing I was ill and I was going to stay like that for the rest of my life but everyone in my family noticed my changes, and were concerned, they asked my Dr of I was bipolar and he just said no.
My 16 1/2 year old male chihuahua started having seizures in mid 2018 ontop of having IMHA and pulmonary htn. He would have at a minimum 15 seizures a day..several times he was post ictal for up to 2 hours..unresponsive to anything.
He was started on KEPPRA capsules every 8 hours and STILL continued with his seizures. Vet said he "may" have a brain tumor. At his age I wouldnt pursue any chemo surgery or radiation. So we added zoniasamide with the KEPPRA and STILL kept having multiple seizures..his would start with the crying out and his seizures got more intense with his head going back and body stiffening..incontinent of bladder. I was so upset and frustrated and feared for his life. One time j went to oick up his KEPPRA and the pharmacy suggested the liquid version every 8 hours…I could $30 they said. So I accepted…and guess what!!! My chihuahua has not had ANY MORE SEIZURES on the liquid keppra!!!! I have him down to 5 ml every 12 ( instead of recommended every 8 hours)..was able to stop the zoniasamide (which made him soooooo lethargic). I tried him at 3 ml every 12 hours but started shaving seizures agaain… so staying at the 5 ml every 12 hours. Anyone who has a dog with seizures while on KEPPRA capsules should try the liquid version…u have nothing to lose!!!
I’ve been on keppra for 6 years now. The first few months were very ruff! Break through simple partial seizures, lots of other side effects. But no tonic clinic seizures! So I stuck with it. I upped my dosage to 2000mg per day and I found two supplements that sure seemed to help mitigate side effects and maybe helped my epilepsy as well. That is of course unknown but when I take vitamin B6 it really helped my nervous system calm down. Than later I included omega 3 fatty acids. The omega 3 really seemed to help stop occasional days where I would suffer from dizziness or vertigo that could last sometimes all day. So to summarize the keppra seems to do an excellent job stopping my tonic clonic seizures. As well as greatly reducing my simple partial siezures in quantity and intensity. The B6 really controlled anxiety attacks and general sense of stress and anxiety I believe was already present but keppra made worse, and the omega 3 fatty acids has really seemed to help with dizziness and vertigo which was one of my seizure types. So over all I am a strong proponent of keppra with the clear understanding that one suit does not fit all. But I can not stress enough how these two supplements I take now has greatly stabalized some of the worse side effects I felt from keppra and additionally could potentially be having a positive impact on my epilepsy in general. So for everyone out there who’s trying to figure this stuff out these are my experiences I know they might not be yours but hopefully this information can help some people. Good luck out there trying to find seizure control! Stay strong, give yourself a lot of compassion and respect for what your going through❤️
I just started dis I'm 11 I get mad easy and irritated easy I get sad easy too
It's worked so far for my brother
hey dr. reeves! Could you do a video on tabes dorsalis and/or tetanus?
My epileptic dog is on it. Only for a few weeks. Please tell me if there’s any way to avoid the keppra honeymoon phase?
I suffered an attempted suicide while on Levetiracetam. I've been a lab rat since 1983. These doctors should take these medications and find out for themselves what the side effects are like.
I took this medication for quite a long time it caused anger, depression, ad some other side effects, as well as more seizures, I don't recommend it. I switched to depakote for my specific type of epilepsy, ever since i've rarely had seizures. Make sure whatever medication you get espeacially this medication matches your specific type of epilepsy (DVA, JME,etc). If your wondering about seizure meds, let me just say there's meds way better than keppra.
Hi Dr.! I have a 8 yr son on Levetiracetam 3ml twice a day. I see that he has slowed thinking as a reaction after taking the meds. What other drugs should I discuss with my Dr, I heard that Lamotrigine may be better for slowed thinking. He had seizure a related to Occipital eplepsy "Gastaut Type" with sudden bilateral loss of vision. Thanks!
I'm on 2000MG/day. I was taking 3000MG. At the higher dose, I started getting really bad thoughts and depression. Not suicidal, exactly, but these moods woukd start where I would get all sad out of nowhere. Like as sad as I was when my daddy died. Then a random thought would pop into my head…like "if you just cut yourself, you'd feel much better". It sounds crazy, but it wasn't my normal subconscious voice, it was as if someone else was saying it to me, but in my head. It scared me horribly. I've never been a depressed person, even when I had plenty of reason to be. I've not had an easy life (grew up in an abusive home, watching my alcoholic father beat my mother, and much more), but never have I ever had thoughts like that before. So I talked to my neurologist about it and his first thought was to switch me to another seizure med. But I suggested maybe going back down on the dosage. I'd only been on 3000mg for maybe a month, and had taken the drug overall about 6 months. Never at the lower dosages did I have issues. I just had had 2 more seizures (after almost being seizure free for 3 months) but that (I believe at least) was bc I was missing too many doses. One thing Keppra has always done is slow my thinking and affect my memory. It wasn't until I set an alarm on my phone that I started taking every dose every time. I'm now seizure free since June 16 and not skipping doses. Depression has mostly gone away, I'm just more sensitive to what's going on around me, if that makes sense. Like I'm not getting sad out of nowhere or having bad thoughts, but if someone in my family is rude or upset, I'll get really down about it more than normal for me. Idk what to do. I hate this medication honestly, wish I could take nothing. I started having seizures suddenly at 34 years old. After a million tests, my neurologist has ruled out every cause except severe exhaustion, brought on by years of undiagnosed (I didn't even realize) severe sleep apnea. I now have a CPap machine and am getting real sleep. But he says I have to take this medication for 5 years no matter what. I don't like that at all. I've had about 15 seizures in all, between Nov 2018- Feb 16. Plus was having focal seizures inbetween. But now they've all stopped. I just want to be med free and back to my normal life. Who knows what this is doing to my liver? I'm not even quick to take pain meds for a headache unless absolutely necessary. I'm seriously considering giving it a year and then weaning myself off…assuming I stay seizure free. I'll be careful not to drive etc while I do it if I do, and I'll inform my doctors.
I wasted my time on this video
Excelente video. I been on Keppra for almost a year. The first weeks I was really grouchy. Works great for me.
I mix Keppra with a CBD/THC 1:1 flower often.
I used to get very pissed off all the time when I was solely on Keppra.
I've had my license back almost a year, often feel irritable if I haven't gotten stoned in a couple days.
I'll smoke up at night for leg pain, walking around with a pulled ACL all day, don't get much sleep without it.
Not sure if this is safe, so far so good.
I don't feel safe smoking cigarettes, they hurt my head.
It causes dissociation and seething rage its horrible and in Canada its been around for 20 years i was in the trial it was in 1999 I would never recommend this to anyone its the devils pharma drug drug companies should not get away with this shit!
im switching to brivact soon. supposed to be similar to keppra with less mood disorder.
Wow! Doc., is that a woofer (loudspeaker) behind you?…How about GHB!…Let's make some REAL music!
I have been on Keppra since 4 years. First and second year the major side effect was aggression, followed by alopecia and most recently anxiety. Currently on 500 mg 2X and Escitalopram 5mg for the anxiety. Afraid of more side effects .
One question doctor – When does epilepsy go away, Does it ever? Ive never got a definite answer..
Honestly cannot wait to be off these meds.
I’m so sad I just got prescribed to this and I’m terrified to start this because I already have a bad liver and I am an alcoholic.
For me Keppra hasn't stopped the seizures at all and the side effects have been really bad. I would stop taking it, but I don't want to have any more seizures than I already do.
I always tell my Dr about the crazy roller coaster of emotions I go through, and I really just lost hope in any other options I can have ps I've always been a very positive person until I started keppra at first at thought it was just me going through the motions of realizing I was ill and I was going to stay like that for the rest of my life but everyone in my family noticed my changes, and were concerned, they asked my Dr of I was bipolar and he just said no.
It's called Keppra in Canada to
I been on keppra . Really bad side affects. My mom said when I was young I took this I was so angry and upset.