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Keppra and it's affects
Fri, 09/03/2004 - 09:19Hi everybody It's been awhile.
I haven't been writting because I was having so many problems while taking Topamax.
Now I have a few questions. I saw my neurologyst today and he upped my dossage of Tegretal Rx from 400mg. to 800mg. and introduced me to Keppra I am starting out on 250mg. twice a day. I also am on 100mg. of darvoset-n for my migraines from what I know this drug is a narcotic and I do not know much about Keppra. Can anybody give me any advice on the effects of the two drugs and or how they may interact with one and other.
I have a hard time taking any medication for years I delt with the migraines the best I could but my Dr. says there is no reason to be in the pain that I am in however I fear that I may get hooked on anyone of the drugs and that scares me to death. As I have family members who are hooked on perscription drugs. also I have looked on many different sights to find out as much as I can about the drugs, as I always do before taking anything but cannot seem to find the information i am looking for. I would like to know how well the Keppra works and weather or not the drug is debilitating.
thank you for any information you may be able to provide.
cyndi
Comments
RE: RE: Keppra and it's affects
Submitted by monalisa on Wed, 2004-09-01 - 02:51
Hi.
A good link,and you are right...Everyone is different and does react in different ways to meds.Tolerance can vary greatly between people.Keppra is fairly new and the results of effects of this are being learned as we all go along it seems.
No matter what we all read on the leaflet or are told by the pharmacist and the doctor's it seems from experience-as you know a side -effect that wasn't expected will appear.If we all pass on what we know-as you are doing yourself,and offer support,then it makes life easier and better in understanding why these effcts and reactions appear and we in turn can educate the ones that should know.
I do hope the upcoming visit to the specialist is for you, is a positive one,and I thank you for your insight and sharing as you have.
Hi.
A good link,and you are right...Everyone is different and does react in different ways to meds.Tolerance can vary greatly between people.Keppra is fairly new and the results of effects of this are being learned as we all go along it seems.
No matter what we all read on the leaflet or are told by the pharmacist and the doctor's it seems from experience-as you know a side -effect that wasn't expected will appear.If we all pass on what we know-as you are doing yourself,and offer support,then it makes life easier and better in understanding why these effcts and reactions appear and we in turn can educate the ones that should know.
I do hope the upcoming visit to the specialist is for you, is a positive one,and I thank you for your insight and sharing as you have.
RE: Keppra and it's affects
Submitted by joe23 on Wed, 2004-09-01 - 15:12
cyndi,
we are really similar here....i am 23, have taken tegretol for a very long time, about 9 years. tegretol works pretty great--still have breakthroughs, but i feel like they will happen on any meds. anyway, i recently started taking small doses of keppra in addition to my tegretol. the only effects were that my anxiety was heightened a bit--and i am NOT an anxious person. other than that, its not bad. make sure you dont suddenly go off of it though. i couldnt get an appt with my doctor, so i decided to ween myself off of it over a week or two, but still kept up with my tegretol as always. damn. ill never forget, it was friday nite, and i told my boyfriend he better not go to work. i had the feeling like i was going to have a grand mal (which i hardly ever ever get). and i had one....and then another one a half an hour later. this continued until i had a total of 11 grand mal seizures over the course of 7 hours. what happened to me is called epilepticus, and if you suddenly go off of keppra like i did, it will happen. do a little research on keppra and read all of the information, and you should see epilepticus mentioned. that was my fault, and i only did it because i didnt like the anxiety i was feeling. its not bad though. honestly, i cant tell if it has really helped....i feel like i was fine on just tegretol alone. i dont feel like the keppra has done anything great in the 7 months i have been on it. but it might be different for you. if you feel those anxious feelings, talk to your doctor, but dont suddenly go off of it like i did.
ill check this every so often if ya have any other issues you want to talk about.
cyndi,
we are really similar here....i am 23, have taken tegretol for a very long time, about 9 years. tegretol works pretty great--still have breakthroughs, but i feel like they will happen on any meds. anyway, i recently started taking small doses of keppra in addition to my tegretol. the only effects were that my anxiety was heightened a bit--and i am NOT an anxious person. other than that, its not bad. make sure you dont suddenly go off of it though. i couldnt get an appt with my doctor, so i decided to ween myself off of it over a week or two, but still kept up with my tegretol as always. damn. ill never forget, it was friday nite, and i told my boyfriend he better not go to work. i had the feeling like i was going to have a grand mal (which i hardly ever ever get). and i had one....and then another one a half an hour later. this continued until i had a total of 11 grand mal seizures over the course of 7 hours. what happened to me is called epilepticus, and if you suddenly go off of keppra like i did, it will happen. do a little research on keppra and read all of the information, and you should see epilepticus mentioned. that was my fault, and i only did it because i didnt like the anxiety i was feeling. its not bad though. honestly, i cant tell if it has really helped....i feel like i was fine on just tegretol alone. i dont feel like the keppra has done anything great in the 7 months i have been on it. but it might be different for you. if you feel those anxious feelings, talk to your doctor, but dont suddenly go off of it like i did.
ill check this every so often if ya have any other issues you want to talk about.
RE: Keppra and it's affects
Submitted by ypct on Wed, 2004-09-01 - 00:29
Hi Cyndi,
What kind of seizures do you have? I have Junville Myoclonic Seizures and Generalized Seizures. Depakote is suppose to be the primary drug used for those types of seizures, but I am trying to stay away from it.
As far as Tegretal, Darversat, and Keppra I don't now much about. However, everyone is different. I have heard that Keppra is kind of a new med. You might try getting on the internet and looking on www.webmd.com. I use that website for a lot of things, espically looking up a lot of information on all my meds.
I wish I could give you some advise on how the side effects could interact with each other, but everyone is different. As far as being addicted to any of seizure meds, I guess that could happen. Again, it just depends on the med and the person. If the individual has to take the seizure med to live a half way normal life and be hooked on the med, then why not. As I always say...give it to GOD and he will take care of it. I know that doesn't help you to much, but through out the 21 yrs that I have had epilepsy I have taken a lot of meds. They have had so many side effects that the doctors and pharmarcist said I wouldn't have. I just pray, take the meds and hope I have the least side effects and get through life the best way I can. I am so sorry to hear that you are in so much pain. I wish there was something that could really be done about that.
Something that may help...maybe...for the first time in my life and I am 34. I am seeing an epilepsy specialist. I have always seen neurologist and they haven't really helped. If you can find a specialist, take that chance. I hope I helped a little and I pray for you. Feel free to email me direct. My email address is [email protected] and you can ask me anything you want. I will try to help you in any way I can. Take care and your in my prayers.
shelly :)
Hi Cyndi,
What kind of seizures do you have? I have Junville Myoclonic Seizures and Generalized Seizures. Depakote is suppose to be the primary drug used for those types of seizures, but I am trying to stay away from it.
As far as Tegretal, Darversat, and Keppra I don't now much about. However, everyone is different. I have heard that Keppra is kind of a new med. You might try getting on the internet and looking on www.webmd.com. I use that website for a lot of things, espically looking up a lot of information on all my meds.
I wish I could give you some advise on how the side effects could interact with each other, but everyone is different. As far as being addicted to any of seizure meds, I guess that could happen. Again, it just depends on the med and the person. If the individual has to take the seizure med to live a half way normal life and be hooked on the med, then why not. As I always say...give it to GOD and he will take care of it. I know that doesn't help you to much, but through out the 21 yrs that I have had epilepsy I have taken a lot of meds. They have had so many side effects that the doctors and pharmarcist said I wouldn't have. I just pray, take the meds and hope I have the least side effects and get through life the best way I can. I am so sorry to hear that you are in so much pain. I wish there was something that could really be done about that.
Something that may help...maybe...for the first time in my life and I am 34. I am seeing an epilepsy specialist. I have always seen neurologist and they haven't really helped. If you can find a specialist, take that chance. I hope I helped a little and I pray for you. Feel free to email me direct. My email address is [email protected] and you can ask me anything you want. I will try to help you in any way I can. Take care and your in my prayers.
shelly :)