Generic Name: Levetiracetam
Brand Name: Keppra
Keppra Drug and Medication User Reviews
I was put on 500mg of Keppra twice daily after my second seizure last fall. My neurologist has since raised it twice to 1000mg twice daily. I haven’t had a seizure in 4 1/2 months now!
My 9 year old son had a stroke and keppra was prescribed to him afterwards. He became depressed and suicidal. I reached out to his dr and he was off the drug in a week and was back to “normal” quickly after the drug had left his system. It was a horrible experience. Would never recommend for children!
I feel so much more like my regular self - it was like I didn’t know something was wrong / unbalanced in my head until I had been on it for a week or so and now I can’t describe how much better I feel. I was an alcoholic -never drunk but always drinking, addicted to meth, and also smoked marijuana - I just liked the control I thought I had until the tonic clonic seizures started and I realized the harm I was doing to my body. Hindsight is 20/20 and now I see very clearly how beautifully my body maintains homeostasis on its own and have no desire for the drugs I once used. I believe a miracle has been performed in my life and this medicine has been a huge part of that miracle! Thank you to the doctors and nurses who helped me and never once judged me - you have changed my life and given me so much hope for the future
I am writing on behalf of my son who is 21 years old and having daily simple partial seizure. Keppra was a disaster. Its effects on personality, mentality and memory of my son were horrible. The strange thing was that all the neurologists we met had a common consensus that Keppra is the safest anti-epileptic. After two years of suffering with this drug, I went against all the neurologists well and stopped giving my son this drug and his personality, mentality and memory recovered significantly. The side effects of this drug had to be investigated and studied well before prescribing it to the patients.
I had focal seizures several times per day, after starting this medicine, I works amazingly, no seizures after starting it, but the only side effect is that I have little shortness of breath. Taking 500mg at morning and at night.
Keppra worked at first, at 250. Then stopped so we increased to 500, then to 750, then to 1,000 (all 2x a day). The 1,000 made me break in a full body rash, so we went to 500. In the hospital, after back to back seizures in a day, they put me on IV 750. Well, now my rash is back, but even worse. Plus, I am incredibly depressed, to the point I’ve thought of suicide… and I cry daily. I can’t stand this medication, but getting into my neurologist is brutal. It has not stopped my seizures at all, and I have no memory after any of them. Point - Vimpat is amazing… but I’d avoid Keppra.
Writing on behalf of my husband. This drug needs to stop being subscribed as the go-to for epilepsy. My husband has nocturnal epilepsy with SEVERE convulsions, to the point where his shoulders dislocate and the sockets break. Not only did Keppra not control his seizures at all, but it destroyed him mentally. Completely changed his personality. Keppra rage is a real thing and no one warned us. He went from having the personality of a human golden retriever to being constantly angry and severely depressed. He said his mind felt broken. His personality completely changed to the point where it almost broke our relationship, because he was so dismissive and mean. After 6 months of hell, we got the doctor to finally take him off Keppra. Now, he's completely back to his normal, happy self AND his seizures are controlled. Unbelievable how horrible and ineffective Keppra was. I've met 3 other people who were also prescribed Keppra for their epilepsy, SAME THING - ineffective or barely effective, rage, depression. There needs to be more awareness on how severe the personality changes can be if its going to continue to be so widely prescribed.
Been on Keppra for 2 years now. No seizures of any kind since I've been on it. Works great! The first 3 weeks of being on it were exhausting. But since then it has been great. I do notice I get agitated a lot easier over small things- much more so than I did previous to taking this. Nothing that is concerning of impacts my familial relationships.
I'm only 3 weeks in but I feel more emotional then I have been in years!!. Side effects I've noticed So far are: - Decreased Appetite #1 - Feeling tiered more then usual - Very Cold Hands 80% Of The Time - Feeling Depressed Some Days For No Reason - Anxiety 2-3 times which I've Never Experienced Before This Medication - Feel Irritable For No Reason, Comes & Go's. - I'm Losing More Hair Then Usually Do! I Have Bilateral Polymicrogyria & I Literally Have EVERY Type Of Sezurie You Can Have, So Far I Haven't Had Any Grandmal Sezuries But I've Had More Absent Sezuries Then I Did Before Switching Over To This Medication. So Far I'm Not Convinced Of Staying On This Medication, I'm Only Switching To This One To Know In the Future That This Will Be Safer To Take When Pregnant.
Absolutely terrible drug with an awful side effect that occurs so often it even has a name: 'Keppra Rage". Felt like my head was burning, caused terrible anger and depression, made me feel like either hurting somebody or killing myself. I felt like life was not worth living, and I felt intense anger over nothing, which I directed at the people who love me. Took several days to get over this after stopping the drug. A year later, tried it again with exactly the same effect. Did nothing to control seizures either, in fact I had more seizures while in this terrible state than I did before taking the drug. Should be withdrawn from the market.
It works perfectly for my seizures but constant skin rashes and severe aggression. Very strained relationships with family and friends.
This medication has the worst side effects,withdrawing from friends and family, trouble speaking, over emotional, anger, I can't sleep an when I can sleep my foot taps, anxiety attacks, hot sweats, get the need to get up and move around or pace, mostly in the ankle area and flexors , migraine headache's,
I was started on 1500 mgs twice a day after having a series of full seizures in April of 2018. I had not had a serious seizure since February of 2009 after a so-called psychiatrist prescribed Celexa in the amount of 60 mgs... 20 mgs above the manufacturers recommended maximum dosage. I had never had a seizure in my life until I had that large dose of Celexa.
mood swings, dizzyness, depression, irritable, difficulty concentrating, constantly tired. No seizures but side effects were too bad. Would not recommend.
Am experiencing a bladder problem. Have lost all sensations of needing to urinate. Bladder not emptying.
I have been on 2000mgs twice daily. I suffer from extreme moodiness and irritability and rarely any complex partial seizures stemming from temporal lobe epilepsy. The medication for the most part works along with 750mgs of lamictal daily. I've recently in the past few years have been suffering memory loss. Not sure if it's the meds or my condition. The family says that I was a completely different person when taken off the meds while staying in an epilepsy monitoring unit at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit. I have to do a double take all the time wherever I am to make sure I don't take out anything on anyone especially at home with the family, especially the youngsters. As funny as it sounds a new family puppy has really helped me cope along with the condition. To all reading this review, remember we have to do whatever it takes to be around for all of our loved ones as long as we can.Stay STRONG. Hope this helps all suffering from this awful condition. Good luck to all of you. Maybe puppies are the cure. Lol.
This Drug made me crazy and irritable when in the company of other, when I would not normally act in such a fashion.
I take 3000mg/day , causes irritability and drowsiness, but overall it controls the seizures well. I have generalized seizures as a result of a brain injury a few years ago. Have been on this drug ever since, dose has been slowly increased over time. Does no completely elimiante my seizures but its effective.
I have had epilepsy since I was 12 years old. I was first put on Dilantin and I was unable to focus and was loosing my teeth. I was put on keppra 500 mgs. 2 times a day (which I am told is a low dose). anyways I haven't had a seizure in over 10 years it is my miracle drug. thank you
Gave my son Keppra Rage so had him switched.