Generic Name: Levetiracetam Injection, Solution, and Concentrate
Brand Name: Levetiracetam
Levetiracetam Drug and Medication User Reviews
I went from as happy positive person to a moody depressed person I don't even recognize. I had one seizure. I think this stuff is too strong.
I am 75, started using Keppra in 2012 after a major seizure followed by several minor incidences of 'lost time' - I was unaware of my activities for over an hour, accomplished regular tasks and awakened later unaware of what I had been doing. These occurred many times but short duration. Doctors did all kinds of studies and threw the pill book at me - gabapentin took away the creepy crawly stuff, ropinirole helped with night time problems, CPAP helped but didn't improve, Keppra clearly helped, it took a year to get the dose right, but at 1250 mg two times per day (Leviteracetam) I do quite well. The doctor started me on 500 mg of Keppra, but the pharmacist apparently missed the 'don't substitute' order. Since the Lev worked so well in treating the symptoms, I talked the doctor into leaving me on multiple pills of lower dosage rather than one higher dosage one. Argument was that Lev is not as well formulated so not regular for consistency. I do not experience any side affects that I can show are due to Levetiracetam. I am suffering still from some kind of 'lost time' for a second or two every year or so, but enough that I am not comfortable to drive - 1 to 2 seconds at 50 mph caused a pretty severe accident. I know of 4 or 5 times when these 'lost time' incidents occurred and I did not fall asleep - I was gone for about two seconds to discover bad things happening and decided (plus the doctor ordered) no more driving. I also have a sleep deprivation problem and the two might be related. The doctors have not been helpful. Attentive and order all kinds of tests, but they have no idea what it is or they won't tell me.
I was having very strange episodes (1/month) of waking up to phantom odors, becoming very nauseous, and not remembering that I went to the bathroom thinking I was going to be sick. Also, I would ask many questions about what was going on and since it was dark when this occurred, I couldn't remember what my surroundings looked like. This would all take place in just a few minutes. My husband would talk me back to reality. After tests, it was classified as some nocturnal seizure. This medication has worked with no side effects. I started out with only once/day, then increased to 2x, since I had one small seizure with the smaller dose. Since increasing the dose, I haven't had any problems.
Prescribed following Subdural Hematoma. After 10 months, the side effects are horrible for me (and my spouse). My new neurologist calls KEPPRA the most common cause of divorce he is aware of. We are working hard to wean me off this drug.
I have taken Levetiractetam for 12 years. I was one of the very first people to start it when it was released back in the early 2000's in the UK. Before i started taking this medication i used to have regular petite mal seizures every 3 weeks (periods of one day where i would have 10 fits in the same day, then nothing for 3-4 weeks). This all started back in 1992 when i had an operation to remove a abbess from my brain. Since i started this medication, i have had 1 seizure, so with regards to my actual epilepsy, it has been a huge success. However, over the past 12 years I have noticed side effects that have come and go over the years, such as bad mood swings (I havnt been able to keep a steady relationship because of them). They where very bad in the first 5 years of taking the medication, but as time went on my attitude towards life changed and my mood swings vanished, this could have something to do with me getting older and wiser rather than the medication itself. Also fatigue is a bad side effect, especially now i have reached my late 30's and it seems to be getting worse. I plan to go on an exercise plan this year to try and combat this. Also i get regular pains in my lower back, which i believe are related to my kidneys and liver, but my doctor says everything is fine in that department. I am happy that this medication has kept me seizure free for so long, but now that I am older, i am worried about what long term implications it might have on me as I reach middle age.
No seizures for many years. Of course, maybe I would have been seizure free anyway, but who wants to experiment?
This medication has made my spouse aggressive and hostile and very short tempered! I hate it. It keeps the seizures away but the moody ness is too much. We are working on getting off of it.
I've been taking this for about a month now, and this has really messed me up. It does what it's supposed to do, but it makes me very irritable. I have been showing signs of depression and it has significantly reduced my appetite to the point where I eat maybe 1-2 a week. I've told my neurologist and hopefully I can get the dosage reduced because I refuse to take antidepressants.
This drug has turned my husband into a moody, aggressive person. Always on edge. It does prevent seizures but the behavior it causes is totally crazy!
Depression. Mody. Sense of smell is affected. Difficultuly sleeping more than 5 hours. Lack of energy.
I have been taking this medication for the past 6 months to treat my epileptic episodes. This medication does not help with my episodes. They have worsened in the recent months and it's not only put a strain on me but my work performance as well. I don't know what to do I take 2,000 MG of this medication daily and still to this day I am still having seizures. This medication makes me drowsy on a regular basis, tired and weak to the point I can't even work. The simplest tasks wear me out and I can barely function at the dosage I am at right now. I don't know what to do
Started taking 2X 750 mg after trying out lamictal and pretty much every other anticonvulsant and haven't had any episodes since. Side effects hasn't been a problem either, haven't noticed a major change in anything.
It works fine for me. I'm taking other drugs for seizures and it is doing the job. No allergic reactions! Lamictal was a nightmare! Gave me a rash
I still get seizures and have even been in the er for a overdose caused by my doctor. He had me taking too much of Leveitracetam. I changed doctors and my new one, lowered me down on the dose. But the seizures came back and he raised the dose back up. So I am scared I will be back in the hospital from too many seizure again. I've read where others are saying to stay away from the generic and stay with Keppra. I don't know if my insurance will pay for it. I will talk to my doctor for help.
This drug in combination with phenytoin and 2 other meds has completely stopped my partial seizures. Has not had a mood change. Although I notice some loss of memory
I had a TBI during May 2012, and during a resultant cranioplasty surgery, I had two seizures. I was put on Keppra for 6 months. Before the surgery, I was relatively aware ( ie using an iPad, etc. ), but after the surgery I was pretty much comatose for several weeks. In retrospect, we think this was due to the Keppra. I had another seizure May 2015, and I was put back on the keppra. It has made me extremely fatigued. Despite the extreme fatigue side effect, I have not had a seizure while on the Keppra. My neurologist thinks that my most recent seizure started as a partial in my frontal lobe, and then generalized to a full tonic-clonic seizure.
This medicine was actually a nightmare for me. I was on it for a few days and reacted badly, and my doctor insisted I try it for at least a month. It actually made my myoclonus much worse, made me physically ill, and I didn't sleep for days at at ime.
The medication is effective in preventing temporal seizures - Silent Seizures. Side effects are the problem 1)loss of short term memory (I don't remember movie I saw a month ago and don't remember many events that happened over the past 2 years) 2)loss of sense of smell (can't smell food, gas or BBQ smoke or anything) 3)loss my sense of touch -reduced medication level helped (didn't feel cuts or scratches previously) 4)experience occasional minor depression I started with LAMICTAL. After a few days I had an allergic reaction - Full body rash, horrible muscle/joint pain. Drs. immediately changed me to KEPPRA timed release 1000mgs at night. It took about 2 months to be able to sleep at night. Prior to that, I would get up every 2 to 3 hours because my mind was too active. I started Keppra 750mgs AM/PM. Due to my side effects, they changed my dosage, as mentioned above. Has anyone else experienced these side effects? Have you changed to another medication with fewer side effects??