Hi,

I don't necessarily have the answer to your question but I am in a similar situation, in that my husband was newly diagnosed with Glioblastoma Grade 4 on May 9 according to a needle biopsy. His tumor is sitting in between the sensory and motor cortex and his original symptoms (we went to the ER on April 21 because we thought he had a stroke) included speech difficulty, right-sided facial paralysis, and right-sided facial twitching. No other symptoms - balance was fine and no seizures. Between May 9 and June 11, his speech became increasingly challenging to understand and at times he could not speak at all. He had a craniotomy on June 11. It was successful and the neurosurgeon was able to remove about 80% of the tumor. Since then he has felt much better and his speech has improved. We know the tumor will grow back so we are headed to MD Anderson in Houston next week to find out what the next stage of treatment will be (we live in Austin, TX and a neurosurgeon in town not affiliated with MDA did the craniotomy). My husband was given Keppra after the May 9 biopsy but had side effects he could not tolerate that included inability to think well (he felt foggy), fatigue, depression. When he stopped Keppra he felt better. After the craniotomy on June 11 they prescribed a different seizure medication (I don't recall the name of it). He couldn't tolerate that one either and stopped it. So, I definitely think the medication could be causing some of the problems your husband is experiencing and it's worth asking about. Medications can be helpful but can also cause so many side effects that they can feel worse than the original ailment. Maybe your husband's doctor has another alternative to Keppra that will work better for your husband. Because my husband was prescribed the seizure medication proactively and had not had any actual seizures he felt like he wanted to try to go without it. He feels much better when he's not on it. From what I have read, Glioblastomas can grow back quickly, depending on the person, so I think tumor regrowth after surgery could also cause symptoms, in addition to the medication. I am no doctor, of course. I just wanted to share my experience. Because I am just beginning this journey with my husband, I am also curious to hear others' experiences. I am trying to remain positive despite the fact that "Google" does not provide much hope for this condition. My husband is willing to try any clinical trials that MDA offers so I hope they have something to offer. Best wishes to you and your husband.