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Hi @adoptivemother
Unfortunately, Keppra rage is a side-effect that many report while trying this medication, bringing much suffering to the patient and the family. I am sorry your daughter and you went through this with Keppra. How is your daughter doing now?
From my experience, I more and more observe that treatment with those medications is a very individual one, depending not just on the epilepsy type but also on other individual factors. Finding the right drug and dosage can be a process that requires much patience and persistence, not only from the patient and his/her family, but also from the doctor responsible for the epilepsy treatment. I well understand when you mentioned the feeling of playing a guessing game. I also had the same feeling many times, especially while being treated by neurologists who just followed a certain protocol and did not take into account certain individual aspects.
When my current doctor suggested taking Keppra, I got so scared because of all the stories of rage side-effect of this drug I have heard so often. But I see today it was the best alternative in a certain circumstance I had faced last December. Thank God, no Keppra rage and seizures so far in those 4 months, though I confess I am still struggling with other side-effects. My doctor, with all his patience and persistence, has been doing a fine-tuning process and reducing my dosage in a safe manner, little by little. I pray it works and ask God to continue with persistence!!
All my best to you and your daughter.
Chris (@santosha)
Replies to "Hi @adoptivemother Unfortunately, Keppra rage is a side-effect that many report while trying this medication, bringing..."
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I agree that the efficacy of the medications depends on more than just the seizure types but multiple factors that are dependent on the individual person. I wish there was a blood test that could just tell us which meds and which doses would work best! 🙂
My daughter appears to be on the upswing with her mood. It is hard to tell because sometimes a seemingly small setback can cause her to drown in sorrow but I do feel like she is increasingly improving since the med change. She also hasn't had any seizures to my knowledge since the Briviact was added!! I am so grateful the doctors at Mayo took our concerns seriously and went ahead and admitted her for the med change instead of having us do it at home. I think it could have taken months at home and it took a week at the hospital.
I am so glad Keppra is working for you! It really did control her grand mals well and we will never truly know if it was a factor in her depression, anger, or suicidality. I often wonder if seizure meds have that reputation simply because living with epilepsy is a risk factor for those issues to begin with.