Can anyone suggest any other medication besides Keppra for seizures?

Posted by 1710dave @1710dave, Aug 18, 2020

Can anyone suggest any other medication besides keppra for seizures.These pills are destroying my brain and body.The pill attacks my miscle so bad I cannot walk some times the pain is so bad in my legs.The pill is like a statin and it does damage to your muscle and tendons it is calls rhabdomyolysis.The doctors are no help at all, they just say all the pills have side effects and leave it at that.Hope someone has a suggestion.Thank you Dave

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@salpal01

Hi grammy
whatever you do don't ever go onto Sabril as it's a very nasty drug. Most oeople get blurred vision on it and some got memory loss - I ended up with memory loss and demanded to be taken off it, My new neuro put me on Keppra and I feel great. I have nocturnal seizure so I need to get a seizure watch to wear to bed as my seizures are deffinately changing I don't even wake up with a tension headache anymore. I'm 65 and am very contented these days it just feels weird now that my life doesn't revolve around coping with these awful seizures.
Glad things are working out for you
Sal

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I am so happy for you that Keppra has worked for you. I am 53 old male who has seizures once a year at night. Big ones but only when I am sleeping. Taking Keppra too. 2250mgs. I hate it but not much I can do. I pray everyday 🙏

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@vinniemoe

I am so happy for you that Keppra has worked for you. I am 53 old male who has seizures once a year at night. Big ones but only when I am sleeping. Taking Keppra too. 2250mgs. I hate it but not much I can do. I pray everyday 🙏

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@vinniemoe
Do you hate Keppra because of significant side effects or isn't it effective?
I imagine your nocturnals are Tonic-Clonic. Nocturnal seizures are a risk factor of a very seri but fortunately rare Epilepsy condition. You might want to invest in an anti-suffocation pillow. How do you know your having these seizures? Do you remember them or does some one tell you or perhaps blood on your pillow from a bitten tongue and or cheek? Do you only have one, once a year? There are many drug options to choose from and the side effects will be apparent quickly but if the drug if effective e a long process, especially if the alternative to Keppra doesn't control the seizure.
I suggest if you take a generic drug that you ALWAYS get it from the same manufacturer. Don't switch from brand to generic or vs verse. Stanford University did a study that such actions could result in increased seizures. This isn't common but it happened to me.
If your having side effect problems extended-release medications may help.
You might want to ask your doctor about Carbamazepine (Tegretol or Carbatrol)
When I switched to extended-release Carbatrol which is a brand-name drug my seizures stopped.
Wishing you the best.
Take care,
Jake.

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@jakedduck1

@vinniemoe
Do you hate Keppra because of significant side effects or isn't it effective?
I imagine your nocturnals are Tonic-Clonic. Nocturnal seizures are a risk factor of a very seri but fortunately rare Epilepsy condition. You might want to invest in an anti-suffocation pillow. How do you know your having these seizures? Do you remember them or does some one tell you or perhaps blood on your pillow from a bitten tongue and or cheek? Do you only have one, once a year? There are many drug options to choose from and the side effects will be apparent quickly but if the drug if effective e a long process, especially if the alternative to Keppra doesn't control the seizure.
I suggest if you take a generic drug that you ALWAYS get it from the same manufacturer. Don't switch from brand to generic or vs verse. Stanford University did a study that such actions could result in increased seizures. This isn't common but it happened to me.
If your having side effect problems extended-release medications may help.
You might want to ask your doctor about Carbamazepine (Tegretol or Carbatrol)
When I switched to extended-release Carbatrol which is a brand-name drug my seizures stopped.
Wishing you the best.
Take care,
Jake.

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I also have Nocturnal seizures, a year and half I have been working on dosage amount. I still experience aura seizures occasionally. My treatment is lamo TRlgine. I am new to the clinic, I hope this maybe helpful. I have an amazing doctor

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Hi Dave, I was put on Keppra after my first seizure 3 months ago. Keppra made
me depressed, and gave me “Keppra Rage”. I told my neurologist I was not going to make it. She said some patients on Keppra benefit from taking B6 100mg once a day. It worked for me —within an hour of taking the B6 the Keppra veil was lifted and I felt more like myself again. B6 may not help everyone, but it helped me. I have since switched from Keppra to Vimpat, but you never know, may be back on Keppra in future, and B6 along with it.

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@earlylonghauler
I have read B6 helped decrease the mood issues associated with Keppra but never heard anyone verify the B6 actually eased those side effects.
Do you have any other side effects from Keppra? Has Kappra affected your memory, drowsiness or balance?
Take care,
Jake

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@jakedduck1

@earlylonghauler
I have read B6 helped decrease the mood issues associated with Keppra but never heard anyone verify the B6 actually eased those side effects.
Do you have any other side effects from Keppra? Has Kappra affected your memory, drowsiness or balance?
Take care,
Jake

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Keppra was my first E-med. On the plus side, I did not have a seizure the 3 months I was on it. On the minus side, it made depressed and angry - B6 helps with that. Keppra did not make me sleepy, and did not affect my balance. Because I wanted off Keppra I asked to try another med and was put on Lacosamide (Vimpat). I was on Vimpat for about a week, missed one dose, and had a seizure the next day. Up until I missed my dose and had a seizure, Vimpat seemed fine. Hard to tell if it is the Vimpat or the recovery, but memory and balance are off, hopefully will improve. See neurologist in a few days, may be back on Keppra.

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Dave I hope you got help -you are in my prayers. I know this post was 2020 …but I wanted to let you know I was on Keppra a short period of time and had to go off of it… I could not tolerate it my Dr put me on Divalproex. It really works for me I am also on Zonisimide and Lamectal- It has taken a while for us to get the right (I have been on medications since I was 12 and I have been on alit of the drugs- I am 73 and for years the Zonisimide and Lamectal worked but as I aged something need to be tweaked lol - so we added something took something else away. I really hope you got a epilepsy clinic so neurologist who specializes in epilepsy so try hey can help you.

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Hi, am new here, my son have partial/focal seizure and placed on sodium valporate for five years with little effects, lately the doctor added Keppra . The combination worked for month but he's getting. Am getting afraid of this combination because of the valporic acid's side effects.

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@busola
Is your son having focal aware seizures where he is awake & aware of what is going on or having focal impaired seizures where his consciousness is to some degree impaired.
Is you son actually experiencing side effects and if so which ones, or are you concerned of potential side effects that may affect him later?
If his doctor allowed him to have seizures for 5 years without any alterations to his medication I'd recommend finding a new doctor.
Can you describe what happens during one of your sons typical seizures, how often does he have them? How long has he had epilepsy?
Take care,
Jake

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@jakedduck1

@busola
Is your son having focal aware seizures where he is awake & aware of what is going on or having focal impaired seizures where his consciousness is to some degree impaired.
Is you son actually experiencing side effects and if so which ones, or are you concerned of potential side effects that may affect him later?
If his doctor allowed him to have seizures for 5 years without any alterations to his medication I'd recommend finding a new doctor.
Can you describe what happens during one of your sons typical seizures, how often does he have them? How long has he had epilepsy?
Take care,
Jake

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Thank you Jake
It started when he was nine years, with shaking legs, hands and head. EEG
test was done and the medications were recommended, But now,
his head turns right and eyes as
well for like 3 minutes . Sometimes he pee on himself.
The side effects of the drugs is causing tremors in his hands.

There's shortage of valporic acid here in my country ( Nigeria, West
Africa) and I have to source for generic one so as not to stop. Yet his
seizures is yet to be controlled (as he had it twice in a month)

Thank you

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