Seizures leave me unsteady while walking and anxious: How to manage?

@sreemoy: Welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. I’d like to learn more about your health experiences with walking and your seizure history. Are the two related?

Based upon what you wrote, you had one seizure in 2022. There are different types of seizures. Do you know what kind you had, or can you describe it/what happened during it? Were you placed on levetiracetam (generic name) at that time or a different prescription that was changed in 2026? The brand name for your seizures medication is Keppra. There have been associated side effects reported when people take either the generic or brand name such as you describe - specifically, mood changes including irritability, depression and/or anxiety. It’s important to discuss this with the medical provider who prescribed this medication.

It’s also very important to let them know that you’ve continued to have seizures. Please let the medical provider know when these have occurred, if you’ve missed any doses, added any new medications, had any alcoholic beverages, any changes in sleep patterns or have been ill. It’s very possible an adjustment in dosage or a change to a new medication may be needed.

Have you contacted your provider or will you be able to make an appointment soon to discuss? Let me know what they advise.

Sorry you're going through this. Unsteadiness and anxiety can sometimes happen after seizures or even as a medication side effect. It's worth discussing both symptoms with your neurologist, especially since you've had more seizures recently. Wishing you the best.

Hi @sreemoy
Welcome to our group at Connect!
As @sergiomcarson pointed out, anxiety and unsteadiness can be side effects of Keppra (levetiracetam), and can also occur after seizures. I'd add that anxiety can also be a symptom of epilepsy itself. Here are two resources that might help:
Keppra (Levetiracetam) Leaflet – Mayo Clinic
https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements/levetiracetam-oral-route/description/drg-20068010
Anxiety in Epilepsy – Epilepsy Foundation
https://www.epilepsy.com/stories/anxiety-epilepsy
I take Keppra myself, and my doctor advises me never to climb a ladder or steep stool because of the unsteadiness it can cause. Like yours, my unsteadiness isn't noticeable to others, but I can feel it at certain moments.
Do you feel unsteady only after seizures, or does it also occur without having seizures? And if you're comfortable, what more can you tell us about your epilepsy and treatment? @grammato3 was curious about this as well.
Chris

@santosha My last seizure was in 8th June 2026, i am on Torleva 1000mg twice daily, i feel unsteadiness since my first seizure in 2022 when i first took torleva, after 6 months i took only 250mg daily untill 2026

@sreemoy
Thank you for your response. Since your unsteadiness has been present since you started on Levetiracetam, this seems to be a side effect of the medication — noting that side effects can be very specific to each person's body. As I mentioned, I take Keppra (the brand-name drug) with the same active ingredient as Torleva. Thankfully, my unsteadiness is mild. As I've learned recently, the brand-name drug — the original product that went through full clinical trials to prove safety and efficacy — and generic medications are not exactly the same. A generic contains the same active ingredient, same dose, and same route of administration, and meets regulatory standards (FDA, ANVISA, etc.), but it's not 100% equivalent to the brand-name drug. I've heard from many people who switched from a brand-name drug to a generic and experienced more side effects.
Have you had the chance to talk to your doctor about this side effect? Has he or she considered switching from Torleva (the generic) to the brand-name drug (Keppra), or proposed trying another AED? Which kind of seizures have you experienced lately - focal or tonic-clonic ones?
Chris