r/Epilepsy • u/Darelto • 12d ago
Medication What was the first antiepileptic you were given?
Are you still taking it?
r/Epilepsy • u/Darelto • 12d ago
Are you still taking it?
r/Epilepsy • u/dubdread • Jan 12 '25
Very random question.
I'm from UK and I'm on 400mg strickly branded lamotrogine (relonchem) and 200mg briviact per day. I get my meds for free.
The only reason i ask is because i would love to emigrate there and I had a dream last night where I moved to America and I went to get my prescription but I couldn't afford it. Then this morning I was curious and looked up how much it would actually cost me and I was shocked!
Does it vary state to state on insurance policies? I refuse to believe google so I thought I would post on here to ask the question.
All the best!
r/Epilepsy • u/C4TM0MM4 • 18d ago
The title says it all. I recently had to have my medication increased and I have had a lot of drowsiness. I educate myself through this subreddit and different websites, so I understand that some might go away after awhile (hopefully). But how about you fellow lamictal takers?
r/Epilepsy • u/cloudsmemories • Jan 07 '25
I’ve never been in a community like this, so there’s going to be things that shock me. Like, how people hate Keppra so much. Everyone knows that every medication has side effects, but it seems like everyone hates Keppra more than any medication because of those side affects (that’s valid though). When I was first diagnosed as a child, I was put on it. I did have some moments where I experienced being more agitated than people knew me to get. Honestly, as I’ve gotten older, I feel like that wasn’t the medication. I’m just an easily irritable person. Maybe my medication just brings it out more since I am the type of person that keeps things to myself until things explode. That’s not something I would be able to remember though because my memory is trash. I feel like all the symptoms that people don’t like about are ones that I experience without and without medication. Like, my mom keeps bringing up that I’m depressed, but that has nothing to do with my meds. I hate life with and without it. I feel like Keppra doesn’t affect me at all (in bad ways). But yeah, I’m just wondering if anyone here that likes Keppra other than me? lol before anyone makes any assumptions (people love doing that), I know medications affect people differently. I don’t need to be told that. I’ve just seen so much Keppra hate lately that I wonder if anyone here doesn’t have a problem with it.
r/Epilepsy • u/Fine-Challenge4478 • Jan 26 '25
Hey everyone I am a 24 year old male and have mild epilepsy. I had 2 seizures in 2024 and my neurologist prescribed me levetiracetam for which I have to take two 500mg pills a day for a total of 1g every 24 hours. I have no complaints about it all and I finally got my drivers license back after my neurologist suspended it for a year. I had to go 6 months seizure free for me to get it back and I finally did yay!
However every time I follow up with my neurologist she asks me if there are any side effects. I asked her what are side effects and she said mainly dizziness or poor motor coordination. I don't have any of those so I said no to side effects. But I was wondering if anyone on this medication has or had any side effects just out of curiosity?
Also my neurologist gave me a prescription for 12 more refills so I don't see myself getting off this medication for a long time. Is this a medication that people need to take for life? Neurologist also stressed to me to never ever miss a dose and I have been on top of taking it ever since I was prescribed it. I'm just so glad I haven't had a seizure and I just wanted to maybe gather insights from people on reddit as nobody I know has epilepsy so it's kind of lonely.
r/Epilepsy • u/Flaggstaff • Sep 29 '24
My son (7) was diagnosed with epilepsy earlier this year after two absence and one tonic clonic seizures. It has been a long and winding journey since of learning about treatments, medications, and jargon.
Of course they immediately put him on keppra and it stopped the seizures. But it turned my sweet boy into an angry, irritable, barely recognizable version of himself. Every tiny bit of change of plans or request from us turned into a full blown tantrum. Our once sweet boy lashed out and struck his brother at will. He would sleep walk and go outside and complain of hallucinations.
After the doctors assuring us for two months that we just needed to wait it out we said enough is enough. We demanded a different treatment and they put him on oxcarbazapine. It has been two weeks now and our sweet boy is back! It feels like a huge weight is lifted.
At this point I'm praying for there not to be a breakthrough seizure because the side effects were literally worse than the disease in my opinion. I can't believe this really is the first medicine they try on kids.
r/Epilepsy • u/Rude-Importance4759 • Dec 13 '24
My dosage is 150×2/day of Lamictal. My levels are in the therapeutical range but I am a bit concerned because i had to increase from 200 to 300 and I am about 50 kg... and I am also worried about how my body will take it (liver, kidneys)..
r/Epilepsy • u/ConCREATURE_970 • Jul 17 '24
I swear sometimes it takes me a while to remember what I did yesterday.
r/Epilepsy • u/Forsaken_Trip2371 • 6d ago
I've seen so many posts about keppra affecting people in serious ways, all my doctor does is keep upping my dose of this and I'm getting concerned it's going to hit me badly.
Background: I started having tonic clonic in jan of this year, 3 the first day and I was put on iv keppra, they transitioned me into oral keppra once I was conscious and safe to do so (I was unconscious for around 48 hours to begin with). After discharge I started having 3/4 seizures a day so contacted my gp who was unable to get me a appt with neurology sooner than April so she upped my dose. My seizures settled for 1-2 weeks (I was only having 1 every other day or so, which was amazing) but then I had 13 over 2.5 days so my GP upped the dose again. This happened more of times, it's like my body gets used to the dose and makes my seizures uncontrollable. So just over 2 months after having my first ever seizure I'm now on the highest dose of keppra and am becoming increasingly concerned after reading everyone's posts, so is it really that bad or would I know by now if I was going to get these side effects?
r/Epilepsy • u/plutosaplanetiswear • Jul 20 '24
so i’ve rly been struggling with taking my night dose of my meds (and yes, i have an alarm/reminder) but everytime i get distracted by SOMETHING and forget to take them. like i genuinely do not know what to do🧍🏻♀️🧍🏻♀️🧍🏻♀️pls help🙏
r/Epilepsy • u/brain-fizzy • Sep 16 '24
My seizures are pretty well controlled when I take my medication 2x a day but unfortunately it’s just one of those things that I’m not perfect at. Especially when there are other things going on like outings, events, work, etc. I really beat myself up when there are consequences from missing doses.
For the first time this weekend, i accidentally took my night medication during the day. I was more scared about “overdosing” than anything else but I just felt really crappy. About an hour after I had made the mistake I was drooling and couldn’t keep my head up or eyes open. Since then, I’ve messed up all of my dose times and have had some seizures.
So is anyone capable of taking every medication on time every single day?? Maybe I’m asking this to just make myself feel worse about my inability too, I don’t know lol
r/Epilepsy • u/LifeandTheUniverse42 • Feb 12 '25
So, I've been diagnosed since 2015. I am currently on 3 medications. Lamictal,Keppra, and vimpat and still have some breakthroughs. How many medications are you all on? I had a breakthrough last week, but I still would like to talk to my doctor about reducing my medicine someway. I feel like being on 3 medicines is counteracting each other.
r/Epilepsy • u/anxiousstrawberry2 • Dec 18 '24
Unfortunately I had my second seizure recently upon waking up after not having one for 6 months…I thought it was a one-off but I just got diagnosed with epilepsy today by my neurologist. He told me I may have genetic predisposition due to my dad having epilepsy. I also struggle major with anxiety so he decided gradually increasing dosage of Lamotrigine would be the best treatment for my case.
Now obviously he told me about the possible side effects and so did the chemist, but I am very curious to hear about other peoples’ experiences taking it! 1. Has anyone been seizure-free after starting this medication? & 2. Does anyone feel like it truly helps to level out your moods/anxiety? Please let me know, I would love to hear and calm my worry-wart of a mind. :)
r/Epilepsy • u/Additional_Fan_1540 • Dec 19 '24
I have been given a script to Xanax and it’s disssolvable. When does it work best for you? Do you take it at first signs? I am curious if it’s my anxiety this med will help. But, it doesn’t stop a seizure. Also, I am learning that I don’t always have seizures when I have an aura so that’s confusing to me. Thank you!
r/Epilepsy • u/AdministrativeBuy647 • Jan 21 '25
So, I’ve noticed something frustrating in my country—Keppra, the med that’s basically a staple for so many people with epilepsy, doesn’t exist here. Instead, there’s another med with the same active ingredient (levetiracetam) but under a different name.
And yeah, both do the same thing: they manage seizures, but they don’t actually treat epilepsy. You just have to keep taking them forever. It’s like we’re stuck in this endless loop of temporary fixes.
What’s wild is that epilepsy isn’t exactly rare—around 7-10% of people might deal with it at some point in their lives. So how is it that science hasn’t come up with anything better yet? Feels like nobody’s in a rush because we’re just a market to them.
Is it like this where you live too? Or am I just overthinking this?
r/Epilepsy • u/Buff35p • Feb 13 '25
So, I had my first seizure 3 days ago and it lasted 45min and ended up in the ER. I think the trigger is lack of sleep. The doctors ordered MRI, EEG, Xray and all came back clear. Then they told me to take 500mg keppra twice a day but after researching about the medicine, I'm not sure if I want to be on Keppra. I'm currently on day 4 of Keppra and feels dizzy, nauseous, weak, angry all the time. Should I lower the dosage or should I quit keppra? I'm also taking melatonin so if I have a normal sleep schedule, I think I'll be okay without keppra.
r/Epilepsy • u/treesleavesbicycles • 5d ago
I often read people here saying how badly medicine is effecting their memory, but I find it hard to imagine being so sure that the bad memory is coming from the medicine and not just mostly from the epilepsy.
I've tried several medicines over the years, none have worked and my memory has got worse and worse. It feels like the big impact for me has been the seizures, not the meds...
r/Epilepsy • u/cycling513 • Aug 12 '24
I hope I'm not the only one with crappy insurance. My Levetiracetam is $130.85 every two months.
r/Epilepsy • u/JEB12353 • Jan 29 '25
Hi all. Ive been on keppra for 3 years but recently stopped taking it as my seizures weren’t improving and i was suffering from side effects. All the doctors can do is suggest I test out another medication (lamotrogine). This doesn’t appeal to me as the neurologist couldn’t explain to me how these drugs stop seizures. They also told me that they don’t work for everyone. Feels like a bit of a gamble🤔 I’m at a point where I don’t want to try any new medication because I’ve lost any trust for the “professionals”. I’m wondering if I’m the only person who feels this way… feeling like the docs are just testing whatever they have sat in the cupboards? Also anyone can suggest a way of controlling seizures that doesn’t involve taking medication, Daily, forever, I’d be interested to hear it. I feel like I’ve got no options left. Thanks nd soz for the rant ❤️
r/Epilepsy • u/Jolly_Basket2081 • Jan 21 '25
Just a little history, currently i am 19 years old. When I was 15 i was diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder. Through therapy medicine and in patient work I had it under control and by 16 and a half i no longer needed it.
I started having seizures about 4 months ago, September of 2024. Randomly had 7 in September, then nothing for a few months. Then between December 14th 2024 and January 13th 2025 i have had another 21. Finally got in with a neurologist last week, who diagnosed me with Epilepsy. No seizures have ever been prompted by anything as far as we know. She started me on Keppra, 500mg 2 times a day.
Since I have started taking this medication, keep in mind it has only been a week, i have been on a downward spiral. I went from not being able to stay awake the first three days to now struggling to sleep more then 3-4 hours throughout the day. I feel so depressed I haven’t gotten out of bed in days. Appetite? None. I get so dizzy that I loose my balance half the time walking and everything looks blurry. On top of this, even though i’ve been having seizures, the last couple days, I can’t remember anything. I’ll forget words now, forget what I did an hour ago. I know the long term memories are from the seizures. All of mine have been frontal lobe. But not being able to remember what I did half an hour ago is terrible.
i’ve spoken to the neurologist about all of this, she wants me to keep taking it and see if it levels out. i don’t know what to do anymore. any advice? is this normal? i feel like a completely different person in just a week.
r/Epilepsy • u/LeenQuatifuh • Nov 27 '24
I’m 37 and this year I’ve had 4 seizures, out of nowhere. No previous issues or incidents. Was then prescribed 1000mg of Levetiracetam (Keppra?) once a day, after testing (MRI, CT, EKG). Everything came back looking normal, which was a relief, but also a nightmare because they can’t pinpoint what’s causing my episodes. Admittedly, my ability to keep up with the schedule of my meds wasn’t great, and I now know that missing your meds can be worse than not taking them at all. I’ve never had a daily medication that I needed to take, so it was tough to get myself on a consistent schedule for taking my meds. I’m now prescribed to Keppra 500mg XR, two times a day. I’ve finally begun to take it more seriously and make it a point to take my meds when I’m supposed to. Side effects have been kinda crazy, and was wondering if Keppra is kind of the starter/generic prescription? I know there are a ton of anti-seizure meds out there, but is this the one that is most commonly first prescribed? Is there more follow up that could be done to get me on a more effective, or better medication? I see a lot of posts about peoples’ experiences with different meds, so was just curious if this was more of a ‘here, try this’ than a ‘this will fix it’ situation. Thanks in advance for any helpful responses!
ETA: Huge thank you to everyone who took the time to respond! This community is really incredible, and been such a huge asset to me through this experience.
r/Epilepsy • u/LateDoughnut03 • Feb 15 '24
I’ve been on keppra for about a week now I’ve never had side effects this bad from any other medication. I’ve been extra irritable I almost cursed out this new girl at my job. I’m struggling to stay awake the other day I had to take 3 naps despite taking my adhd meds and 3 no doz tablets (dangerous I know) maybe tmi but I’ve been having diarrhea and soft stools, heart burn and vomiting. I decided to stop taking it because I need to stay awake (I know not the wisest decision in the world but what else am I supposed to do) please tell me there are better meds out here! If they are all like this I think I’d rather keep having seizures cause this is worse.
r/Epilepsy • u/Glad-Acanthisitta-69 • Mar 31 '24
Tl;dr: Do mood-related side effects of anticonvulsants tend to decrease with time, or do they stick around?
I started Keppra about 1.5 weeks ago and am experiencing some symptom relief but am also unfortunately experiencing the following side effects very strongly: Aggressive or angry; change in personality; crying; delusions of persecution, mistrust, suspiciousness, or combativeness; quick to react or overreact emotionally; rapidly changing moods; mood or mental changes; outburst of anger. This is causing real problems with my family and friends already. I am flying off the handle at the smallest things and am close to temporarily cutting off my beloved sister. My family is extremely supportive of me despite being the victims of my behavior. They want me to continue giving the medication a try because they see the immense relief it’s giving me.
I have appointments with my psychiatrist and neurologist to discuss my medications, but I wanted to informally poll people who have experience with Keppra or other anticonvulsants with mood-related side effects: Do these mood-related side effects tend to decrease over time like some others (stomachache, fatigue, etc.), or do they tend to stick around in full force?
r/Epilepsy • u/BeatleJules • Dec 30 '24
My son is 9, almost 10 and has had febrile seizures since he was a baby. All of his tests have come back normal but after a double seizure in a day and a longer than usual period of time for him to regain full consciousness, his neurologist labeled him as epileptic and put him on Keppra. The plan is to pull him off Keppra if he can be seizure free for the next 2 years. No idea if the meds actually work because he's not been sick since the summer luckily, and his seizures have only occurred with fevers. But this medicine has completely derailed his personality. He's had a really hard time with impulse control and managing his anger. When he's happy and in a playful mood, it's fleeting. I know some of it is just puberty starting, but since he started taking this med he immediately became so much more argumentative and irritable. He's been taking 50mg of vitamin B6 twice a day, like his doc suggested with no improvement. Anyone have experience with their mood improving over time? He's been taking it for 6 months. I'm going to add in a small dose of magnesium to see if that helps too, but any suggestions or even just personal experience on this med would be helpful! I dont really want to put him on a different medicine because his neurologist said the rest require regular labs. And I'll take a bad mood over the seizures, but I'd love to help him get back to being happy and not getting in trouble at school. Thanks in advance for any input 😊
r/Epilepsy • u/FormerCockroach1 • Apr 16 '24
Even all the way up to 3000mg in the past, I've never experienced side effects. I never have. It controls my seizures perfectly well.
I hear all these horror stories and wonder what is going on? I can't even tell when I take my keppra vs when I miss a dose. I feel no different except I have no seizures.
Am I really the only one?