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        New Message Board Archives >> Medications, Treatments, Therapies 2005 >> Keppra
        
(Message started by: Jill on Sep 24^th, 2005, 11:01am)

Title: Keppra
Post by Jill on Sep 24^th, 2005, 11:01am

Has anyone had any experience with Keppra?

My new neurologist put me on 500 mg of Keppra twice a day - it is an anti-covulsant that has been used to treat headaches... It was the only thing that he could come up with for me to try, that I havent tried before..

I have some concerns about it regarding side effects - I started it yesterday morning and feel like I am losing my mind. Things that arent supposed to be moving like walls are moving - it is like I am in a fun house and things are all dis-jointed and wavy and weird. I am also very dizzy but that I can deal with it... it is the other stuff that is driving me mad. :-/

Just wondering if anyone else has tried this medication, maybe the side effects will wear off once I have taken it a few days.... If you have tried it, did it do anything for the CH?

Thanks for the help!

Jill

Title: Re: Keppra
Post by unsolved1 on Sep 24^th, 2005, 11:38am

Keppra "the Nightmare drug" as its known. I had to stop taking it because of the nightmares :'( Didn't help the clusters at all, made them worse!

UNsolved

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Title: Re: Keppra
Post by cootie on Sep 24^th, 2005, 1:13pm

Don't keep takein meds if the side effects are too overwhelming......they can cause a new set of problems as if you have been thru some sort of tramatic MIND experience. I have seen ALOT of people continue meds just because the doc prescribed them and go thru some hell and get VERY wierd. Problem is ya take stuff like antidepressants to stabilize moods and even them out so you don't have the panic attacks or 'whatever'.....so if ya take somethin that causes wierd stuff to happen to ya and can't trust yourself goin anywhere or doing things or comunicateing in the long run it will MAKE YOU WIERD. Be careful ok !!?? Some have side effects that wear off......I usually don't get past the first few days. I don't like feeling that way......I thrive on my own energy and capabilities to do stuff and without that I am LOST and depressed. Mood alternateing Pam

Title: Re: Keppra
Post by kimmeesue on Sep 26^th, 2005, 2:28am

Did he give you the gradual dosing pack or start you out at that dose? That could be your problem. You are supposed to gradually build it up in your system over about three weeks. It didn't cause me to have nightmares as some others have experienced but did cause very vivid dreams and made my clusters worse and more frequent.
In any case, I would definitely call the doc.
Good luck.
Kim

Title: Re: Keppra
Post by lionsound on Sep 26^th, 2005, 7:33am

Jill,
I was on Keppra for quite a while....to try and help my "intractable headaches" I don't know if they helped my CH specifically at the time because I wasn't diagnosed yet. Initially it helped me sleep and I thought it helped my headaches calm down for a little while. In the end I hated it becuase It made me feel awful and when the hugest dose for me was pushed it encouraged a nasty depression. That's whan I stopped. (with the support of folks here who picked up on my mood).

It is very important that you very gradually increase it and be watchful of side effects as you seem to be right now. I should aslo say that one of my frustrations when I was on it was that i was limited in what else I could take with it. I was on it from 2003-fall 2004 and not many of my other docs knew much about it so getting meds for somehing like a simple cold was tricky...let alone when I switched SSRI's. Please be careful of interactions.

Please call your doctor today if you are this uncomfortable with it. If you feel this funky even a few days on it may not be worth it. If you stop, you need to taper down as well.

let us know what happens...
Be well and PF!
-Rori

Title: Re: Keppra
Post by Jill on Sep 26^th, 2005, 8:28am

Hey all....

Thanks for the input - I appreciate it! He didnt start me out gradually, just said to start taking it at 500 mg twice a day. He also said that it was very well tolerated - guessing now that that isnt so true. ::)

I havent taken a dose of it since Saturday morning and I am not sure that I am going to. On Saturday, I got slammed with back to back KIP 10's - something that hasnt happened in a long time. After 200 mg of imitrex and some vicodin, Marty ended up taking me to the ER where they drugged me like crazy, the only good thing being that I slept all day yesterday. So, was it the Keppra? I dont know but I dont know that I want to risk it either...

I am going to call the neuro as soon as I am functioning good enough and see what he says about it. So many of these meds that they want to try have so many bad side effects and when they dont prevent the headaches, you have to deal with the side effects too.

Will let you know what happens and thanks for the help..

Jill