Levetiracetam for Seizures User Reviews (Page 5)

• Anonymous
• July 26, 2011

Keppra XR (levetiracetam) "My neurologist prescribed Keppra initially 500 MG in the morning and 500 MG in the eveninig. I was so groggy it was unbelievable. All I wanted to do was sleep. We switched to the XR Keppra 500 MG twice per day at bedtime and it has been much better. Still suffer from some side effects (skin rash, stiff neck) but feeling much better. 8 weeks into it and all appears well! Good luck to all, I hope this helps."

• Nessq...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 13, 2016

Keppra (levetiracetam) "Our daughter was diagnosed 7 yrs ago and is now10 . She has tonic clonic and partial seizures sometimes out to 15 in one day bless her . We've tried epilim which was great for about 4 yrs the they crept back up so we tried tegratol and lamotragine together. They didn't work at all , so now she's on keppra. After just 3 days she had fits and was very happy girl . ( she has severe developmental delay) so it is hard to judge how she is feeling , but now she isn't eating and seems very very aggressive, we don't know what to do for the best?!?!?!?!"

• Shambo
• October 5, 2008

Keppra (levetiracetam) "Really is a wonder drug. It almost got rid of all my seizures but they are back again due to a trigger. It kept them away for 3 months, which is a miracle for me. I would get seizures every day for months. It was miserable. Plus this stuff hasn't given me awful side effects like many other anti-convulsant medicines."

• Kevin...
• September 5, 2015

Keppra (levetiracetam) "I was diagnosed with epilepsy when I was 17 and was prescribed Dilantin. I was having grand mal seizures and it was working ok. When I was 22 I moved to Florida and saw a new neurologist and he said Dilantin was an old drug and put me on keppra. I'm taking 1500mg twice a day and I'm having more grand mal seizures and partial complex zone outs. Keppra has not helped at all and I'm going to a new doctor for a different opinion on what to take."

• offth...
• January 19, 2011

Keppra (levetiracetam) "After thirty plus years unable to control nocturnal seizures with Dilantin, Tegretol and now, Tegretol XR I now take 500MG of Keppra twice daily plus the XR and am controlled night and day with no noticeable side effects. This has lasted for the last six years. I am very pleased and glad to get rid of those nocturnal seizures with their after effects. The difficult part is the cost of the non-generic, especially as I get older. "

• Gmarg...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 23, 2021

Keppra (levetiracetam) "I was put on Keppra to supplement to lamotrigine due to the pregnancy causing my lamotrigine to metabolize too fast. I immediately noticed an increase in exhaustion which was crippling on top of the pregnancy exhaustion. I could sleep 14 plus hours a day if I had the opportunity. My husband commented on the change in my personality and how my mood changed for the worst. Keppra wasn’t added until I was 29 weeks, so the personality change was not pregnancy hormones. I reached a point where I started asking myself why I even thought getting pregnant was a good idea. What soon to be mother wants to think that! I experienced dry mouth and a general feeling of malaise. If it wasn’t for the fear of another seizure while pregnant, I would NOT take this medication. I can’t wait until I give birth to get off of this miserable drug!"

• REFUSE
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 17, 2023

Keppra (levetiracetam) "I had my first two seizures just after my 21st, they then diagnosed me with epilepsy and tried to put me on medication but I refused as I don’t want to be dosed up on drugs, I know it’s beneficial in the long run but really didn’t want to be on any meds. I then had my third seizure at 22 and started taking Keppra. I feel like I’m going insane. I’m not an angry person. But this drug makes me evil. I’ve only been on it for a week and a half and I took the week off work to rest and thank god I did. I’ve been bedridden all week, I wake up in tears every morning with the feeling of wanting to rip all my teeth and hair out of anger. I can only describe it as feeling as if I’m on a withdrawal of some sort of drug even though I’m on Keppra. I’m asleep all morning and all night. I want to rip my skin off and scream and cry all day. In fact, I wake up crying my eyes out for hours. Please refuse it."

• Dooby...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• February 12, 2020

Keppra (levetiracetam) "Hey everyone at the age 48 my brother was diagnosed with epilepsy seizures at that time he almost died because nothing would stop them. After multiple seizures back to back like 20+ the only thing that would even help control them was name brand medication (Keppra)they started him out at six 500 mg daily. Many different symptoms with this I've noticed over the years so I will list a few: mood swings, anxiety, depression, memory loss of dates & time, agitated, lies. Talk to the doctor about the amount of seizures he experienced since last visit and at times gets violent. This medication still dosn't control them like it should but by taking it he at least has a chance."

• SharKe
• June 28, 2009

Keppra (levetiracetam) "I have tonic-clonic seizures due to a malignant tumor in my frontal lobe. I was prescribed phenytoin, which controlled the seizures but my doctors could not get my blood levels stable so I was constantly oscillating from sub-therapeutic to toxic. After 6 months of trial and error with no success, I was switched to Keppra. Keppra failed to control the seizures and I became hyperactive, easily agitated, and began having suicidal thoughts. My doctor made me switch back to phenytoin. The FDA recently required the manufacturer of Keppra to change the warning label to include these as known adverse reactions in some patients."

• Anonymous
• August 15, 2011

Keppra (levetiracetam) "I'd been having partial seizures every 2 wks lasting a few days for about 3yrs before having a tonic-clonic seizure and finally agreeing to go on medication. I started on Keppra and the seizures came once a month for about a week, similar to a girl's period, and I became very depressed, suicidal, and uninterested in anything. About 2yrs later I had another tonic-clonic seizure. Shortly after that I switched to Lamictal and am no longer suicidal but am still depressed and uninterested in anything and the seizures now come more frequently and randomly. "

• ajsgr...
• March 2, 2009

Keppra (levetiracetam) "It stopped seizures but I have gained 3 pounds a week. It has totaled 50 pounds. I hate it. It is destroying my life causing my thyroid and endocrine system to go haywire and I just want to get off of it. My endocrinologist wants to have me taken off immediately as my pancreas does not produce insulin and the weight gain is dangerous."

• Anonymous
• August 4, 2009

Keppra (levetiracetam) "I have been taking 2000 mg of Keppra a day for about 8 years now. I think that it is working good. I even took it when I was pregnant and thank goodness my baby came out fine. Think that there needs to be other information for woman who may want to have a child but are afraid to have a child due to seizures."

• 319s
• September 12, 2015

Keppra (levetiracetam) "My 2 year old grandson was drop falling constantly every 2/3 min. He already was taking toprimate and onfi. We started koppra and the falling decrease with one dosage. three days now and no falls, no shakes or jerks."

• Freddy
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• February 12, 2020

"I took levetiracetam for about six months at a relatively high dose, for focal onset seizures. For the first month or so I was absolutely fine, with the only noticeable side effects being the occasional bout of nausea before breakfast. However, at the 2-3 month mark my moods started to worsen, I became withdrawn, lost interest in a lot of my previous hobbies, and just felt pretty rubbishy in general. At the 5 month mark, I had a nervous breakdown and spent a whole night throwing hurting myself. After this, I tapered myself off the medication, and my life improved significantly. Levetericatam is horrible. Wouldn't recommend this drug to anyone, though I'll give it a rating of 2, since it technically got rid of my seizures."

• dataB...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 7, 2022

Keppra (levetiracetam) "Do not take Keppra if you have any psychiatric issues. It may stop seizures but with the terrifying risk of Keppra Rage. There is no need to take risk. Try a different AED, this drug was a nightmare. I lost my job because of Keppra Rage."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• August 31, 2022

Keppra (levetiracetam) "I've had nothing but a lot of very serious problems with this medicine. It's caused me severe kidney issues problems with ataxia & having more serious issues with it not controlling my seizures & I have taken a lot of very serious falls because of this drug! This drug needs to be taken off the market ASAP!!!!!!!"

• madds
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• October 19, 2017

Keppra (levetiracetam) "Sometimes I feel drowsy, sometimes I feel dizzy, sometimes I don't. I am not sure if it is really part of the medication but I do know I don't seizure on it. Compared to the first type of medication I tried (it sent me loopy) this is a lot better, but it could also be better. -Over the years start to analyse how your head processes, how much do you remember and make sure you're not getting slowly cranky on it."

• Dannie...
• April 11, 2011

Keppra (levetiracetam) "I have only been on keepra for about a month but I'm noticing mood swings, shakiness and medicines make me sleep a lot. I haven't had another seizure thank god but the mood swings are awful. I hope after I have my brain tumor removed things get better."

• HairF...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 25, 2019

"I was put on it by a neurologist who never actually tested me for epilepsy. I saw another neurologist who ultimately diagnosed me with Psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (PNES), non-epileptic seizures caused by panic attacks. I was put on 500mg twice a day which was fine but after having a miscarriage my anxiety sky rocketed and I started having seizures so they increased the dosage to 750mg twice a day. That’s when the issues began. Joint and muscle pain to the point I see a PT and orthopedic doctor. Anxiety was so bad. Depression set in. Now I’m going through the withdrawals which are the worse Headaches, anxiety, muscle aches, nausea... basically the side effects you get from the medicine but in reverse."

• jl2470
• September 24, 2011

Keppra (levetiracetam) "Have been on Keppra for about 8 months now. Only one seizure, but the side effects are getting to me. Depressed, irritable, weight gain. Neurologist has added a antidepressant to see if that helps. Just wish the medication was cheaper."

• Granny
• Taken for 10 years or more
• September 22, 2018

"Keppra has worked well for me. I was on 13 anti-convulsants after I first diagnosed in 1965. Over the years the meds were slowly stopped except for Dilantin. I slowly made the change to 1000 mg of Keppra/levetiracetam twice a day ten years ago and cannot sing the praises of this drug enough."

• Ehh
• September 1, 2010

Keppra (levetiracetam) "I have been taking 1500mg a day of Keppra for 7 years. I have had two perfectly healthy babies. I did not breast feed. I didn't want to take the chance. I was just happy they were born normal and healthy. At first it made me very, very tired but after a couple months, that subsided. I did start to gain weight after taking it but I thought that was from the pregnancies or a thyroid issue. I had no idea so many people gained weight with it and had irritability problems. Those are some things I have lived with for the last 7 years that could be a result of this. It does however, control my seizures. I have grand mal seizures and had a few over the years because I could not afford to buy the Keppra."

• wrigh...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• October 31, 2022

Keppra (levetiracetam) "I was just diagnosed with epilepsy 6 months ago and was immediately put on Keppra. I was so incredibly tired for the first 4 days or so and slept pretty much nonstop that weekend. Since then, I’ve felt completely normal with zero side effects whatsoever. I haven’t had any seizures since starting Keppra. I was having up to 14 per day before. If I’m home relaxing, I do tend to nap much more while on Keppra, but it doesn’t make me tired at work or when I shouldn’t be. I am so happy with this medication and so thankful that it exists."

• 0726
• September 20, 2010

Keppra (levetiracetam) "Started having grand mal seizures about 4 or 5 years ago. I've been on Keppra for awhile now the 1st two drugs made me way too tired. I get headaches everyday and sometimes "flip out" (get really mean and mad) easily. I never thought it could be from the Keppra but now I wonder if it is. I have been seizure free though which is worth it to me!"

• Epsy
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 20, 2023

Keppra (levetiracetam) "Overall the medication did indeed stop my seizures but the side effects were unbearable and to this day, I don’t remember those first few weeks on it but still get to hear about how cranky, irritable and foggy I was."