Brivaracetam and Tiredness: What Users Say

• DRU...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• December 28, 2022

Brivaracetam for Epilepsy "I started taking this medication about 3 years ago when I was having many partial seizures a week. I just started with this whole epilepsy thing out of the clear blue about 11 years ago. My doctor was thinking of surgery because even though most of my seizures weren't convulsive, they were still taking a hit on my memory, and he didn't want me to damage my memory. As a last-ditch effort to avoid surgery, we tried coming off of the Keppra and using Briviact. It has worked very well, with only a small aura every now and then. I hadn't driven a car for two years, and now I am doing my thing again! Side effects for me have included tiredness and irritability. I can say that the benefit outweighs the side effects, at least for me. It is, however, a very hard drug to find, and many doctors have never even heard of it. If or when you run out, you're in trouble because not many pharmacies have it on hand, and it's pretty regulated."

• Ane...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 11, 2023

Brivaracetam for Epilepsy "Did the job. Milder side effects than Levetiracetam. The dosage was first 100 mg/day, then by stopping, it was suggested to reduce in 6 weeks to 0 mg. Almost got all the side effects mentioned. Physical: tiredness, pulse faster, heart pain before rain or by lightning (never happened in life before), higher blood pressure, veins start to be more and more coming out to the skin surface and seem purple, red, blue, hurt, also in eyes getting more and bigger red lines, water in legs, tinnitus at least 4 times, sensitivity to light and huge open pupils, eczema patches red and rough on skin, red urine often. Not enough water to have proper menstruation and sexual need and no liquid. Mental: anxiety, anger, short temper (destroying things), deep long sadness most days, panic, avoiding people for months, feeling burdened if I have to talk, unmotivation to do anything, irritability, few times felt like suicidal. Finished taking it in 3 weeks."

• Mar...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 6, 2021

Brivaracetam for Epilepsy "Briviact is my 13th med. Keppra caused more side effects. Briviact is finally working. I'm going past 25 weeks without a T/C. I had laser ablation on my frontal temporal lobe, and it didn't work. I do feel more lethargic, and I'm hoping my skin problems aren't coming back, but I'm taking 100 mg 2x a day, so maybe I can take less. But I'm scared to change anything. I do believe in gut health. I've had mono at age 1, and my naturopathic was the only one to test my thyroid, hormones, and cortisol levels correctly. She told me that I have active EBV (Epstein-Barr virus) and its cousin virus called HHV-6, which actually causes seizures because it attacks the nervous system. So with her treatment, I've been able to calm down the virus, and I've been able to get off both of my high blood pressure meds. I almost had to get on a 3rd HBP when I was on (brand name) Keppra XR at 1500 mg a day. I had low sodium levels as well. I need more time to know how this will affect my health over time, and I could follow a keto, but no."

• pab...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 26, 2022

Brivaracetam for Epilepsy "I had a fit in my sleep 2 years ago, after spending 3 weeks in my workshop, breathing in diesel fumes from a leaking heater, no history of epilepsy in my family. However, I'm no doctor, so what do I know? Apparently, I have 'temporal lobe epilepsy.' I was initially given Keppra, had terrible side effects (but no more fits). However, I did get lots of déjà vu. But the mood swings and suicidal thoughts started to get worse, so now I'm on Briviact, and again, no seizures. However, I'm getting extremely tired, depressed, angry, etc., and have started falling asleep, then waking up with no idea where or who I am! I'm not sure if that's the epilepsy or a drug side effect."

• Dan...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 9, 2021

For Seizures "Keppra was working well for me. I would get it at the CVS down the street. I put in a refill request and did it through the mail order Caremark. The version of Keppra I received made me feel slow and made my memory even worse than usual. I told my neurologist about this and asked for a new prescription so I could get it filled at the regular CVS. He preferred to do a prescription for Briviact. In hindsight, I can practically guarantee it was since Briviact is so very expensive it means he gets a much larger kickback for prescribing it. Briviact has made me feel even slower than the mail order Keppra and is also giving me a ‘brain fog.’ Supposedly, it’s a better version of Keppra, but I severely doubt that’s true. And it also makes me very tired in addition to feeling extra stupid."