Levetiracetam for Epilepsy User Reviews (Page 2)

• bee...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• January 27, 2023

"I have had a bad experience taking Keppra. The longer I took it, the worse my symptoms were. Aside from epilepsy, I have depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder. Keppra made me paranoid and suicidal, and I heard so many voices in my head. I thought these side effects were related to my bipolar disorder, it did not occur to me that the changes in my thoughts and behaviors were related to Keppra. It wasn't until I had a nervous breakdown and my parents told me I need to talk to my doctor about switching medications that I realized Keppra was only heightening my mental disorders. I do not recommend Keppra at all if you experience any mental health issues."

• Not...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 6, 2018

"Keppra has made me angry beyond words, impatient, and now I cry all of the time. It has been like watching a train wreck in slow motion and not being able to control it. I feel like I’m going to explode all of the time. There has to be anything better than this."

• Out...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• May 4, 2023

"Avoid. I am 24 years old, and I had my first seizure almost two years ago. I had another one a month after that. Grand mal seizures, to be exact. Both seizures were very violent, waking up to blood on my pillow, a black eye, and bitten tongue and lips. I was diagnosed with epilepsy. I got prescribed Keppra extended-release. I take 1000 mg at night. The side effects are horrible. Horrible mood swings, irritability, anger, rage, the list goes on. It has ruined relationships around me in my life. I am finally switching medications, there are better options out there. I advise you to look at the options. Take it at your own risk."

• ama...
• September 5, 2009

"I have been epileptic since I was 5 years old. Now I am 24 years old. I started taking Keppra 2 years ago. In the beginning, I was so tired and sleepy-nearly lethargic. That wore off after the first 3 months of being on Keppra. Since I have been on Keppra for over two years, I only have had 1 seizure, and it was because I missed a dose. But sometimes I think there are other side effects due to Keppra, such as lack of concentration, frustration, irritability, and anger."

• Anonymous
• November 9, 2009

"I took Dilantin for over 20 years and always felt tired. I regularly had seizures 2-3 times a year while taking this medicine. My doctor took me off Dilantin, and I transitioned to Levetiracetam (Keppra) because long-term use of Dilantin can promote osteoporosis. I have been seizure-free ever since and experience no side effects. I also feel more energy as a result of getting off Dilantin."

• car...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 15, 2019

"I was tried on Keppra for a short period as a possible substitute for Dilantin, with the results that it did control my seizures, but after just two weeks, to borrow from the prescribing information, it produced 'hostile and aggressive behavior' over even the slightest thing. That was the first time. The second time that I was tried on Keppra, I spent a year on probation for assault. You can guess my opinion. It works well for some people, but I fear it's not as safe as the UCB and the FDA claim."

• Use...
• January 17, 2013

"I had my first seizure when I was 17 (now 23). I always wanted to be on medications that were safe, so one day when I had a family. And now I have my family with a healthy boy. I do have to say I was having depression, I was having dizzy spells and really bad headaches. But I talked to my doctor, he lowered my dose and gave me Topamax to take with it. And now my headaches are gone. It is very hard to actually find the right medication for yourself. I wish you all the best!"

• Bel...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 17, 2020

"Keppra not only increased my seizures from 3 a year to 5-7 grand mal a week but also kept me conscious during them so that I was able to feel every excruciating moment. Normally, the human brain blacks out during a seizure. Thanks to this drug, I was able to feel and remember my muscles tightening and fighting against each other, my head trying to hit again the floor and my legs and arms trying to kick and beat the air. As soon as I was able, I switched doctors and medication. This needs to be pulled from the shelves!!"

• Bec...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• October 1, 2018

"I've been struggling with seizures for seven years. A year and a half ago, I was diagnosed with epilepsy and put on Keppra. I currently take almost the max dosage, 1,750 mg twice a day. I struggled with grand mal seizures so much before starting Keppra. Ever since I started Keppra, I've only had one grand mal occur a year ago. Although Keppra helped my grand mal seizures, it didn't prevent my partial seizures or otherwise petit mal seizures. Keppra doesn't react badly with other meds or the body. Overall, satisfied with Keppra!"

• Mag...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• August 7, 2014

"After having seizures for reg every 8 days or so for 55 years on many different anticonvulsants, I was given Keppra, 3000 mg daily, and for the last 10 years have been free from seizures with no side effects whatever. This medication has changed my life around."

• mac...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• July 16, 2013

"I have been on Keppra for 10 months. After 45 years on Dilantin, my liver was being poisoned. Dilantin worked as far as controlling seizures. Keppra has worked so far, but I have insomnia and no appetite."

• Nur...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• March 29, 2017

"My experience on Keppra was awful. Partly responsible for me developing a state of encephalopathy. Mood was evil. I was threatening to strangers and family. I'd flip so suddenly from 0 to 100 without warning at the slightest word out of place. I'd say it's dangerous from a patient perspective and would not advocate it as a nurse. Thoughts of negative actions... prolific."

• Fra...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• April 11, 2020

"Have been taking Keppra for more than 2 years now, and I have never noticed a problem when using it. It has completely stopped all of my seizures and gives me no side effects. On top of that, it is a water-soluble drug, meaning that I just urinate it out, leaving no way for it to do any damage to me. Currently, I am on 1500 mg a day of XR medication. The first time it was prescribed, I never took it for the sole reason that there were so many side effects listed. I had seizures because of my actions. After taking it, I have never had a seizure since and feel better than ever. I recommend the use of this medication if prescribed!!"

• Saa...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• June 24, 2013

"The only few problems consist of drowsiness, which is better than having seizures. Another important issue is dosing. You must take every day's worth, or it can lead to an aura or a full-fledged seizure, which can affect driver's licenses (loss of 2 years)."

• Han...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• February 19, 2017

"I was diagnosed with juvenile myoclonic epilepsy in 2010 and was started on Depakote. After gaining 40 lbs and still having seizures on that medication, my doc switched me to Keppra XR. Initially, I started out on 500 mg once a day and was feeling a little drowsy but okay. I was still having muscle jerks, so she upped the dose to 1500 mg once a day and started having severe fatigue. As a college student, this was affecting my studies severely. Now, on the same dosage for 3 years, I have memory loss, severe exhaustion and fatigue, headaches, and dizziness every day, and my schoolwork is being negatively affected. My doc refuses to change my medication since I haven't had a seizure while on Keppra XR."

• Pac...
• November 18, 2017

"As a 42-year-old female, I have had seizures my entire life. I have taken 14 anti-convulsants at one point or another in an attempt to control my complex partial seizures, but Keppra is the WORST medication I have EVER taken. The side effects are horrible. Although it's the only medication that has been able to stop my seizures, the side effects are so terrible that it's not worth taking it. I couldn't string together a coherent thought, had short-term memory loss, had awful mood swings, and suddenly hated life. Everything was difficult, I couldn't think straight and felt emotionally raw all the time. I could barely keep it together while on this medication. Every day of life was AWFUL while on this medication. I will NEVER take it again."

• Twi...
• April 3, 2018

"When my Keppra was wearing off, I would start to twitch! I couldn't stop twitching, and I was becoming more and more aggressive! My body felt more unbalanced, and I fell twice. I encourage you to speak to your doctor to thoroughly investigate what meds are out there that don't make you mean and walk like a twitchy drunk!"

• Anonymous
• January 30, 2016

"I was diagnosed at 13 years old with grand mal seizures due to my period. Was put on Keppra 250 mg twice a day. I'm 21 now and still take it. It does control my seizures (though I still get auras once in a while), and I have experienced all the side effects. My parents and friends will be the first to tell you how drastically I have changed from this medication. It makes you very irritable, tired, depressed, crazy mood swings, and short-tempered. Through the years, I've learned to handle it better. When I was 15, I stopped taking them to see if I grew out of it, suggested by my neuro, and had 3 seizures in 3 days. Have been taking it every day ever since. Keeps me living a normal life, like driving a car and going to school!"

• xar...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 6, 2020

"I was always a very happy person with a lot of energy, but since I started Keppra, I became violent, with uncontrollable rage, depressed, tired, dizzy, and I attacked my cat for almost doing nothing. I don't recognize myself. I just want to lie down all the day and stay in bed."

• Anonymous
• December 21, 2013

"My daughter is 4 and started having seizures 9 months ago. She has been on Keppra since then. Overall, it has worked to control but not completely prevent her seizures. It has stopped them from spreading to her whole body, but she still has them in her face about once a month, even though her dose has been increased several times, and she is now taking 7 mls twice a day. The side effects now are not as bad as when she first started this medicine. Since she has been on it, however, she has not had as good of an appetite, and some days she won't eat at all. Her sleeping habits have been irregular as well. Sometimes she freaks out and starts biting anything she can. She doesn't talk, so she can't tell me how she feels."

• nic...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 21, 2020

"So far I have had a terrible experience with this drug, Keppra. They increased the dosage by 1500 mg a day. So now I'm taking 1500 mg 2x a day on top of Lamictal. I always feel tired, moody, and depressed. Most recently, I started having suicidal thoughts and feeling lonely. I hope these side effects end soon."

• Van...
• March 10, 2012

"I am on a very small dose for epilepsy, 250 mg twice a day. It has made me quite tired, but apart from that, there's been no problems. I only have a couple of seizures a year, so hopefully this low dose will keep me seizure-free."

• Anonymous
• September 17, 2019

"I have been taking 200 mg of Keppra twice a day after my second seizure, which was 4 months ago. For the first month, roughly, I had constant mood swings and almost no appetite. It wasn't uncommon for me to randomly start feeling depressed, and those phases could last up to multiple days on end. I would also have random anger that seemingly came from nowhere to the point where I would start fights with my family over the dumbest things. Even after that first month, which is supposed to be when your body gets used to the drug, I continually had mood swings and random depression. Although it has stopped me from seizing, I highly do not recommend."

• Mic...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• June 12, 2025

"I took Keppra for a number of years. Over the course of those years I will say that I didn't have as many seizures. Looking back (with the knowledge of the side effects) now I hate to say that the couple prison sentences could have been directly related to 'rage' and other side effects. Over time the benefits also dwindled away."

• Pam...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• September 28, 2020

"My son cannot take generics of Keppra, it works for him, and he is on a combination of Depakote, Keppra, and Vimpat. Nine of the generics are equivalent to the brand. Don't be fooled by doctors or pharmacies, because they will tell you they are the same."